Dear Julia,
At the risk of starting a very long, repetitve thread, I might possbily paint from this photo, but I would certainly first explore the others available.
That is not to say this isn't a fantastic photo of a gorgeous child. It is; it also has light that can be worked with, no compostitional problems, and terrifc color harmony. The photo, more than anything, is quite overexposed, but overexposure can sometimes be corrected by the photo lab (underexposures can be easier to correct). If you're lucky, she shot this with a digital camera, where you can be more successful in adjusting the brightness.
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My friend does have a few more shots just to get a different view of her head. Should I use them as well?
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Ask to see the other photos. The expression, while perfect for a photo, is not, in my opinion, one that will translate as well to a painted work as would a more relaxed expression. I have never found it successful to try to use two different photos of a subject's facial expression as painting reference, although they can be useful in gaining visual information about the subject's appearance. I would suggest sticking with one facial expression once you start. You can often, though, successfully combine photos of body language expression, or gesture, so long as the angle and lighting remain consistent.
Alternatively, ask the mother to shoot a roll of film in natural light (turning off her flash), and to give you 24 (or 36) choices. She is a beautiful subject - I would love the chance to paint her myself.
The color harmony is a classic as is. I would not leave the shirt collar cut off as it directs the out out, rather than returning it to the face. Extend the canvas below the image's crop.