I've been using 3ds Max for 15 years and is by far my favorite.
A couple of random pointers:
Don't optimize too much until you have a good looking base mesh (Unless you're using a poser or other imported model).
Posing is easiest with a bones or biped rig.
Use one good source light and a soft back light, set ambient lighting up a bit more than default, use HDR if available. Too many lights can ruin a scene.
Use a reference image for posing.
If you know how, a light SSS shader for skin works well.
Let me know if you need anything

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