Help with 3 portraits

rrblint,

"The portrait should be exposed on the money to SLIGHTLY overexposed(1/3-2/3 stop). Unless you have a mixed lighting."

I try to aim to slightly Under Expose, my thinking is that I am less likely to have blown highlights. Am I wrong to do this ?

If you're shooting RAW you have more headroom than you might think, but yes do not blow highlights. That's why I used the word SLIGHTLY. But under exposure is not good either. If you have to increase exposure in post then you will accentuate the noise. Proper exposure to SLIGHTLY over is what you want.

tonyq wrote in post #17906638
rrblint,

"The portrait should be exposed on the money to SLIGHTLY overexposed(1/3-2/3 stop). Unless you have a mixed lighting."

I try to aim to slightly Under Expose, my thinking is that I am less likely to have blown highlights. Am I wrong to do this ?

Clarification: Slightly overexpose the skin, not necessarily the image as a whole.

However, if slightly ovexposing the skin will blow out other important highlights, then expose properly for those instead.

Sometimes other highlights aren't important. If you have to choose between the skin and the other stuff, always choose the skin.

With some noise reduction. Chose to blow out the shoulder part a bit.

I love the first image. I love her smile, and it all looks very natural to me.

I think the style of the images is fabulous. I love the colours and the tone. She is gorgeous. You are a fortunate man to have such a lovely subject at your disposal!

I just tried to clean things up a bit: a few flaky spots on her face and in her hair, a couple of eyebrow hairs, a couple of spots on her teeth. I cropped it, and ran it through "Intensify CK."

Your post header said you need "help with 3 portraits", but I only see 2 mentioned!

But, here's a couple more ideas to think about:

deviangel wrote in post #17903216
Sorry I was working.... Here are the RAW files

https://www.dropbox.co​m …xwbywi0/IMG_160​1.CR2?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.co​m …t2wwyya/IMG_159​8.CR2?dl=0

How do I share the files here without adding you as contacts ?

Here are my edits ...

Hosted photo: posted by deviangel in
./showthread.php?p=179​03216&i=i240099389
forum: RAW, Post Processing & Printing

Hosted photo: posted by deviangel in
./showthread.php?p=179​03216&i=i73019817
forum: RAW, Post Processing & Printing

I just feel like I am lacking a lot when I process portrait images or that I am doing the same thing over and over again, I have this huge creative block...

this B/W edit is perfect.

I like the colours that Kirk posted earlier and did in PS.

I did all the colour / exposure changes in LR. I then did a few things in PS.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/EyBE​NR

Thank you all !