[Chris Saper]

Hi Mary,

Beautiful lighting and expressions in both photos!

I like the placement of the legs and feet much more in the second photo, and I like the hands in the lap better, too. I find the white fabric distracting in both, though, mainly since it hides some of the child's head. Painting all those folds is something I wouldn't have the temperament (nor the skill) to do, particularly in such a haphazard fashion. I guess I would probably want to at least arrange them in a directional fashion to support movement to the center of interest, which is something I would never try to invent. By the way, I very much like the stripes as a counter-balancing directional; I would also be in favor of reducing their contrast.

Since you already have the mom on board as a willing client, why don't you go back and take more film? You already have a successful formula for the lighting and pose. However if you decide to go with your photos on hand, I think you can easily and successfully combine the two.