What's a good alternative for Camera Raw Filter for subtle exposure modifications?

[bartonlew]

I want to make subtle exposure modulations in the white dress in the center of this image where there are shadows inside the blue box.  I would normally use the paintbrush in Adobe Camera Raw but this image is too big.  I tried making a selection of the dress and making that a Smart Object and adding Camera Raw Filter but it must be referencing the entire file as it says it's still too big.  For most things where I can't use Camera Raw Filter I have figured out alternatives using adjustment masks but I can't do that here.  I want to lighten the shadows so they blend in with the rest of the dress.  I tried creating a selection of the dress; adding a Curves adjustment layer; lightening the selection; selecting the paintbrush and painting over the parts of the dress I don't want to be lightened (the non-shadows part) but this didn't work well, I couldn't get fine enough control over the shadows.  Can anyone suggest a way to achieve this objective?  Thank you.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

I'd start with Image > Adjustments > Shadow/Highlights... Then possibly, dodge/burn, curves etc.

[bartonlew]

Thanks.  I know people who really like the Image > Adjustments > Shadow/Highlights option - but I kind of want to use something that is reversible.  I had forgotten about dodge and burn - will look into those again.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

You just need to copy the layer or area in question, mask it, then use Shadow/Highlights. I find that it provides a good start point before curves, however, unlike a raw camera image, it will not perform "magic" if the highlights are blown out.

[bartonlew]

Alright, that is good to know, thanks.  The more ways to do things the better.

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

I would stick with curves, but I would also add a luminosity mask to limit the corrections to just the slight shadow areas of the dress. The uploaded image is a bit hard to tell really, as this new forum messes up images.

[bartonlew]

Thanks Chuck.  I watched a video by Aaron Nace on Curves and am using the technique he showed:  1. create the curves layer; 2. make the adjustment; 3. fill the mask with black to hide the adjustment; 4. paint with white where you want the adjustment to show up.  I am having to add successive layers to create value shifts from the shadow area to the non shadow area as it is gradual; but I am getting better at it.  I think it justs takes practice.  It's the layer alternative to adding new pins in Camera Raw Filter where you can paint with varying values.

[Chuck Uebele · Accepted solution]

Other techniques that you can use include using color range. With color range, you can select the areas that you want to edit, then create a mask with that selection. As for color shifts, I use color range for that also. I will zoom into the pixel level and select pixels that are way off in color" overly magenta or blue, etc. Then, I will either use a curves adjustment layer to tone down those colors, or use hue on hue saturation, to subtly shift the color to one more inline with the image. In this way, I don't shift other pixels to far the other way. It doesn't take much correction to make a nice subtle correction.

[bartonlew]

Wow - Color Range!  Just watched a video from tutvid about it on youtube.  Great to know about this previosuly uinknown (to me) tool!  Thank you!