Foliage cover usually is not a problem.

Do you mean you werent getting enough fruit? If so you might have fertility issues (too much Nitrogen).

Usually only want to prune lower side shoots to allow airflow and contain growth. Unless of course you are traing 1-2 stems to a stake. In that case you dont remove the entire sucker (side shoot) you just pinch out its growing point and leave their leaves for photosynthesis and shading.

Fruit that develop in sun that are less prone to scalding than fruit that develop in shade and then are exposed to sun.

You could use shade cloth fastened around the area of the plant/fruit to reduce sun. Just dont put it too close to the fruit or too much heat might build up.

I will admit I went a little prune crazy. There is still a ton of coverage just a few choice clusters are now visible from the sunny side. I am growing hydroponically and the plants had made a huge mass of green. I wanted to open it up for air, light and to get rid of some of the leaves so I could get some more tomatoes before it gets too hot. My larger varieties didn't seem to be producing like they should (cherry sized were doing excellent). Thanks for the tips.

Sun scald is a big problem for me every year - the main reason I gave up on doing much pruning years ago. But if you prefer to prune, one solution is to rig a sun screen near the plants that will block the sun from direct contact with the plant during the hottest part of the day. For me, that's 2-4 pm. Down here, many of us use a 2'x4' hunk of burlap or screening material attached to 2 stakes in the ground so that it can be angled or moved as needed. You don't have to block all the sun, just break it up a bit.

Dave

PS: you don't mention the variety but keep in mind that you reduce production if you prune determinate varieties.