Aleksandra in Park

she looks absolutely lovely, very good DOF  and duotone Michael

regards

She has an absolutely wonderful expression.  I'm not sure about having so much of the bench showing on the right side.....but perhaps panning the camera to the left would overemphasize the background.

I agree with Stephen. The expression of the girl is a winner here. Maybe even a tighter framing of the girl, in vertical. Nonetheless, it is a lovely photo.

DG

very nice portrait, the bench is fine its adds a a bit to the context and balance of the image. nice work

This is a wonderful picture, no doubt about it!

Everything feels right: the little girl is obviously posing, but in an uncontrived and charming manner, with a beautiful smile on her face; I love the shallow dof which gave such beautiful bokeh; the bench is crucial to the composition in my opinion, leading the eye to the little girl; the toning gives the image a warm, joyful feel to the image.

A very summery picture with a light-hearted, peaceful mood to it, and a slightly old-fashioned touch.

A perfect shot!

All my congratulations!

Audrey

The more I think about this, the more I'm in agreement with Richard and Audrey, especially with respect to context that the bench provides.  I think taking the bench away would diminish the photograph.  You caught a wonderful moment.

I agree with Audrey's comments - a charming portrait with excellent dof and bokeh.  I like the way the bench leads you to the little girl so, for me, it's perfect just as it is.  The pic works very well in b/w.  BTW, on my screen, the pic needs to be viewed at its largest to bring the little girl's face into perfect focus.

Michael, this is a wonderfully contructed portrait with a nice, dreamy background. The only thing I'd wish to change perhaps would be to look for a bench without graffiti on it - I find a little distracting and contrary to the overall mood. Anyway, I like this photo a lot!

Thanks all for critique, comments & ratings.

Wonderful portrait, Michael ... great use of DOF. Very beautiful work. Regards