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Kimberly,
You have a really beautiful model, but not really workable photos.
I have done and sold figurative work. An example is the Dakini picture in unveilings, as well as the picture of the red haired dancer with the hearts skirt shown on my introduction.
Do a picture that appeals to you and you would like to do. Do not worry about the end market. I never thought the red haired dancer would ever sell, but it sold in a heartbeat.
One thing I learned in my years as an advertising illustrator is to really have a clear and well designed image. One that impacts the viewer from the getgo.
The black dress with the roses is just to fussy and makes for a confusing image. The pose in the swing is just to crabbed and the background again is more the story.
Focus in her face, take Mike's advice on metering. I drag my camera in closer all the time to check even though I have a spot meter. Have an assistant hold a large white piece of cardboard or foamcore to reflect light back into her face. You can actually see the changes it makes. I actually have a nifty 36" portable reflector that folds up into a small bag.
The simple figure against the sky is the best, just redo it with simple modifications. Just do subtle head changes, don't go crazy. A good professional photographer might take several rolls of film of just ONE good pose or idea and modify it slightly on each frame, and pick out the best.
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