Feedback time! I’m getting started on this month’s release, which will be a poolside thr

Feedback time! I’m getting started on this month’s release, which will be a poolside threesome featuring Marcella, Tatiana, and Yelena called Brunettes Do It Better. I was trying to find the right light tone and intensity, and came out on the shot called Test One. But then on a whim I decided to play around with some HDRI maps I had laying around, since this is an outdoor scene. And that, together with tweaking some other settings, landed me at Test Two.

Now I’ll preface this by saying that I prefer test two. It looks a lot more realistic. Test One is a bit more artificial looking. That said, it’s not ugly at all and there’s something to be said for its desaturated feel. Test Two just strikes me as a lot more vibrant and summery. Maybe Test Two could do with an extra light source though, to make it feel less like a late noon and more like an early afternoon shot.

Test One is more consistent with my overall aesthetic. Test Two I think represents a step forward, but it’s not perfect yet. Which shot do you guys prefer?