I chose this photo as my favorite because even though I know she has a super sweet personality, this photo gives off a sense of seriousness and mystery. The lighting is short light and it works really nicely on her face while everything else is dark.
As you say the mood of the photo can be completely different than the person as you know her. Photographs lie.
Also, remember that to have short light the model must be in a 3/4 view. This is a profile so it cannot be short light.