ClarkKent said:
Nope. I think you had it in the first version.
At the risk of sounding a bit cold, I really see this as a portrait of your sister and her daughter is just a prop. I'm not sure where I'm getting this... maybe it's the pose, or the lighting, or both.
So, with that in mind, I really think you had it right in the first view. It becomes more apparent if you look at it as a square composition, cropped at your niece's sleeve. Also, in the second crop, we see the curve created by your sister's back.
The softness is nice. The vignetting really completes it, giving shape to and toning down her arm.... something lost in the second crop.
I think the frame choice too was better in the first. The darker frame is creating an illusion that the deeper tones in the image are not as rich.
A very nice portrait. Good presentation.
-Pete