Question regarding Photoshop (or any other processing software)

[NC Labman]

I am still using the Canon software provided with my 40D to process and edit, but I am starting to wonder what more I could accomplish with a different software. In the attached example would a different software allow to you to brighten the exposure on the little girl's face where the hat brim has shaded it while not impacting the exposure in the remainder of the photo?

 

[rmh159]

You're talking about Dodging and yes most will have it. Google GIMP, it's a free open-source image editing program.

 

[musicaleCA]

Dodging is alright, but as long as you don't overdo it. You have far less information in the shadows than in the highlights, so while darkening highlights will allow you to keep detail, you will quickly lose detail when brightening shadows, along with increasing noise. GIMP should do what you want, but it would have been better to solve the lighting issue in-camera with a fill flash (in daylight portraits, you really only need a little bit of a boost; the internal flash on most cameras will do well enough, even with the low guide number).

 

[NC Labman]

I understand about the fill flash and did use it for the attached picture. I was standing under a covered porch trying to avoid getting my camera wet so I was at the upper end of what the on board flash (all I have right now) will accomplish.