Ah, they key is really combining the modules highlights reconstruction, filmic and color calibration. It’s possible to get a really nice sky.
My retouch module skills could use some finessing 
_5290185.orf.xmp (36.7 KB)
Darktable 3.4.1
Compared to the images above, don’t you think the more pronounced highlight on the nose and the chin ought to be of greater concern in your image?
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Just read my answers above. When I process an image that is not mine, I do it that quickly and don’t check everything, just what’s important for the subject and could be done quickly (here it’s the sky the main thing, even if some other parts are in highlights). Said that, the main issue on that image is how the image has been taken (wrongly exposed), not how I process it (or others here). I just write what I see remaining quickly, even if when I see it again a little more, I see other things. But that would need time and I take time to process my images. All images here have things to improve (including mine).
test_5290185.jpg.out.arp (10.5 KB)
Done in ART 1.8.1 (a rawtherapee fork), just 1/2 dozen clicks almost straight out of the box processing. The main modules of the edit are the Tone Equalizer and the Dynamic Range Compression
Syv
Interesting how this has become very much a #processing:playraw. @eyedear It may be time for you to clarify the photo’s license; e.g. one provided by the Creative Commons.
Filmulator handles the shoulder area really nice.
There are still some magenta amobae on the clouds, i would simply get rid of them in gimp.
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This is the embedded jpeg from the raw originally posted. I think it contains the mosaic that the original poster mentioned. If this is the case, does that mean it has nothing to do with darktable?
The jpeg was extracted using the excellent Fast Raw Viewer.
Those seem like compression artifacts.
Offtopic, but with such a gorgeous model, I couldn’t resist to make another retouch, this time concentrating on the subject 
Also used Portrait Pro and Gimp
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you fixed the blown spot at the right shoulder well
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Just used the clone tool in Gimp
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I think there’s problem with color calibration module that is above highlight reconstruction. It tints reconstruction result, so I had to reverted into legacy mode with WB only.
I lack color correction skills but except demoisac artifacts I think that result can be quite good in DT with white clouds.
_5290185.orf.xmp (11.1 KB)
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@age think that @Wayne_Sutton has posted those artifacts here https://pixls-discuss.s3.amazonaws.com/original/2X/6/6e58ef2f78bb2f2be9e61ff170342ff9cbb3d09a.jpg
Indeed LCh is wontfix but this is color mode, or am I wrong?
Maybe this bug (Bug #10283: new “reconstruct color” in “highlight recovery” producing weird artefacts outside highlights) hasn’t been fixed and bug report was lost after migration into github…
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@eyedear can I use this image to report “moire” issue?
