Editing one of the images in Darktable.
I was fighting for too long with this issue - I need your help, guys.
There is an odd area, adjacent to the edge of my image, that draws attention away from the main subject. This area also lacks contrast. To solve this I want to bring out some contrast with the Lab curve and, after that, darken it gradually, increasing the darkness as far as to the edge of the image. At the same I need the effect to remain strictly within the area.
Here are couple of examples with arrows pointing to the desired result.
I tried applying polygonal area to LAb curve and then adding graduated mask, but no success, they donāt blend. Also, I could not attain the desired affect through applying independently two modules - Lab curve with a polygon mask and Graduated Density with a copy of the same mask.
What would you do? No way do it in Darktable without taking to GIMP?
Thank you very much, Jonas @Jonas_Wagner !!!1
Though your advice has not provided entirely all I wanted, but, using it and couple of extra steps, Iāve reached the desired result! Tadammm!!!
So, long story short. You pick up an area with your curves and start editing.
Step 1 - Contrast
Step 2 - Graduated density
Step 3 - Black/White Points
Step1 brings out the details. Step 2 provides fading. With Step 3 you tune your blacks and whites, which, actually attenuates the effect of darkness over the area.
Hence all three modules use the same shape. Two modules of the Tone Curves also use the same blending and mask.
In order to get better at this effect, for the last step, Iām gonna try Levels instead of Tone Curve.
Using the same mask in both modules is a great solution Alex. I read this thread and thought āitās about time I learned to use the Mask Managerā. There you can create groups and do the blending you are looking for. Here is the page in the manual.
A couple of things to note. You have to create a group in order to use the blending operators. You donāt have that feature if theyāre just 2 shapes being applied by a module. Another thing is if you share shapesā¦ when you make a change to it in another module, itāll change the behavior in all modules that use that same shape. Sometimes youāre better off creating a duplicate in the mask manager and allowing for separate modules to have their own āversionā. Depends on the situation. And 1 last point is that you canāt change the name of masks or groups in an individual module, but you can in the Mask Manager.
Looks like the Mask Manager will be this weekās topic on my podcast
āUsing the same mask in both modules is a great solutionā - well, there is no other solution when developing an area with multiple modules they MUST be the same
As regards the Mask Manager - I also used it on the same photo, but in other areas, where it helped to eliminate masks overlapping issue.
Thanks for telling how to blend two shapes within the same module - I did not know that - that could have shortcut the way to the solution.
With that being said, hope someone finds this thread useful. We have collectively evaluated Darktable scenario for applying quite popular fading effect.
