Greetings from the critique club! :)
Your picture exhibits many of the qualities of a good photograph, including good focus, and interesting placement of the subject. I think you could have improved this image, however, by thinking a bit more about the composition. The left hand disappears from the frame at an awkward point, which kind of ends the composition rather abruptly. Had you positioned the camera behind the hands, and focused more tightly on them, you may have achieved an interesting result, especially if the hands were closer together. You may have also been able to avoid having the diagonal line that currently "cuts off" the upper left corner, an element that usually detracts from a composition.
Images usually benefit from at least some post processing, so perhaps a bit of sharpening, and even desaturating, could have added interest. The hands have texture; emphasizing this texture by changing the contrast of the image may have added much interest, especially when combined with sharpening.
I think you have taken a picture of something very meaningful to you, but it could be that this particular picture does not fully convey that. Try to connect your feelings for your subject to the way you compose your photographs, and it may help to get a very interesting image. In essence, it's good that you've taken a picture of something you know. Doing so is certainly the first step to taking truly excellent photographs. Keep taking those pictures! :)
I hope this has helped,
Louis |