Damien Symonds

Yes I know, but your hair isn't big enough in that photo. I want to see the photo where your good hair is the biggest available.

Oh boy, this'll be hard. What's the closest view you have of the good hair? I mean, do you have any head-and-shoulders portraits of yourself with your hair just the way you like it?

Hi @Nuria, please familiarise yourself with the posting guidelines.

Hi @Phoebe, may I see one or two of the problem photos?

It's an Advanced Levels Class question, actually. That class isn't quite ready yet, but I'm hoping in about a week.

No, it's not the Crop Tool. Read the instructions again: https://www.damiensymonds.net/2013/09/grabbing-700x700px-100-crop.html

That means your screen is too cool, yes?

Thanks. There's only negligible extra benefit in the raw file, so I'll persist with the version you first sent me. Download PSD

Whatever it takes. Gotta brighten it up. If you can't, maybe only edit during the day?

Leave them as you've adjusted them. Your normal light. The light you edit in. And yes, comparing images.

Yes and no. You can jiggle, sure, but then you have to calibrate again after the jiggling. It definitely is a problem. It sounds like your room light isn't bright enough?

Do you mind sending me the raw file so I can see if more is feasible? Send it via https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/BellePhotography

This is the best I can manage with the file you've given me. I realise it's not perfect by any means, but an improvement?

Once you change it once, it should stick. Always remember to glance down at that link, though, in case it switches itself back.

The same way you loaded the first time, of course. Usually just double-clicking.

Yep, that's fine, go ahead and email them.

She's pulling your leg. Most of those photos have a wall behind the subjects, or at least trees. The ones that don't, look at the angle of the shadows - the sun is partially off to one side. More importantly, look at the catchlights in their eyes - there's definitely a light source in front of them. Reflector or flash, I don't know. @Brian and @Kim will have more wisdom about this.

No, you DEFINITELY can't use backlit photos for this look.

Could you narrow it down to a particular post, rather than the entire blog?

The "Profile" has always been in ACR, just never in the first tab before. https://www.damiensymonds.net/2012/02/camera-calibration-tab-in-acr.html Dehaze, like the other three sliders in that section, must be used with extreme caution or not at all. I don't know about Color Smoothness, sorry. In short, nothing has changed. Keep editing, and FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE POST SOME PHOTOS FOR ME.

First things first, remember that ever upgrade resets the colour space to Adobe RGB. Make sure you click on the link at the bottom to fix it to sRGB again. What looks different about the interface, compared to what you remember?

Could you post the photo files you're viewing?

How much bigger and bolder do I need to make it?

What? Just do them!

Alternatively, you could try a light blue Solid Color layer on either "Multiply" or "Linear Burn" mode.