R.G. wrote:
Your edit demonstrates that when you lift the shadows you lose contrast, as seen most noticeably in the black of the wings. In your edit you'll find that adding more contrast darkens the blacks but that brings you back to almost where you started. I know you don't have a Blacks slider so I won't suggest it as a possible fix. (Have you found out if adjusting the black point in the Curves tool is the same as lowering the blacks? If it is it's worth a try).
Adding contrast helps with overall vividness, and with a subject like this, that's a move in the right direction, so lifting the shadows and adding more contrast than in your edit isn't quite a return to where you started. However, it doesn't address one of the problems, which is that the black-lined wings aren't standing out against a dark background. I know you have a "Color correction" section, so you could try lightening green to separate the butterfly from the background.
Your edit also demonstrates another point, which is that brightening colours weakens them and darkening colours strengthens them. Again you can use the colour correction section to add strength (i.e. saturation) to specific colours like orange. I know that you don't like to stray too far from a natural look, but in this case the subject responds well to colour boosting so you can go quite far in ramping up the colours. However, be warned that boosting overall contrast will strengthen the colours, and mixing contrast and saturation can quickly lead to an overcooked look.
Your edit demonstrates that when you lift the shad... (
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Yes, adjusting the black point in the curves tool is the same as lowering the blacks. I concur with all your comments -- heaven forbid I don't like ANYTHING overcooked! Thanks for your input!