short light too hot?

[suyenfung]

i cant decide, just curious what you all think. i dont care for the shadow on the broad side cast by the curl, but cest la vie. other wise i really like this one...

http://www.jarredwagner.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/IMG_8473.jpg

[Benji]

A beautiful young lady, excellent skin tones, a good pose and wonderful feminine head tilt.

There should not be enough light on the shadow side of her face that any curl could cast a shadow. Either your reflector was too close and too far back or your fill light was (it appears to be a reflector.) It also looks to me like the main light was not positioned correctly as there is no catchlight from it. The only catchlight was created by the fill light. The main light catchlight in this image should have been at the 11 o'clock position in both of her eyes. Also getting up a little higher next time will prevent the "shooting up her nostrils" look and will give her eyes some WOW power.

Benji

[Ferrari 1]

I like the photo, alot. I learned alot from Benji's comments, as well. Thanks for sharing, guys.

[LCF]

Nice shot!

Benji, you rock: i enjoy all your comments! (very informative)
Plus! You edit for punctuation? How cool is that!?

[suyenfung]

thanks for the detailed response benji!

i didn't even notice the lack of a catchlight. had i positioned the light for an 11 o'clock catchlight, the main light would have wrapped around her nose, chin, etc, it would have been more parallel to the face. would this violate the rules of portraiture? i ask because, for whatever reason, i've gotten into the habit of lighting each side of the face independently. however, i'm learning, and certainly not attached to any particular technique.

also i don't quite follow the fill light commnent. how can a light that isn't bright enough to cast a shadow play any signifigant role?

thanks for any help you might provide!