Tone curve on a contrasty sunny day.

[herma]

<p>Weddings in the bright sun are a challenge. Would you agree that in general, you would not have an "S" curve. Its frequently just oposite. Just sayin.</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>An "S" curve, as you put it, enhances contrast somewhere in the tonal range. And indeed on a sunny day, contrast is often the enemy. One way to salvage extreme contrast shots is, as you say, "just opposite" of an "S" curve, thereby reducing midrange contrast.</p>

<p>That said, if you control your light, for instance by photographing subjects in open shade and intentionally blowing out background highlights -- or more commonly by introducing modified fill, you can then return to a pleasing "S" curve that brings out nice skin tones, especially if your output is monochrome. At least that's been my experience. Either way you end up losing some of your extreme contrast range (crushing shadows or blowing out highlights), while carefully controlling the contrasty lighting on your subjects and constraining your tonal range to just the subjects and not the background.</p>