This is a beautiful photo. The mood is sharply conveyed and rather original for a reclining figure of this sort, where one might expect a more subdued, less lively engagement from the model, or, conversely, a kind of exaggerated enthusiasm. It's rare to find such a mixture of subtlety and lucidity in one image.

The textures and the colors are expertly handled. You're generally adept at exploring muted colors in way that doesn't rob a scene of all life. The depth of color here is seductive. The shadows seem just about right.

As much as I like this photo, I'm going to make a case for cropping it, mostly off the top and a wee bit off the right side. For me it works better around 600 x692. I'll offer you several reasons for that, not so much to persuade to you to change it as to give you something to think about.

Geometrically it's more harmonious to lop off some sky, so that the golden ratio falls below the model's chin. It's also notable that if you follow the key angles in the composition--her arm, her thigh, her decolletage, her smile, her glasses and just slightly above them her gaze--they all disappear below 600 pixels from the bottom. You might make a case for her upper lip and the angle from her right shoulder disappearing just a few pixels above that, say at 602, but basically all that space is dead--or should be. She's not engaging with it and neither should the viewer.

That brings up another argument in favor of cropping it. To the extent that what's happening above 600 pixels is interesting, it's a distraction from the essence of the composition. The mixture of blurred and sharp, and the contrast between the sky and the grasses is already accomplished lower down in the composition. Nothing is being said up there better than it's already being said closer to where the action in the photo is.

As it is, the burgundy shawl is taking up roughly 1/8th of the composition and the weave of sky and grasses above the horizon more than 2/8ths. The shawl is more visually interesting than the sky, but it's one of those things that remains interesting by being draped in the background, smoothly, gently taking up space.

The fringe on the shawl, incidentally, stands out as a wonderful detail. I'm wondering if you chose to blur those two strands on her thigh post-production. In any event, the way you've presented the shawl as a contrasting texture would be even better served if it comprised a slightly larger proportion of the composition.

Finally, I'll suggest that the mood of piece is better served by a 600x692 (or so) crop. The grass would still blend into the sky off in the distance, but the feeling would be more intimate--almost as if you were meeting the model's gaze rather than gazing off into the distance yourself. There's a vastness--hugely oppressive or hugely liberating--hinted at in the sky as you've presented it, but at heart this is a more intimate, or better said, more earthy slice of life. It might be an interesting photo if you had even more sky, but I don't believe that's what you're aiming for. The merest suggestion of vastness and distance suffices.

Once again you have my compliments for such a beautiful photo, and in general your outstanding work with textures and soft colors. Thank you for sharing your art.

Lovely shot!

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cute photo!!!!

Sweet
Auguste

So beautiful

The colours are really great.. love them