RustyBug Online Upload & Sell: On
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+1 @ the capture.
For processing, there a couple things that come to mind for me.
First, understanding the mood / tone of the image is one of calm / relaxed / etc. ... having a strong contrast tonality and uber-sharpening can be somewhat incongruous to the message you are trying to convey.
Second, While the dog is oof (which is fine), the slipper / pant leg is uber-sharp. In that regard, the amount of weighting / draw that is given to the slipper / pant leg might be reconsidered. Obviously the mass of the dog overpowers them, but I might look to tone them down more and ensure they are relegated to ancillary items.
In my mind (yours may vary), the order of significance is niece, dog ... everything else, get in line behind those two. While there isn't likely much that can be done regarding the oof of the dog (again, which is fine as it places emphasis @ niece), that kind of becomes your "pivot point" (limited adjustment) from which to make adjustments for any re-balancing the relationship of your components in the image.
Third, not quite sure if it is an optical transition, or a processing one (combination ) ... but the transition rate of oof from the dog's shoulder @ uber-detail to the dog's face @ oof seems unnaturally rapid. Some glass (certain Zeiss, Nikon, Tamron come to mind) has rapid transition zones (which you won't change), but if it is processing induced, that might be something to look at also.
That's not to take away from your image, ... but rather to suggest I think you can render it to better convey the mood / vibe of calm. As is, the emotive softness of the scene, and the softness of the subject matter (niece) is presented with (imo) a bit strong contrast processing (yet a few areas seem a touch muddy ) that just seems a bit unharmonious to the message. Nicely done, but might be just a tad much (blobal vs. selective). Caveat ... depending on what paper (i.e. softer) you print this on, your current processing might be an excellent match (even though that comes across on screen a bit differently). I can see this being a family heirloom in years to come.
I'm a detail junkie, so I can certainly appreciate the processing for that aspect, but I think it does at least warrant the question of whether or not you really want that much contrast ... or, at least consider which areas (i.e. selective vs. global) do you want it. That said, it does have a kind of retro film vibe. It's just a (subjective) matter of what you're trying to convey. Sometimes we get on "autopilot" with our processing in the ubiquitous quest for detail. (Self-admitted guilty as charged. ) Just some food for thought.
Again, don't lose sight of the "nice capture" aspect. My comments are in the spirit of possibly even "nicer".
Hope that makes a bit of sense and welcome to the PC Forum.
As always, S&P to taste ... and your desired message conveyance.
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