Soft Light

[WJT]

Here's ashot of my wife last Saturday about 5 minutes after sunrise. The light is soft and give nice skin tones. I have not edited it. C&C's welcome.

[Donald]

Firstly, I think it's very cruel of you to get your poor wife up so early just so that you could make a picture!!

Secondly, and seriously, the histogram shows all the data stacked up towards the left-hand side. It feels to me, Wayne, that the camera set the exposure for the sky and got that perfectly. But the result is that your all your wife's features, hair, skin, clothes, are under-exposed.

What software do you use for post-processing? Hopefully it has a 'fill-light' tool or equivalent. I think it needs some work with this in order to lift all those dark areas. I think that's worth doing becuase, as you say, the light looks gorgeous. It's just that we're not seeing it's best effect here at the moment.

[Geoff F]

My first thoughts, Wayne, were exactly the same as Donald.

The light maybe soft but the overall effect here is rather harsh.

However, the focus, and the pose, are excellent so I think a little bit of editing along Donald's suggestions will create a great portrait.

The camera has apparently set an exposure for the sky which has excessively darkened the shadows and midtones.

But I would sooner start off like this than increase the exposure too much at the time of shooting and create excessive highlights. This current shot can easily be edited.

You may end up losing a little of that deep blue colour but I think that wouldn't matter too much.

[WJT]

Firstly, I think it's very cruel of you to get your poor wife up so early just so that you could make a picture!!

Secondly, and seriously, the histogram shows all the data stacked up towards the left-hand side. It feels to me, Wayne, that the camera set the exposure for the sky and got that perfectly. But the result is that your all your wife's features, hair, skin, clothes, are under-exposed.

What software do you use for post-processing? Hopefully it has a 'fill-light' tool or equivalent. I think it needs some work with this in order to lift all those dark areas. I think that's worth doing becuase, as you say, the light looks gorgeous. It's just that we're not seeing it's best effect here at the moment.

Thanks Donald, but she kicked me out of bed. Godd feedback, I'll have a go at it tonight and repost the effort for comment.

Cheers

[WJT]

How's this version? Edited in Aperture (Apple)

[Goldcoastgolfer]

The lighting on you're wife is much better in this version

[Geoff F]

Yes that works well now.