How to get bright photographs

Someone on my Facebook page asked me.. “How do you get your images so bright and fresh looking yet keep really good skin tones?”.. So I thought I’d answer in a blog!
I attempted to record myself editing and talking but.. well.. It makes me cringe. I sound better typing ;)
I try my damn hardest to get the photograph how I want it in camera and then tweak and edit in photoshop or lightroom.
The photograph below was taken on a Nikon D800 with a 50mm f1.4 Sigma lens.
My settings were ISO 250, 1/1600 f2.2.
The top photograph is what the image looked like straight out of the camera and the bottom one is the edited version (Not a huge difference).

Regarding editing, there is no right or wrong (in my opinion). Some people like dark and grainy photographs.. where as me, I prefer light and bright. So I edit accordingly. I increase the exposure and shadows.. then bring down the highlights so the blown out areas have detail.