You tried to fit a square peg into a round hole. Simply does not convey the idea of success well enough. Is she gabbing with her friend that she made the team? Is she successful because she's head cheerleader and most popular in school? What gives? Your one line makes me think this was a photo of opportunity and you relied on the title to try to get it to fit. Apparently, it didn't...
You know the technicals as well as me. It appears the Klieg lights were set more for theater than for photography.
Nice portrait. I love the colors and the expression on her face. The teddy bear is a little annoying in the background and it's a little tight cropped. I would like to see the whole telephone and a little more of the hands. 8
Hey... no kidding... We went to differnt schools together, separately. lol If that's you, You look like you could have graduated in 1998. Anyway, lovely model, great pose, sharp focus, great colors and contrasts. Nice job.