First engagement shoot -- CC please!

My best friends asked me to do a little engagement shoot for them last weekend -- I was certainly out of my element. I usually do product photography or action sports. Anyway, how's this look for a start? Does the PP look okay, or did I go a bit overboard? Thoughts? Advice? Two Pennies?

1.

My primary critique would bet that overall, the images lack sharpness. And if I were shooting, I would shoot with a longer lens (200mm), let the couple do their thing, and get candids as they interact.

#4 looks very overcooked to me.

Do you have any of them inside with the long grass (as seen in the background of #6)?

i concur with the above comment minus the last shot with the doggy..

1st seems too blurred out for me liking.. ( but then again this is my opinion ) others might love..

aside from that, the moments captured are neat, just need that extra POOF of sharpness...

dche5390 wrote in post #10925300
And if I were shooting, I would shoot with a longer lens (200mm), let the couple do their thing, and get candids as they interact.

most of them are over 130mm on a crop body which is more than 200mm equivalent. Why would you want to shoot longer?

Thanks for the help guys -- I'll need to work on getting things sharper. I guess most of the time I'm either in a studio where I have the time to get the focus just right, or have a slow shutter speed (for panning) and the focus isn't as important.

Maybe it's smart to shoot on AIServo? Also, should I have my aperture wide open to get the DOF, or should I shrink it a bit to help keep things in focus? Granted, it all depends on the shot, but in general...

To focus on the positive a bit, you did a great job capturing the emotion of them as a couple. While that's only half the battle on Internet forums, I am sure they will really love them.

The colors and exposures seem great.

My nit would be number 3. She looks totally cross-eyed.

They look like a fun couple. That said, here's my take on the photos:

#1: Not too crazy about the processing. Her face looks blown out.
#2: Fun shot but looks a little soft and perhaps framed too tight.
#3: His face is blown out and she looked cross-eyed.
#4: The blur doesn't work for me.
#5: He looks bug-eyed and again framed too tightly IMO.
#6: Not sure what is going on here. He's got his eyes closed, she's fixing her hair. (?)
#7: Other than the plant in the foreground, I like this shot.