Probelm with surf shots

Admittedly, this was my first time shooting in RAW. I'm trying to to get my friend's face brightened without blowing out the entire pic. I have a whole set of shots that look similar to the one below. What would be the best way to accomplish this? Thanks!

original:
http://www.passwird.co​m/images/IMG_9694.CR2

my amateur pp job:

HTTP response: 404 | MIME changed to 'text/html' | Byte size: ZERO

I would do it like this: the 10 minute version ...

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

You can get the PSD HERE if you want to see what was done. Enjoy!~

Thanks Beau. That helps a lot!

passwird wrote in post #3469243
Thanks Beau. That helps a lot!

Glad to hear it! Are you able to discern what was done in the PSD?

The bright board is helping you by acting like a reflector.
Next time you shoot try using a bit of +EC

Beau Hudspeth wrote in post #3469269
Glad to hear it! Are you able to discern what was done in the PSD?

Actually...when I look at your steps, a lot of them have their values "zeroed" out (Selective Color, Hue/Saturation). Why is that?

passwird wrote in post #3470184
Actually...when I look at your steps, a lot of them have their values "zeroed" out (Selective Color, Hue/Saturation). Why is that?

Make sure you look at each AREA of the adjustment layer. Like in Hue / Saturation, look at the RED, BLUE, CYAN, etc ... channels. Most were not done in the main area.

Beau Hudspeth wrote in post #3470546
Make sure you look at each AREA of the adjustment layer. Like in Hue / Saturation, look at the RED, BLUE, CYAN, etc ... channels. Most were not done in the main area.

*Smacks forehead*

Thanks and thanks for bearing with that q.

here is another try

MIME changed to 'text/html' | Content warning: script

Thanks for the pp job, yb, but I think the color looks really off.

BH, I'm curious as to how you figure out what percentages to use for saturation, selective color, and the like. I played with a few pics from the set (copying your steps as best as I could) and I'm pretty much just aimlessly playing guess and check with the slider bars. Is it just experience? Or is there something in the first pic that just screams, "TOO MUCH YELLOW!"?

passwird wrote in post #3511454
Thanks for the pp job, yb, but I think the color looks really off.

BH, I'm curious as to how you figure out what percentages to use for saturation, selective color, and the like. I played with a few pics from the set (copying your steps as best as I could) and I'm pretty much just aimlessly playing guess and check with the slider bars. Is it just experience? Or is there something in the first pic that just screams, "TOO MUCH YELLOW!"?

The short answer is: it is all done by eye with no set guidelines. But it is a trained eye. It does take a while to be able to look at an image and basically tell what the issue is. It takes a lot longer to learn the quickest way to fix it.

Its funny its not a bad thing by any means but Beau's picture looks like the guy is surfing in Scope mouth wash.