HELP! Beach wedding post processing issue

Hi guys - need some help. I took a friends wedding pix in Cancun last week, the images looked GREAT when I was taking them on the back of the camera (jpeg preview). however, now when I import the raw files and try to process them I'm having serious issues getting the same look as the jpeg preview.

Also, for some reason it seems as if the left side of the frame is softer than the rest of the image, it's apparent in several pictures too

Any help you can provide would be appreciated, I've put a jpeg of the raw image below and uploaded the cr2 to dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.co​m …Garcia%20Weddin​g-8659.CR2

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/nQgn​DV

Is this more what you had in mind? Looks like the exposure is just down a bit. Sorry about the watermark. It automatically adds to all my pictures and I forgot to disable it.

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

It's tilted... or... has the world turned to the side? I'm sure you can easily fix that.

Edit: Doh, second image didn't show up.

Pretty sure this is what you are looking for....

Acevesf, what Raw processing software are you using?

Something I advise for folks new to shooting/processing Raw is that you use the Canon Raw processing software Digital Photo Professional (DPP) as a quick and cool "reference", because DPP uses the in-camera settings used to create a jpeg (or the embedded jpeg used in the LCD review) when rendering the preview of your Raw file. This means that your camera settings for Picture Style, White Balance and whatever other settings you have in use will show up in your Raw preview. So when you open an image, go to the Edit window and examine the settings in the Raw tab. You can see the Picture Style setting, examine the Raw and Contrast settings, and also look at the possibility that you are using the Auto Lighting Optimizer (the ALO/Lens Tab.

When working with Raw files in DPP you are free to change all those settings, and you can also Convert and Save (or Batch Process) to create a jpeg or tiff output.

But if you are happy with your current Raw processor, then after examining the settings in DPP, open the image in your "normal" Raw processor, looking to "imitate" the DPP settings and then to improve the image creatively! Close and don't Save the image in DPP to keep your file size down, since you can't "share" DPP processing with other Raw converters.

And then, it's possible that your camera LCD is set to be too bright, so that the actual jpegs are darker than they appeared! Learn to expose using the Histogram with the image Playback, rather than depending on the preview to judge things!

Heres my take on your photo.

edited in Lightroom and colour Efex pro 4

IMAGE LINK: http://s559.photobucke​t.com …ng-1_zps3cc76549.jpg.html

This?

I downloaded your Raw file and opened it in DPP and noted that you have the Auto Lighting Optimizer (ALO) turned on, which does make a difference. With it turned Off it looks pretty much like it does in Lightroom (or Adobe Camera Raw) and like the shot you have posted.

As I suggested above, use DPP to open it and compare it.

I've rarely come across a more challenging file.

Having them stand in the shade was a good plan, but you should have exposed for their faces, not the ocean.

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Here is my quick and dirty edit.

mclaren777 wrote in post #17000689
I've rarely come across a more challenging file.

Agreed. I can't help but think there was some sort of filter on the lens. The image was just so flat.

My take. Edited in ACR, then a Curves Adjustment and sharpening in CS6.

what is that flare like softness on the left side of the image? if its showing on several images i would be very concerned. looks like a lens issue? do you get this when using the same lens only or several lenses?
i downloaded the raw file and really had to push the exposure hard to get it to where it had to be. you should disregard what the screen shows you on the back of the camera. it always had me underexposing as well. to solve that issue i put the camera on monochrome and exclusively watch the histogram and totally ignore the percieved brightness of the screen. you can worry about colors later when you edit. well thats the way i do it anyway.

I would be willing to bet that the image softness, including the extra-soft left side of the image, is either from surf spray or from condensation on the lens elements. Both things happen frequently in tropical places like Cancun. The condensation, in particular, can be a real pain when you take your camera from an air-conditioned hotel room to the warm and extremely humid outdoors. Keeping the camera in a plastic bag with lots of silica gel packs can help or perhaps keeping the camera bag on the patio if it's secure enough. Otherwise it can take quite a while for the temperature to adjust and the condensation to evaporate. The condensation/humidity can also set off the humidity detector on some cameras.

Next time use fill flash. It will do things PP will never do.