Need Help....Please

[KKJean]

I just recently shot a family session and the sun wouldn't make up its mind what it wanted to do. So I have been looking at a few of the pictures and some of their faces are very overexposed. I've been trying to play around with them in PSP, but i just cant seem to get it. I've tried fill flash, it doesn't do much to it. Is there anything else I could try? Or should i just count my losses

Thanks for the help....

Examples on post #3

 

[KmH]

Without seeing an example or 2 it's difficult to say for sure, but very overexposed faces that are subsequently "fixed" usually don't look very natural.

Your best bet is most likely to send them to the recycle bin.

Was it a paid session?

 

[mwcfarms]

PSP is that paintshop pro? I don't have any experience with that program as I use Lightroom 3 and Photoshop Elements 8. I know in lightroom you can use just an adjustment brush to burn/dodge fix exposure areas of a certain part of a photograph. How badly overexposed are we talking. Would probably help if you posted an example.

 

[KKJean]

No, it wasn't a paid session. They are some friends of mine. I can still save the session cause a lot of them turned at great. Just a few of them turned out like this. Here are few of them I was talking about, These are straight from my camera








The last two are the worst

 

[KKJean]

:bump

 

[mwcfarms]

Couldn't you just use a new layer and burn in some around there face? Does PSP have layers? I know if that was my picture in lightroom I would add some fill flash and their adjustment brush. Sorry Im not at home right now otherwise I would give it a whirl. These aren't the worst overly exposed pics I have ever scene or even taken btw. Although I tend to underexpose more than overexpose.

 

[flyingember]

here's the core problem

it's not that you couldn't dodge or edit exposure or play with curves

but there's no detail to recover. you'll just end up with the flat bright faces being flat darker faces.

 

[gsgary]

Less than 1 minutes play in photoshop, levels/ black dropper on jumper, reduce brightness, then burn highlights, i'm not great with photoshop but if someone had more time it would be a lot better

 

[mwcfarms]

Here's a quick edit i did in Lightroom. Sorry about the thumbnail but I was too lazy to upload to Flickr.

 

[NikonNewbie]

That happens to me...or it did...I think if you used Raw you could change that...

 

[KmH]

Do not shoot portraits in direct sunlight. Use open shade or diffused sunlight.

If you do shoot portraits in direct sunlight you have to spot meter the subjects faces.

 

[orb9220]

Yep don't do much in people photography but as KmH is spot on (pun intended) on metering for faces but which would also underexpose background. So I try to get them in shade or diffused lighting if wanting background as part of the composition as direct sunlight likes to blowout faces. And if they are wearing white then a nightmare.

And raw helps but in these kind of situations it is just too great a dynamic range for the camera to render so sacrifices like shadows would have to be made. A lot of post with an adjustment brush for exposures and lightening and darkening specific areas. But would be a lot of post work. And probably still I wouldn't be happy with the results.

I have gotten in the habit of analyzing lighting before choosing a shoot spot. And sometimes for location nothing can be done due to the light,location and time of day except making choices of what to sacrifice in the composition.
.

 

[flyingember]

you can see what I mean in the edits. they're better but their faces still look like they're covered in smooth paste

 

[KKJean]

Here's a quick edit i did in Lightroom. Sorry about the thumbnail but I was too lazy to upload to Flickr.

Less than 1 minutes play in photoshop, levels/ black dropper on jumper, reduce brightness, then burn highlights, i'm not great with photoshop but if someone had more time it would be a lot better

Wow thanks, This gives me hope and thank you for taking the time out to play around with them.

 

[mwcfarms]

Your most welcome. I wouldn't say bin them unless you can go redo the shoot. Next time you can take what you learned here and apply. Good luck.