I look at this photo and I think it has the colors and mood of paintings that are centuries old. I think you captured a mood and the art-like qualities of that time period. I do not believe "sharpness" would add and perhaps subtract from the picture. It sort of has a "Mona Lisa" look to it (perhaps the Michael Lisa). The white spot above his hat is easy to remove even in iphoto. You might consider muting the harsh light on the top upper right corner. I know that some would want to whiten the shirt - I wonder if it would detract from the other "oldish" qualities?

Everybody is NOT a photographer. Only those who take photographs are photographs. Look up ALL the definitions of photographer in the dictionary. I think you are confusing 'professional photographer' with 'photographer'. Even though you spent all that time and money on school, you are still far better than most of us. And that skill is appreciated even by us plain old 'photographers'. Most of us don't even want to be professionals or to take part in those realms of photography that professionals do. Yes, some nonprofessionals do shoot weddings and events for friends. This is a serious recession! Many people can't afford a professional these days. Thankfully, at least they can preserve some memories of the special days with a little help from their friends. Not the quality of yours, of course, and it is wonderful that those who can afford a professional still have that option. Be thankful for your skills. I'm sure you get a lot of enjoyment and have previously gotten a lot of enjoyment (not to mention, have made a lot of people very happy they had your services) from your talent. Count your blessings and let the rest of us enjoy our more limited abilities without being put down!

i hate all of these dumb over-ambitious pro photographer wannabes starting off with really suckey ideas and shots. you can't get great if you dont start out halfway there and as far as poses go, how retarded? youre not supposed to create poses because it looks fake. those "awesome poses" you're trying to emulate aren't forced theyre just natural candids. if you want your person to look a certain way just have them act like they have the personality. you cant mix and match personality poses in pic sets. it looks ridiculous and like youre trying too hard. -just like you do when you tell people to pose.
-JUST SAYING...

that was directed toward me on Facebook.......
Am I really that bad? Heres some samples of what I've done.