The original post of this was just...I dunno. I didn't like it. So, I took it back into Photoshop to do some more cropping to get rid of distracting bright lines in the edges of the columns, etc. I also brought out more of the shadow detail, and tried to even out the overall tones to match the color cast the "aged photo" action produced. I also burned in her hands, because they were a bit blown out. Anyway, not sure how good this picture is, but I thought I'd post it anyway to see if anyone has any advice on how to make it better the next time I work on it. :) Thanks for looking, and helping.
P.S. This was a woman I met while on vacation. She was standing out on the street, and she was oh so kind in letting me take her picture. From what I gathered, she's a mix of African and French, but her complexion is light, with really dark freckles. She was very warm and humorous, and warmth was the overall look I was trying to achieve in this image.
i can't give an advice, but i think you definitely achieved what you were after. i like the tone you achieved. it reminds me of the light in dutch renaissance painting.