I just found this while randomly searching for tonal selections and the technique makes so much sense maybe you already know about it I thought it was super interesting and worth sharing.

https://luminous-landscape.com/tough-se ... elections/

Can't wait to try it out myself.

trandoductin,

A fantastic find!!! To think of the many hours I have spent drawing accurate masks when there is a much simpler way of achieving the same result!
Perhaps where there is a lower contrast the technique could be extended by using the colour channels as a source.

david.

ohhh.. as soon as I read "The new “refine edge” control in CS3 provides more intelligent feathering.." I think, PITA

This one on adjusting your image, but Gimp based.

https://patdavid.net/2013/11/getting-ar ... masks.html

Edit: a quick example. Using the luminosity script. https://i.imgur.com/TDAykox.jpg Keeps the background and you adjust the foreground. Channel can go to a selection or as here a layer mask. (IMHO better than a selection).

As people may have noticed, I am addicted to using luminosity masks! However, the transition between levels of luminosity is not always where I would wish. To create a mask, on the fly, for a specific image can be time consuming. The method found by trandoductin works OK in Gimp. It has its limitations, but is another tool in the armoury.

(The comment about feathering would seem to me to be irrelevant for this process, as the adjustment takes place far away from the selection boundary.)

david.

it just means feathering, nothing advanced going on
the only advantage PS has, is the non destructive adjustment layer
but other than that, we can replicate the technique a 100%

Oh, I know that, just quoting from a long article which, really, is describing a simple operation.

Make selection, apply feathering or as I tend to do, quick mask with a fuzzy brush, add those 'extra' strokes' to subtract. Toggle off, use color curves.

Apologies! When I said that the comment about feathering is irrelevant, I should have said when using this method in the Gimp.

david.

If you like luminosity mask method but not so much about manual work related to it, try free plugin found from Sumppihuuhkaja's blog (sorry I could not share the direct link since I just registered here and system considers this reply as a spam with it).