Bright faces due to flash?

[Lightsped]

Problem is, I took a group photo at a somewhat dark restaurant. I was using a flash pointed up to bounce off the ceiling. Result was that the people standing in the group had very whitish looking foreheads.

Is there any way to fix this using a older version of Lightroom? I have played around with vibrance and saturation but am not getting much improvement. Also tried darkening/lower exposure for the top half of the photo where the bright faces are. Anything else I should try?

Thanks

 

[AceCo55]

I don't have Lightroom and never used it ... so take this with a grain of salt!
If you have a Shadows and Highlights slider, you could try adjusting the Highlights.
(If the foreheads are completely blown nothing will help as there is no info there other than pure white - can't recover highlights from that)

 

[yaopey]

Is the graph on the histogram touching the line on the far right? If yes, then there isn't a lot you can do because the highlights are overexposed.

If not, you can try dragging the adjustment for highlights all the way to the left and see how much details you can recover. I believe both older and current version of LR have adjustment for highlights.

Hope it helps

 

[KmH]

Get one of these:
Rogue Photographic Design ROGUERELG2 FlashBender 2 Large Reflector, Bounce Flash, Snoot, Gobo (Black/White)

Or make yourself one of these - DIY DSLR Flash Bounce Card

 

[table1349]

My favorite: A bit more expensive than what Keith posted but I have found it to be very useful in varying situations and locations.
LumiQuest Ready for Anything Kit

 

[Derrel]

YEAH...the too-bright faces issue when using bounced flash...often an issue when the ceiling is low or the place is confined (hotel room, aboard large boats, ferry boats,etc.)

A sample picture might help with the advice you get. There is often more than one way to achieve a goal in software, and the real issue is seeing if you've irretrievably blown the highlights, or if you have not. If you shot in raw mode, you will have more leeway than if the shots were done in JPEG mode.

 

[Lightsped]

Thanks for the replies. I am at work at the moment and do not have the original image. Here is the image after I attempted to fix the lighting on the people in the back row. The original image was shot as a jpg. I believe I used my D800, 50mm 1.4, and SB 910 flash. Flash was pointed up. Ceiling panels are about 20 feet high.

Photo "37940" in the album "Profile Pictures" by Lightsped

 

[Lightsped]

And here is yet another photo. D800 and 50mm 1.4. No SB910 this time. Tripod shot..... I remember ISO was high. This ceiling is very low, but again, no flash.
Photo "37941" in the album "Profile Pictures" by Lightsped

 

[manaheim]

I typically try to bounce the flash up and behind me and slightly to the side. Makes a big difference.