Photo Analysis: The Fishermen

What works well:

Right from the start we can see, we have a few layers → first, the fisherman in the left foreground, then comes the water behind him, after that, the two men with their boats on the right → behind them the grass/landscape/rest of the water/river→ it all creates a nice sense of depth and leads the eye naturally. The water/river itself kind of guides your eye too, (along with the light) → you start with the fisherman on the left first and then naturally go upward where the light is, you land on the two men on the right → and then you sort of follow the river section further back into the distance. It all has a very natural and pleasant flow.
I will briefly touch on the balance, which is actually very nice here (pointing that out since I always cover it at the end). Yes, the foreground fisherman on the left is larger and visually heavier (+ we see more of his boat etc.), but he is balanced out well by the two other fishermen and their boats on the right as well as the empty water itself.
The spacing between our subjects (the fishermen) is well judged, nothing overlaps awkwardly, and everyone has room to breathe.
The negative space created by the water keeps the frame from feeling busy, even though there is quite a lot going on conceptually.

What could be better:

The horizon and land-water transition is very soft due to haze, which slightly weakens the overall structure of the frame.
The composition is very centred vertically, which does make the frame feel calm yes, but also slightly static. Playing a bit more with the framing → Shifting the is lower or higher maybe, could have added more tension.
There is no strong visual anchor in the far background, so the eye eventually kind of drifts around without a ‘satisfying’ endpoint (but honestly that is almost nit picking).

What works well:

The light is definitely doing a great job here. That soft, hazy morning glow wraps everything in a calm, meditative (almost spiritual) mood. It feels quiet, early, and unhurried (just like fishing itself ;)).
The haze, I would say, is a plus. It naturally simplifies the scene, reduces the background clutter, and keeps the focus on the fishermen. → BUT → it still gives you the chance of exploring more detail in the background if you as the viewer want to do so.
The stillness of the water reinforces the calm atmosphere, no harsh reflections, no chaos, just a few ripples and soft light.

What could be better:

The highlights in the brightest parts of the misty sky are still a bit pushed. Pulling them back slightly could add more tonal separation without losing the softness.
Because the atmosphere is so even and gentle, the scene lacks a strong contrast punch, it is beautiful, but very subtle overall (but as always it depends on what kind of atmosphere you want to create).

What works well:

Colour is very interesting, the overall palette is very restrained and cohesive → everything is sort of ‘dipped’ in that pale yellow, cream, and soft brown tone, which of course limits the palette, but it does give it a very cool vintage type of look which I personally really like (might not be for everyone → some people would have preferred more colour → bring out the green of the grass, the colour of the water, the dark browns of the boats etc.)
The tint, as just touched on, unifies the water, grass, clothing, wood, landscape making the photo feel very timeless. (again not everyone’s cup of tea and something like that obviously does not work for every photo)

What could be better:

Because everything leans into the same warm tone, you lose some natural colour variation. Water, wood, clothing etc could look more distinct with a bit more separation.
A slight cooling of shadows might help balance the warmth a bit more, without breaking the look.