Hi there,
Glad to hear you are starting into photography. You won't be disappointed.
Please keep in mind these are just my comments...
Your picture looks a little washed out. Was it done with flash or not? Was it taken in the middle of the day? Also it looks to have a slight greenish overtone throughout the picture.
Your right about the shadow; seems distracting.
Was this somewhat how you imagined it?
I hope I have been helpful to you.
Abel