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I haven't been in the studio in quite awhile. This young woman wanted

some shots that weren't too glam. Mostly just her natural self.

This is a wonderful portrait because if feels unposed and totally natural.  What we do have as a result is the sense that the fourth wall has been broken.  That the subject has somehow stepped out of the photograph and met us.  The eyes are marvelous and her expression is at once enigmatic and yet familiar.  With the bare shoulders there is a strong presence of sensuality in this photograph, but one that is not staged, forced or even intended.  The subject's mussed hair adds to the sense of candid naturalness--and is charming besides.  

I should have also said that the overall impression of this subject is that she is intense.  Quite an overwhelming presence.

I agree with everything that Alex said. This is a very compelling image of a beautiful young lady. I like her expression, there is some sense of vulnerability but also some tenderness in her eyes.  Just lovely. Regards - michel

Beautifully done dear lady'

-Cheers

Thank you for the feedback. I haven't posted for feedback in quite awhile on PN, so I really appreciate the indepth comments. It's funny...when I posted it, I immediately wanted to delete it, retouch the shadows and try again. But, I think that what I was trying to achieve was reflected  in the comments. I don't even know that this is one of the model's faves. But, as I am sure that Alex, Michel, Owen and a few others here on PN...the photog's faves and the model's faves are not always the same.

The expression makes the photo.

Very well done.

Tiffany,

She is a cutie. Her skin tone looks good. I like your composition and her excellent eye contact with the camera (viewer). Her cute little smile is subtle, yet still evokes a sensual innocence that is quite beguiling. While I too like this portrait, I am going to give you a few things to think about.

You have two catchlights in each eye. One catchlight per eye is preferred. Get rid of the tiny little catchlight below her pupils.

Her skin is slightly overexposed. The highlights are a tad too hot.

I like windblown hair look, but her hair looks a bit flat (nice term). It looks like it is sticking together in places. It should look light and fluffy. Not heavy and clingy. Maybe a nice shampoo and conditioner would help fluff it up. Note: I am really not trying to be rude. I just don't know how else to say it?

There are some reddish areas on her chest and a little yellow as well. You may be able to adjust your colors a tad.

You have focused very well on her eyes, but the depth of field is so narrow that parts of her are out of focus. I don't see a good reason to have any of her out of focus. An out of focus background is very nice and focuses attention on your subject. Parts of your subject out of focus will draw attention away from what is in focus. It is difficult to go wrong with having the entire subject in focus.

It almost appears she is leaning forward a bit with her head tilted somewhat up to the camera -- like a figurehead on the bow of a ship, It looks a little strange to me. Perhaps a bit awkward.

Your background is nicely neutral. A small backlight could help separate her a little better from the background.

The shoulder on the right (her left shoulder) looks "rolled in" a bit. Most portraits look best if you subject has good posture -- siting up straight with shoulders back and chest out.

She is posed so that her chest (shoulders) are quite straight-on to the camera. This is showing one of the widest areas of your subject -- shoulder to shoulder. Your subject will appear thinner and more feminine, graceful and elegant if turned at an angle to the camera. The lines you see from an angle have more apparent motion, interest and grace. You usually do not want to have your subject turned 90 degrees to the camera. This can make the head look unsupported. Generally, it looks best to angle your subject somewhere around 45 degrees.

Nice shot,

Mark