First portrait shots - C&C welcome

Hi,

Took my first proper portrait shots last week and these are four of the best:
Critique welcome but be gentle!

1st portait? what do you mean
This is a very nive series!!
#1 is perfect IMHO. Lighting is soft, I like the head angle, the pose, etc.
#2 would be fine if you crop the wall at camera right. This is an empty space very disturbing as it is coming at the foreground.
#3 I like the eyes very much, as well as the head angle. I dont like the composition. The head is poping from nowhere. May be its just me.
#4 is fine. The BG is not of great interest except some nice colors. I would have prefer more blurry BG.
Very nice series. soft colors, soft lighting. A great work!!!

Nice work Steve.

2 & 3 are the strongest shots IMO (although 2 might have done with a touch of fill flash, just to lighten up the models face and strengthen the catchlights in her eyes - but that's just being picky!).
I can't quite put my finger on why, but, 1 looks a little awkward - it might be the hat...

Regards,

Thanks for the replies and positive comments guys!

Nobody commented immediately and I was starting to think "they are not that bad? are they?"

Here are a couple more that I can't make up my mind about. It was getting dark and I couldn't handhold slow enough to expose the background properly but does the fill flash make them look like 'snapshots' or does it separate her from the background....

I like the 1st one of the lastseries. Very good use of fill flash. #2 I like the pose less, an the dark coat take too much space. Nice work, Steve !

Very nice detail in the first set and I love the lighting overall.
Really good!

Thanks again everyone, really encouraging!

Cheers,


Steve