Hi Derm,
It's a very good first attempt, and several people have given feedback. I do love the fireplace in the background. Besides, my grandfather was from Cornerbrook, so I promise to be gentle...
Disclaimer: We are only talking classical portraiture here, so I am critiquing the image with that in mind.
One important area of portraiture is if you are doing this sort of composition, generally you want parts to "match". Therefore both arms, hands, and shoulders in the photo. It can be somewhat distracting if the hand, leg, or another body part of a pair is missing. Obviously there are many other ways for the pose, and in this case both shoulders should be in the picture. It's almost there, but in my mind, the right side of the image is cutting it too close to the head and part of his shoulder is missing.
Try taking a shot with someone's shoulder or arm missing in the image - let me know what you think after after trying that type of shot. I hope that makes sense? Excellent first start, and quite a serious pose!
Cheers,
Marc