Editing the attached image was made significantly more easy with the smart selection mask. The masking process of the bird took about 15 seconds with just a bit of touchup with the mask brush. The natural foreground lighting was very dark, after masking the bird was edited independently.
Where is the original image for the comparation?
I can post it later today, grandchildren interuptus!
Here's a low res sRGB copy of the original file. I couldn't make the bird prominent in the image to my liking without masking it.
I don't often use masking to save an image unless there is a look I like, I definitely only use images where you can't tell there was a mask edit. In Photo-PAINT 2024 the performance increase in the smart selection mask has me using it a bit more. I could get the image light enough but then the bird didn't stand out well. I tired the light tools and as a global adjustment it affected the green in the tree. I masked the bird and used the light tool and a tone curve to adjust the bird.
I have played a little with your original photo in PhotoPaint without Smart Selection:
Cool, I'll download it and take a look.
I've brought my final posted image and your adaptation from the original for a top to bottom comparison. Both images are downloaded from the forum to keep it a more even comparison.
This is not a right or wrong situation it's just a discussion of the reasoning of why I did it as I did.
In the top image the highlights in the top background are RGB 216, 214, 216 making it a 2 point slightly purple tinted grey. The tint in nearly indiscernible on most displays and the Bokeh does not distract from the bird. When I look at the image my eye goes directly to the bird. The foliage is muted and does not distract the eye from the bird. The depth of field on the top image has most of the foliage and the birds *** out of focus. The birds head and eye, being a bit forward are sharp as is the foliage to the left of the bird.
In the bottom image the highlights in the top background are RGB 255. Making them pure white and in my opinion the bright white resulting in the more mottled Bokeh draws my eye away from the bird. The bird has a faux enhanced contrast do the over sharpening but it's too harsh against the background. In the bottom image the vibrance of the foliage also distracts the eye from the bird.
I had the problem od not being able to bring prominence to the bird without blowing out the Bokeh until I placed the smart selection mask on the bird and edited it separately.
Of course this is all a matter of opinion.
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