Thank you, I found this and Erlik's very useful to work with. I'm already doing something a little like this to get DOF effect on my images but I'd say I'm still using it like a sledgehammer to crack a nut as I am only using the brightness and control to alter the mask. This might help me actually get a grip on curves enough to start learning that whole area. Never seen anyone talk about curves without having to write a whole book on it before :)