This has scored lower than I would have thought. You have managed to capture a wonderful contemplative subject in an emotive way - looking at the image stirs thoughts in me : what is she thinking, who is she remembering, etc. This is the greta strength of your shot.
Most of the comments you have recieved already give you some clues to why this has not scored as well as it could have. One reason is the eyes - they say eyes are the window to the soul; in the case of portrait photography the eyes are where your focus should be, and where the viewers eye should be drawn. For some reason my eyes just slip over her eyes; I think it is the slightly soft focus and relatively flat tones there. It would have been brilliant to see the eyes sharper, with the catch-light more distinct. For myself I would have loved to have her chin included in the image - somehow I think chins help complete a face.
It is my hope that these insights are helpful and constructive. Please feel free to PM me if you have any questions regarding this critique. And please remember to mark it "Helpful" if you found it so. Good luck with future challenges.
This has great potential. I like the background and the positioning of the subject. Perhaps it's the angle, but I wish her right eye (our viewing left) was sharply focused. Looks like the focal plane was at the nose/mouth level and didn't fall back far enough. JMO of course. Good luck in the challenge.
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