Portrait Shots - how can I improve?

[Dallasphotog]

There's lots of things you can manipulate in these images. You may want to move out of the direct sunlight to reduce the harshness of the light and then add fill flash to clean up the areas around the eyes. Then you might consider what ends up in your backgrounds; maybe some rocks or a wall or a group of distant trees would add some color and tension....and don't forget all the wonderful adjustmentsvailable in PS. A dodge here, a burn there, a little saturation and you have a whole new image.


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Canon XTi, EF24-70mm F/2.8L USM, Av, F/2.8, ISO-100, 1/125


My parameters aren't much different than where you were shooting, but I obviously had a LOT less direct light.

[BCalkins]

Another way to go in direct light is to put a diffuser in between the sun and your subject, or use it as a reflector to fill in the shadows...