I loved this!
The professional that took my son's graduation pictures shot on of the two of us, and delibertely let my clothing sort of get lost in the background, just like this pic you too, he did it so it would hide my weight!
I started out with a fairly inexpensive light kit with some umbrellas and added a slave flash, which made a world of difference. What type of flash do you use?
I'll email you when I get a break. My life just got crazy as we adopted two puppies from a Dachshund rescue. And, don't expect any pro photos of them- they move too fast. lol