Amanda

Brad,

Amanda is a very pretty girl. You have focused well on her eyes. Her expression is pleasant. Her skin tone is very good. The light is soft, but there are still enough shadow areas to help create an illusion of depth within your photograph. She has done a very nice job with her mascara and separation of her eyelashes. Although her make-up is very subtle, it goes well with her casual hairstyle and headband. Her hair falling next to her eye fits well with the look and feel of the photograph. She has a very 60s look and feel about her. The contrast is good.

Although the background is out of focus and she is quite well separated from it, the light areas next to her headband on her right, and on her left by her eyebrow bother me. They are just light enough from the rest of the background to draw attention away from Amanda's face.

She needs a little more light in her eyes so that the whites of her eyes are whiter and so that she has catch light to get them life. Specular highlights on her lips would also help give her life.

I don't think you want to crop the large chunk of her hand off. That would be better not in the photograph.

Your top and bottom compositional balance is very good. Your subject should have more room in front of her than behind. This allows her to be facing into the picture, not out of it. You want to compositionally balance the left and right sides of the photograph. The compositional "rule" for this suggests that you position the tip of the subject's nose in the vertical center of the photograph.

If not making eye contact with the camera (viewer), the eyes should follow the line of the nose. It is natural to look where your head is pointing. If looking off to the side you should show what she is looking at or provide a reason that she is not looking where her head is pointing.

The zipper tab in the lower right area should be removed. It doesn't add anything to the photograph and at best just draws attention to itself. It looks out of place.

Nice shot,

Mark

Not having been aware of al the 'rules' Mark mentions, I looked at this portrait as I would at a painting in a gallery. Therefore the direction of the gaze , out of the picture. The fact that I as viewer is left to wonder about what could keep the subjects interest, creates tension, and therefore interest.

That the light bands in the background refers to are distracting, I might agree with. Overall, a very pleasant and captivating portrait, Brad.