Tibet - Not to drift OT, but this is a perfect example of what we were talking about in the other thread (tonal ranges). Your background was nice and smooth (tonally) until you did your adjustments. Afterwards, it had some irregular patches. That's what we mean when you see us say things like "stepping on the data", "damaging the image" or "breaking the image". Every single tool and filter and adjustment in your image editor will change or throw away original data. The more coarse the tool you use, the more damage. This can show up as splotchiness, noise, halos and any number of other things. In the end, what we strive for is to use the tool with the finest control that does the least amount of damage to the image. And that's why those of us who use curves, use it. -=>Donald