John Power wrote:
I think that when it comes to shots of people the camera/lens combo used is far less important. An exception might be long distance wildlife. Take a look at the owl photos currently listed in the Canon forum. The detail is amazing but in those instances the detail is the story. In you photos this is not the case. The essence of the model is the story and you do not need each strand of hair to be perfectly sharp to tell that story
I think focal length of a lens is fairly important in portrait photography, but I agree that it's not as important as how a subject is directed and captured, or how the creative direction of a shoot is implemented. But yes, every detail doesn't need to be in perfect focus, although many would disagree. To each their own.