John,
I like the composition. The dof is excellent. The background is rendered completely oof and clean. I would try to adjust the white balance a bit to lower the temp (to reduce the yellow tinge). You may try cropping from the left, just till the shoulder joint. The depression and the black shoulder joint catches the eye. I think these small changes would further strengthen an excellent image.
I like that face so much that would contemplate doing a tighter crop !!!
Not sure why you are using ISO 200 in the D3? Below 1600 I don't usually bother using Noise Ninja, at 800 will not tell the difference form your setting. Would feel more comfortable with more shutter speed if it didn't hurt anything else. btw I have one posted in travel from South Beach at night ... at 6400 and from the D300 which is noisier, might want to take a look!!!
The point of these exercises were to get everyone to be able to photograph at the lower ISO to teach long lens techniques to reduce any chance of vibration and such.
When the group was able to produce results like this at ISO 200 they would be competent to photograph in almost any situation and not have to rely on the camera to make their decissions but be able to predict the outcome themselves
I am with you on this John, all of our photo lives we have been taught to use the lowest iso possible for the given situation. I understand that equipment has advanced to allow for higher iso (I use D300) but I will still use the lowest possible iso I can. I have the 400 f2.8 also to further allow this. By looking at this image I would find it very hard to believe that you would get it any sharper with a higher shutter speed. By the way beautiful portrait in fantastic light.
John,
I remember you were handholding one of the previous images. Were you doing the same here? I have a Canon 400 f2.8 IS and can't think of handholding it.
I am always careful of sudden subject movement causing loss in sharpness. I also don't use NR much beyond the default in Lightroom. So I try to use the lowest possible ISO for low noise. That's what we used to do with slide films. However, when I am in low light situations, I try to bump up the ISO. The high ISO images these days are much much better than the films we used to use earlier. So if a higher ISO will help me in getting higher dof or a faster shutter speed, then I will do it. Alfred and Robert are advocating caution. I have never used a D3, but am told that there is hardly any nose upto ISO 800. If that is the case, and if you can't distinguish between ISO 200 and 800, then no harm in going for a higher ISO.
Having said that, I also see that it is during a workshop teaching long lens technique that you created this image. I agree that once you understand long lens technique it will hold you in good stead forever. Please post the details of what were you were trying to experiment with while posting your images. I am sure it would make it further more interesting.