Tammy

Here is a woman starting over after ten years of marriage. Her

husband left when she was pregnant with their fourth child, two of

which are autistic. I think she's amazing, and wanted to make that

statement. What do you think?

I think its a really nice portrait, but the photo needs a little bit of work. Her face seems out of focus, and there are a few harsh shadows on her face that take away from the photo. I think if the lighting were better, and she were in proper focus, this would be a fantastic portrait.

I like how you handled the background, and the lighting on the hair. I'm less fond of the lighting on the face. There's no highlight in her right eye, for one thing. Covering the left half or right half of her face make it look like two very different portraits to me. Perhaps that's what you were after. I have to admit that, while the lighting seems technically flawed, the effect interests me.

very harsh and flat

Tammy looks to be "important" to you, she has strength and still shows wonder in her face. She has a broad face, and your instincts are correct to light from the side, but I think the main light is a bit too low. I would have chosen a darker, or even black background to help "thin" her a bit as well. This may not be what you want, so I am only suggesting here. I would also check out your Histogram levels, as there seems to be unused innformation that makes the picture appear a bit dull. Thank you for not using the normal flash ! Good effort, as I think this is something you really want to learn about, and that is why you will do well here !