Damien Symonds

Ok, can you open one of the photos that shows banding, and go to Edit>Assign Profile, and assign the monitor profile to the image, and tell me if that makes it better, or worse, or the same.

Use the eyedropper, like this, to match the dark section to the light section - roughly match, at least. Then it's the normal matter of using a gradient layer to replace the whole background.

No, it has nothing to do with File>Place or Smart Objects. May I see a closeup of that area?

Replacing the background is the only safe solution. May I see your "fake looking" attempt?

Oh gee, 4GB is only half of the minimum RAM that Adobe recommends for running CC. Definitely start by running this.

Have you found another photo with a suitable bit of toe for swapping? In what way is this one different? May I see one of the other photos on which you did it successfully?

I still think I see it, a tiny bit.

I agree with Sam. And I'd say once you fix the colour, you might not even need much dodging.

This is the best I can offer. It's not perfect, but an improvement to a degree, at least. First, a fabric-coloured Solid Color layer on Lighten mode, and paint gently (10% brush) over the darkest areas. Then the Hue/Sat layer over the top.

Yeah, no, Channel Mixer won't work here, because the tones aren't different enough.

You've restarted your computer, I trust?

Was the banding evident before you calibrated, do you remember?

Ok, I don't think that's cause for concern. As long as it's not there at 100%, you'll be fine.

What about at 50% and 25%? Banding or no banding?

Yay!

Check this:

Um ... are you going to show me the photo?

Oh, ouch. It might have to be this.

262GB is slightly less than the 1/3rd free space that Brian recommends, however it should be ok. Don't let it get any fuller, though. Ok, let's try this.

Oh, gosh, no, you must NEVER do that. Leave your Color Settings exactly as they are, on "North America General Purpose 2". That is the safe setting. http://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/02/please-ignore-your-monitor-profile.html Do you still have some of those older prints? To check that they still match your screen? As long as you can prove that, then yes, this sounds like a recent lab cock-up.

Just a little bright patch on the right-hand side.

Alas, no, sorry. Sometimes depth-of-field blur can be passably sharpened for small prints; but this is motion blur, and it can't be fixed. Ditch the photo. http://www.damiensymonds.net/%3Fp%3D2573

Can you do this for us?

Use Native. 7104 should be good enough.

Great.