How can I achieve this effect in Darktable?
Photos by: hashtagalek (@ x.com)
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There’s an example in this video:
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If you post one of your own raw images suited to this treatment with the appropriate licence people would be able to demonstrate this. I am sure there is more than a single approach to achieving the look you desire.
a bit of an OT question but can this effect be created by only a physical filter in front of the lens? I.e., these “black mist filter” during blue hour? Is the only thing these filters do the foggy/diffuse look?
Did not knew these existed until I saw the video 
The in camera effect is better, but you can simulate it in darktable with diffuse or sharpen.
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This pictures was taken in foggy night in Warsaw. Effect is only by changing “colors” but it was done in Lightroom. I didn’t publish any file for processing because I’m only interested in the approach and possibly modules, initial tips for modules to later dig around according to my own requirements. In this way I would also get to know the operation and use of modules in Darktable.
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It’s second edit. Thank You 
Next time, please link to the page with the photos in question; do not upload photos you do not own.
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Ok.
I think one way to do this would be using channel mixing:
- we want dominant red areas to remain red;
- we want all other areas to turn blue.
We could make sure that the areas that also contain green and blue lose their red, with for example something like this:
We don’t really want green (your images have some, so you don’t have to eliminate it completely; also, you could try removing it only where red is strong, so a positive green and negative red value):
Turn everything that has blue and green in it blue, but not the red:
That can take you from this:
To this:
Keeping some green:
2023-12-19_16-27-35_P1020990_01.RW2.xmp (9.7 KB)
Obviously, this image had no fog. Maybe diffuse or sharpen could be used to add some.
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I think some of my tutorials could help?
For the blue effect: Darktable: Recreate this look #1
For halation: Darktable: Emulate Film Halation (but for that style you should start with a foggy image/wet weather for reflections)
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Thank you. All knowledge in one place. The weekend will be constructive.
Now I have to look for some RAWs in the resources for testing
The greatest resource for playing with others’ RAWs:
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My reading of the render is:
- shadows are mostly greenish-blue and not deep
- highlights are pinkish-red
- there are no pure green/orange/yellow (except on a probably masked part of the tramway)
- during the shot: fog plays a key role
- probably some masking done, because some highlights are not red/pink, so either these lights were another color at the start, or they were masked (eg: buildings lights), as for the blueish-green of the tramway stops.
In darktable I would:
- increase the shadows
- use
color equalizerto remove the unwanted color and start to work on the hues to put them closer to the final hues wanted - use
color balance rgbto add color in the shadows and highlights
I don’t have a night tramway photo but I found this RAW of mine which could do the job as an example (raw + oob jpeg + edit) :
DSCF5251.RAF (28.1 MB)
DSCF5251.RAF.xmp (18.9 KB)
This file is licensed Creative Commons, By-Attribution, Share-Alike.
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I expect the same process that @s7habo demonstrates in this video, should work here as well.
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Another simple approach is:
- white balance with color calibration on neutral white
- rgb primaries to give the tint on neutral colors
- color equalizer to do minor corrections
- masked color balance RGB to de-saturate what you want to colorize later (mostly low chroma pixels)
- another color balance RGB to colorize in the desired hue
DSCF5251_03.RAF.xmp (35.2 KB)
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