For the most part portraits fall into two categories; environmental and studio. You should really shoot one or the other. I would've liked to have seen more of the foot bridge in the first shot. If the first shot had as much of the bridge as the second shot, I think it would have been perfect. It doesn't lead your attention out of the shot on the contrary it focuses your attention on the subject. It is classic fundamentally sound composition. You say you're a hobbyist but you've also expressed some interest in doing business. There are a whole host of rules built around professional portraiture work. For example, Eye contact sells. A photograph where the subject or subjects make eye contact with the camera is four times more likely to sell then the same shot without eye contact. So no matter how much we like the photo where they're walking away, it wouldn't sell. I didn't get a chance to watch Valenzuela's YouTube video, the computer I'm on right now has no sound, but his showpiece a beautiful black and white image would be four times more likely to sell if the subject to make contact with the camera.

Professional portrait photographers love to give seminars. I'm sure that The Twin Cities and Chicago are on the list. They're usually fairly inexpensive, and almost always entertaining. I recommend that you attend some. I think your work shows great potential. You seem to have a propensity for environmental portraits. I would concentrate on seminars that feature that type of work. Another possible commercial application would be stock lifestyle photographs. Good lifestyle photos still sell and your work seems to be leaning in that direction also.

We could sit here and list what's wrong and right with your photos...and some of us would get some right and some might not...but that's just a hit-or-miss way of doing things.

I'm just going to suggest this: if you want to take photos of humans, be it engagement or otherwise, do yourself a favor and buy this and watch it until you can do it in your sleep:

Location, Posing, Execution! with Roberto Valenzuela.


Sample video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r13XGAnGSD0


Purchase link:
http://www.creativelive.com/courses/location-posing-execution-roberto-valenzuela


You won't be guessing what to do...wondering if you are posing right...picking backgrounds correctly....choosing your lens for the right reasons....etc.

Personally I would like to see more of the rustic log cabin not less. I don't have a problem with "atmosphere" in that sort of a photo. If you look at old photos, the most universally interesting ones have atmosphere. The cabin by the lake, uncle Russes old Studebaker, our first apartment on Clay Street that sort of thing. If I want a sterile environment I would shoot it in a studio. I do think you went over board with the retouching. It's a bit at odds with the outdoor garb and rustic cabin. Maybe a little noise after so much surface blur. Bob's kiss advice is great. Everybody thinks they want to see a kiss photo until they do. Faces distort And that's not terribly flattering.

Keep in mind all of this is subjective. The second photograph doesn't work for me in a number levels. The building overpowers the couple. The couple needs a little more fill lighting. The proportion is odd. It would require a custom frame or matting. If you want your work to be seen, make sure it will fit in a standard frame or matt. I went to a Leather Art photo seminar years ago they said they figure 99% of non-standard photos will never see a frame. The only time I've personally ever put text on the photograph is I'm doing an ad. Here again all subjective.

I'm reluctant to critique photos with an obvious emotional connection to the photographer. However, I feel that the first shot suffers from choice of background. A tighter crop might help; but I think the log cabin would still be competing for attention. That would be a distraction. In the second shot, the subject which should be the couple comes across as a secondary element to the building. I don't think this was your intention. I wonder how it would look with a tighter crop and the date placed in the window? Just a thought. I like both photos; but those are my observations. Hope I did not offend. That was not my intention.