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Marla,

Maggie is a really cute girl. You have very good skin tones. She is wearing make-up, so I know she doesn't consider herself a little girl. I hope you don't mind, but I am going to give you quite a few ideas about posing her that I think would make her look a little better.

Avoid bright colors and bold patterns in clothing. In a portrait the subject’s face is what is most important and nothing should draw the viewer’s attention away from the face. That striped shirt really draws attention. Ideally, her face is the lightest area in the portrait.

The dark wood panels in the background work quite well, but it would be better if they were even more out of focus. The hay (or straw?) is awfully bright. The thing propped against the wood on the left and the orange things stuck in the hay draw attention away from Maggie.

She isn't quite straight on to the camera, but close. Do not pose your subject straight on to the camera. This is not a very feminine pose. Showing your subject’s widest areas (shoulder to shoulder or hip to hip) makes those areas appear wide. Your subject will appear thinner, more feminine and more graceful if turned at an angle to the camera. The lines you see from the side have more apparent motion, interest and grace. The way you have her sitting on the hay make her thighs bulge. You don't want this.

Have your subject sit up straight with her shoulders back and her chest out. Do not have her slump her shoulders. Avoid having the flat of the hand towards the camera. The edge (side) of the hand towards the camera is thinning, feminine and graceful. If you are going to show her fingers, make sure her fingernails at least have clear polish on them, if not a pale color.

Don’t put the subject’s hands together or on top of each other -- usually. Never have the hands directly across from each other. This is true for feet, elbows and knees, also. In other words, if a person has two of them (well, maybe not all things) put them at different heights. This will help make your photograph more interesting. Put one leg higher than the other and one arm higher than the other. Make the composition more interesting. This will make Maggie more interesting.

Get some light in her eyes. They are kind of in shadow. The catch lights she has now are tiny pinpoints from your camera flash. It would look better to get the catch lights from elsewhere. Nice catch lights in her eyes would make them come alive and make Maggie all that more interesting.

Her lipstick to too bright. Bright red lipstick usually doesn't look very good on any girl. She has very interesting glasses. They might look good on a girl in a "power" suit running a corporation. If she wants her glasses in the portrait, I would have her hold them in the pose. I just don't see how they are going to work with casual clothes? I would also do some shots without the smile. She has a pretty smile, but I would not show the braces.

I think she would look better without such flat lighting on her body. The judicious use of shadows can add interest, sophistication and an illusion of depth to the subject and photograph.

Nice shot,

Mark