Need help makeing images look natural and soft

Ana Nabakowski , Mar 21, 2010; 08:09 p.m.

Ok I have been seeing this look, its a very natural soft look to it and I really like it and I was just wondering if maybe someone can show me how to do it. Here is an example of a girls work that I absolutely love that does this type of natural look look...http://pastelphotography.com/blog/
if you notice she has like a layer of sofness over the pictures, does anyone know how to get this effect?

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Stephen Lewis , Mar 21, 2010; 08:23 p.m.

IMHO first, she uses excellent lighting with some backlighting and noticeable sidelighting, good use of fill lighting. Then Photoshop technique would involve several layers: lightly reduced saturation, very light sepia toning, and a touch of gaussian blur, all via layers.

Theresa Skutt , Mar 21, 2010; 09:34 p.m.

I am a fan, I know that! They were incredible!

Ana Nabakowski , Mar 21, 2010; 10:31 p.m.

I know right Theresa, shes amazing! I wanna be able to get that type of look, I love it!

Theresa Skutt , Mar 21, 2010; 11:26 p.m.

Ana, try looking at MCP Actions. It looks similar. (ref. by Melissa Papaj)

Ana Nabakowski , Mar 22, 2010; 11:47 a.m.

yeah I have one set of mcp actions I love, Im just wondering which set will get that effect. The ones I have wont, I tried ;(.. I'll loo ninto getting another set, thanks so much ;)

Dipesh lakhani , Mar 22, 2010; 02:36 p.m.

Ana, I just checked out the example and it looks great! Do you have access to Lightroom?
I wonder if any one can suggest how to get this effect through Lightroom?

Errol Young - Toronto, ON, CA , Mar 22, 2010; 06:07 p.m.

I like her stuff but not sure i want that look for mine.

John Kelly , Mar 23, 2010; 04:11 p.m.

Nice. Most of the softness probably came from fast, long lens at large aperture.
The two types of color inbalance could be done easily in Photoshop or Lightroom (some is simply magenta, some is nearly opposite, with reduced blue ( ie reduced magenta and cyan).
Playing with LR, try reducing Clarity, perhaps less on faces than elsewhere.
The best thing about these images is the beauty and happiness of the people.

Charles Heckel , Mar 25, 2010; 10:34 p.m.

Shoot with backlighting and sidelighting, exposure a little over, exuberant subjects.
Every now and then breathe on your lens, not too exuberantly. In post-processing:
Kill the blacks with a Levels adjustment layer, moving the black point Output level, and
Veil the highlights with the same adjustment layer, moving the white point Output level;
Pick up the blacks and highlights again in eyes and facial features by painting on the layer mask.
Figure-ground separation is enhanced by selective saturation or desaturation of figures and ground.
Add a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, paint on the layer mask to remove either figures or ground,
Duplicate the layer, click on the duplicate layer mask, and invert it (ctl-I).
Now add saturation to one layer and desaturate the other to get the effect you want.

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