Tom,
Looks good overall. The pipe does kind of dominate, however. Everything else in the frame is similar in tone, and the dark pipe really jumps out at me. Do you have a pipe with lighter tones? That wouldn't stand out so much.
Were you serious that you don't smoke, or were you joking? If you were serious, that leaves me confused. Why pose with a pipe if you don't smoke a pipe? Are you like the old character Baretta from the cop show, who kept an unlit cigarette in his mouth after he quit smoking?
For lighting, you might try moving your main light a little higher. You'd need to lower your fill and make it large and close to the camera so your hat didn't put your eyes in shadow.
I just did a series of self portrait attempts myself. I rigged a shutter release using my pocket wizards, which helped. It's easier to shoot a series of pictures without having to get up each time, trigger the self-timer, and sit back down again. I posted one shot with me and my son, but haven't posted any of just me yet. Self portraits are hard, aren't they?
Here's a link to one of me and my son:
http://www.pbase.com/duncanc/image/40450792
This was shot with a shoot-through umbrella camera right as the main, and a softbox slightly above and camera left for fill. The umbrella was metered at f/5.6, and the softbox at f/4. I also had a speedlight with a slave sensor on a small stand on the floor behind us, aimed up to provide some rim lighting. It was a little too hot, I think. I think I metered it between f/5.6 and f/4. I need a third studio light with variable power for a proper rim light or hair light. My third light only has full and 1/2 power, and it's usually too much.
Duncan C
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I like the shot a lot, BUT smoking is bad for you.
Yeah, I know. But I have to compensate for all the bourbon drinking
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Regards,
Tom
http://clik.to/tomcee
Canon 300D FAQ:
http://www.marius.org/fom-serve/cache/3.html
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dpreview and PBase supporter.
http://www.pbase.com/duncanc 
