Two images for which I’d like your interpretation (and masking skills for the second) 
1. Flower
DSCF8007.RAF (28.8 MB)
2. Bird
DSCF8034.RAF (28.0 MB)
These files are licensed Creative Commons, By-Attribution, Share-Alike.
I avoided the use of masks by using the shadow and highlights module and the shadows brilliance slider in the color balance rgb module to brighten the shadows. That approach makes a difficult masking job easy in my view. Of course the tone equalizer module could have been used as well or instead of the other modules for lifting the shadows.
DSCF8034.RAF.xmp (12.6 KB)
Here is another editing where I used more artistic licence to interpret the scene. And yes, I prefer this edit.
DSCF8034.RAF.xmp (20.5 KB)
I like the contrast in your flower edit, and the greens of the background is nice!
Did you used tone eq. in the bird edit ? It looks like there is gradient reversal or incomplete masking in the highlights?
I only used a single Selective Editing spot with the CAM16 tool, only increasing Lightness in RawTherapee-dev.
This is great! Looks like a lamp built into the base of the bloom
I never used RT, how does the Selective Editing work? Is it like an automatic mask?
Did you used tone eq. in the bird edit ? It looks like there is gradient reversal or incomplete masking in the highlights?
No, just filmic, color balance RGB, color equalizer, contrast equalizer, and local contrast.
You are right, the sky highlights in the background went all wonky. I didn’t even notice that. I was concentrating on the tones of the bird and the foliage. It is amazing to me how I blocked the highlights out of my mind.
PS - I went through the workflow. The highlights were fine after filmic, but they went wonky with color balance RGB. I’ll see whether I can improve that…
Ok, here’s another attempt. My mistake before was trying to reduce the highlights in color balance RGB so that they wouldn’t be so noticeable, but that introduced the artifacts. I went much easier on that, this time.
I know more about what Selective Editing does than how it actually works. @jdc is the expert and programmer behind the magic there. What it does is give you radially-graduated edit application areas, with adjustable geometry and an adjustable centrally-located sensor.
Rather than masking, in my mind it is a tool more akin to manual dodge and burn in a print-exposure darkroom. This was the main image editing technique I learned from the photographers when I was a college newspaper production editor in the late 1990’s.
The tool has been extensively documented in Local Adjustments - RawPedia
For an example of old-school dodge and burn darkroom techniques:
I noticed you also shoot B/W film; perhaps you are already quite familiar with the process.
A variation of my former render, concentrating more on the true star of the scenery:
These are gorgeous images! The bug living its best life on the flower is making my day. The rendering and depth of field fall-off on the XF90mm looks sooo good, too; kinda want to give it a try now.
[EDIT: iteration II + birb]
