I’ve used Capture One, LIghtroom and DxO, but found the last really didn’t work with Nikon Z photos… turning SOC raw from an amazingly into “ugh”. Ran 85 shots through Darktable (which started out MUCH closer to right) and now want to get up to speed on Darktable… see whether I can junk the subscriptions.
Curious what resources / people you found most helpful for speeding the process of learning Darktable - even where the deep dive into layers and the rest.
Take a look at Boris’ videos here https://www.youtube.com/@s7habo or Aureliens here https://www.youtube.com/@AurelienPIERREphoto for example
https://youtube.com/@audio2u?feature=shared
https://youtube.com/@studiopetrikas?feature=shared
https://youtube.com/@adabbleinphotography8721?feature=shared
Bruce Williams channel is also very helpful to learn about individual modules
https://www.youtube.com/@audio2u
Even Hal’s channel is useful. He details out individual modules and showcases processing methods
https://www.youtube.com/@RawPhotographyTutorials/videos
I might be bias, but this forum is the best learning place. Ask questions.
Yes, read the manual! Normally manuals tell you “click here - click there - lean back, the software does the magic”, but DT - manual tells you the magic.
Exactly. Post problematic images as PlayRaw, state what your problem is, what it is you’re trying to achieve, and go through the xmp sidecars posted by others (you’ll find it in the manual how you can make multiple, different versions (‘virtual copies’) of an image, and how you can load a sidecar, applying it to a ‘virtual copy’).
I would take a spin through here
https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/4.6/en/overview/workflow/process/
and
here for some context and getting a feel for how DT is different in several way or at least thinking about how you process might be a little different.
https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/4.6/en/special-topics/color-management/color-spaces/
https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/4.6/en/special-topics/color-pipeline/
https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/4.6/en/darkroom/pixelpipe/the-pixelpipe-and-module-order/
These are a few key sections that explain some nuance to using DT…
I have the manual bookmarked in my browser because I refer to it often. Also this forum can be a good resource. Before asking questions use the search feature and see if the question has been asked and answered before. Otherwise just ask away and the people here are really helpful.
Thanks to each of you for your suggestions. I’m beginning to check them out. VERY MUCH appreciated.
If you prefer text-based tutorials to videos, I’ve written a number of tutorials here including one on how to get started with the scene-referred workflow (which is obviously a difference from other RAW processors)
Pretty doggone helpful stuff. THank you!!!
I just found this: https://www.reddit.com/r/DarkTable/comments/cyn5h1/darktable_collected_resources/
I’m pretty new to Darktable and used bits and pieces from many of the above tutorials (all excellent) but really wished I had seen this one earlier - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvgICLlTNr8
Bruce has a new one out that looks on topic
Nick Long has some interesting youtube videos on darktable. He has done a few where he shows how he would go about processing images submiited by his viewers.
I’ve written a few text tutorials: darktable
Though they are intended for maybe a beginner-intermediate level, after you are familiar with the UI. Boris’ videos and looking at XMPs from playraws here really helped me get past the initial learning challenges.
New one dropped on using the sigmoid module to process a pic from start to finish.
