Need help fixing my outdoor formals

...so give us a clue... what don't you like?

I think the background is too bright & the faces are too dark (the bridesmaids dresses are also burning my retinas, but not too much I can do about that:lol

Well i don't think it looks too bad but you could try to use your favorite method of dodge/burn to darken the background a bit. I know that I would probably use LR2 to use the adjustment brush to darken the blue/cyan color of the background and see what that gives me first. But if you don't have LR see what you can do with the burn tool...

thanks I will try!

tatboats78 wrote in post #6094772
the bridesmaids dresses are also burning my retinas, but not too much I can do about that

I like 'em. Not for the color though.

Shadows and highlights tool will do the job. I don't think it needs to be done though. The histogram at the time of shooting is the best way to do it, expose for the background, flash to light the subjects.

I adjusted the blue/cyan color of the background as suggested & looks much better.thanks

next time choose a better spot for the photos or use ur speedlite to give some infill flash

Bobster wrote in post #6095328
next time choose a better spot for the photos or use ur speedlite to give some infill flash

The fill flash looks fine to me... i would have simply chosen to under expose the background slightly to help the subjects pop more... like maybe -2/3rds to -1 under where it is now.

Dermit wrote in post #6095357
The fill flash looks fine to me... i would have simply chosen to under expose the background slightly to help the subjects pop more... like maybe -2/3rds to -1 under where it is now.

I did use my sppedlite for fill. But I will def. under expose a smidge next time.

tatboats78 wrote in post #6095381
I did use my sppedlite for fill. But I will def. under expose a smidge next time.

Just to clarify... you want to set the underexposure so it effects the background.... so you would not want to dial down the flash... just the exposure in the camera, i.e. faster shutter, smaller aperture, or lower ISO until the meter reads -2/3 to -1 below the level this first image was shot at. You have to watch it because you might start to reach some limitations of the power of the flash (lower ISO and smaller aperture make it work harder), or be limited by a max shutter sync speed with the flash. So your options might become limited. If you are finding that the flash you have simply can't deliver the power needed another option is to move the flash closer to the subjects which means if it is on camera you may need to use a wider angle lens.... ah the options/choices, it's what keeps photography interesting.

Dermit wrote in post #6095428
Just to clarify... you want to set the underexposure so it effects the background.... so you would not want to dial down the flash... just the exposure in the camera, i.e. faster shutter, smaller aperture, or lower ISO until the meter reads -2/3 to -1 below the level this first image was shot at. You have to watch it because you might start to reach some limitations of the power of the flash (lower ISO and smaller aperture make it work harder), or be limited by a max shutter sync speed with the flash. So your options might become limited. If you are finding that the flash you have simply can't deliver the power needed another option is to move the flash closer to the subjects which means if it is on camera you may need to use a wider angle lens.... ah the options/choices, it's what keeps photography interesting.

I was assuming that's what you meant, but thanks for clarifying. I really want to get a 10mm or 11-22mm for shooting my weddings. I am actually planning on buying one from the $ from this wedding. I think it would be my best option.

Ultra-wides are a bad idea for group shots. They distort things.