Critiques Please

Photography is something I would like to do as a career. I feel like I'm not getting any better and would like some critiques on some of my recent stuff.

This type of photography isn't my forte, but I will bump for others to comment. I will also add that to make it in the field, it's crucial to know how to run a business. Marketing is key as well.

I feel a bit like the babies are falling over in some shots. It's the angle I think.

#1) Clearly an overcast day, but why don't they have shoes? And where did the chair come from? The location, background and pose don't really work for me.
#2) Don't care for the angle, myself.
#3) She's pretty, but the crack in the wall and the background are draw the eye away from her. Especially that crack.
#4) A box, fake fur and an angle? And the expression is a bit odd. Again, for me.
#5) Wrong lens for the couple + view, and the lighting is at an odd angle. Why show us his back?
#6) Oh, and lens flare (not that that's a bad thing) doesn't seem intentional.
#7) Um, no. Unflattering angle, setting and expression.
# Um, really no. Odd perspective, the baby looks very uncomfortable, and it's just not an endearing shot.
#9) Not seeing it, sorry.

I would conclude from these that the photographer was trying way too hard to be clever. Portraits should be about capturing the personality of the subject. And babies should be swaddled, cuddled and kissed, with maybe one bare butt shot. Again, my opinion.

garyrhook wrote: #1) Clearly an overcast day, but why don't they have shoes? And where did the chair come from? The location, background and pose don't really work for me.
#2) Don't care for the angle, myself.
#3) She's pretty, but the crack in the wall and the background are draw the eye away from her. Especially that crack.
#4) A box, fake fur and an angle? And the expression is a bit odd. Again, for me.
#5) Wrong lens for the couple + view, and the lighting is at an odd angle. Why show us his back?
#6) Oh, and lens flare (not that that's a bad thing) doesn't seem intentional.
#7) Um, no. Unflattering angle, setting and expression.
# Um, really no. Odd perspective, the baby looks very uncomfortable, and it's just not an endearing shot.
#9) Not seeing it, sorry.

I would conclude from these that the photographer was trying way too hard to be clever. Portraits should be about capturing the personality of the subject. And babies should be swaddled, cuddled and kissed, with maybe one bare butt shot. Again, my opinion.

Number 3, the crack could be cloned out.

What Angle should I be shooting from if all of them are wrong, What lens should I have used for the couple one, the flag was the mom and dad's idea, the chair was because that twin kept running away unless he was sitting in a chair.

Bfarlow wrote: What Angle should I be shooting from if all of them are wrong,

It's not a matter of "wrong". I simply expressed that there are some things that don't really work for me.

That said, here are some thoughts:
1 ) Step to the left about 3-4 feet and use the bridge rail as the back ground. Move in closer, too, to have the boys fill the frame. Take off their socks; they're as cute as can be and I think barefoot would work here.
2 ) Don't tilt the camera. It detracts from a cute moment. The cropping of his body is good (from just above the waist) so let him be the focus.
3 ) Find a different location for a landscape, or step to the right about 3 feet for the shot and use portrait to limit the background. PP to remove that crack. It's not enough to be interesting but enough to detract.
4 ) Again, don't tilt the camera. Get down a bit lower. Try moving right or left, too. Don't know that he's quite old enough to sit up inside the box, but I'm not a fan of the fur.
5 ) Use a circular polarizer and/or UV filter and/or lens hood to control flare. Move to the right to get them backlit, or if you must have the river in the background have them turn and open up their bodies to the camera. Or, she could scoot to her left, tuck him in the corner, turned out, and you move to your left to put them in front of that gap in the trees. That way the shoreline on both sides would be leading to them.
6 ) Turn the kid so the head is up. And get farther over so the shot is more straight down? Here the fur is fine.
7 ) This is shot right down the woman's cleavage. Not good. Move to the right to get some of mom's face; maybe a bit hgher?. For me, the kid is just scrunched up and unattractive. Mom could be cuddling and kissing with him on her lap, in her arms, over her shoulder.
8 ) Mom and dad like the flag? Go for it. Don't care for it myself, as it swallows the kid and carries no message at all, unless the baby was born on the 4th. Maybe that's it?

One thing that was pointed out to me recently is to move up, down, left, right and take more shots. One of them may be better than what you envisioned, so don't be afraid to try something you hadn't planned on.

What lens should I have used for the couple one, the flag was the mom and dad's idea, the chair was because that twin kept running away unless he was sitting in a chair.

I think your lens is fine. 50mm? You can try something slightly longer, but this is fine. And I get the kid running away. Kids are hard and wrangling them is challenging. See my suggestions above.