The Mysterious Curves tool

Whenever I needed to lighten or darken a section of an image, Curves would give me fits. I would pull up on this part to lighten, and another part would get too light with it, so I pulled down on that part and that was too much, so I yanked on that part, and before you know it, I made a picket fence, and the image was really messed up.

There is a sensible and logical way to use Curves, and easy and fast.
The video will show you what I do, and how I do it.
Please bear in mind, for the sake of brevity and not wishing you to fall asleep, I showed how to lighten a portion of an image. Of course, you can darken bright areas the same way.

Screen snap 050 shows how I used to muck up the works in Curves.
Screen snap 052 shows the finished product.
(A large tip of the cap to Terry for a wonderful panorama shot made from 41 images.)
(Ask Terry, here for particulars)

http://youtu.be/AXQJF_G991s

Please click for FULL SCREEN and it will go to HD video.

Enjoy
Fred

That was the point!
The version of the image I used for demonstration, needed the tweak in Curves.
Your final version was brushed and polished.

Fred

Thanks Glenn.
Truth be known, I was in the same pickle with Curves too. I would either ruin the results by over working the points by pulling the diagonal up over here and down over there until I would have to start over.
I guess the  word Epiphany would apply for me. I woke up one day, and I saw it!

Thanks again.

Fred

PS. I must mention Terry's shots. That was a WOW shot; a panorama.
I am lucky enough to be an across the pond friend of Terry, and therefore the recipient of much of his daily shooting.
He has the "touch", the "eye" the "feel" and I gasp with awe and envy when I see what he shot that day.
Fred