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HI everyone haven't posted anything in a while as I am am having trouble handling the camera because of a damaged shoulder. However, I did manage to get a few shots at a family get together the other week this one of my number 2 daughter.
D300, ISO 1600, 50mm 1.4 @ f/2, 500s
Lightened the shadows a fraction in Lightroom 4 then did noise reduction in Nik Define2 to get the soft look

I don't think it works as well as it should. I like the
expression of the subject and also the shallow depth
of field. I like this technique. Because the light is
coming from a window and the face is in the shadow
away from the light I find it distracting. My eyes
tend to go towards the brightest part of the picture,
which is an uninteresting empty white. If the light
were coming through a light or curtain forming a
pattern giving a context to the subject it would
have worked better. As I said before, I like this type
of portraits and I think it worth exploring further
variations.

Thanks for the comment so I have tried a version with the bright area brushed out with -100 on the highlight and -1 stop on the exposure. Do you think it is an improvement or should I really see if I can layer in some sort of pattern in PS?

Craig
This is one of the more unusual portraits I have seen in a long time. It is bloody difficult to get a pose and technique combination together that can achieve this. The model doesn't look real....more like a store dummy and this is probably because of your processing and other treatment....but that is not a bad thing if that's the effect you were after. The composition is radical and the curves within curves helps to hold the elements together.
The eye is the hook and the direction of the gaze is slightly off putting, or uncomfortable. This image would work best if it were exhibited an a large scale as that would open the shadows a little....I think the dominant eye needs a little work....the whites should be cleaned up and brightened a tad and the iris needs a little more contrast. Congrats for posting a portrait that avoids clichés.