darktable ep 034 - End to end workflow (landscape)

[@tomc2631]

I could watch any number of videos like this. I find deciding what I need to do as difficult as working out how to do it. And it is very useful to hear someone’s thought process as they evaluate an image.

[@audio2u]

Tom, thanks. If you can spare a couple of bucks a month, consider becoming a patron via my Patreon page. I've done 3 more videos (so far) like this, but using user-submitted images.

[@jcubic]

Great video, thanks for the Hugin tip in Q&A.

[@audio2u]

Cheers!

[@bobblack4048]

Hi Bruce, loved this video, as I have previously said I am very new to Darktable. It was good to see the workflow on a single image and see how good Darktable actually is. I need to study a few more of your videos to understand the various modules that you used here. Thanks again.

[@audio2u]

No worries, Bob, glad you found this useful!

[@drendelous]

subscribed omg this is a pearl

[@audio2u]

Thanks!

[@serged8826]

I do like this all set of videos and move one step at a time toward working with ease on my pictures, and I do thank you for this. About this specific episode, yes Velvia was life and shoot a lot of rolls in the 90’, and because you like it so much I know I’ll end up doing great stuff (stuff I’ll like) by following you explanations! Thanks again and again

[@audio2u]

No worries! Glad you found it useful! 😃

[@alanbeamer9513]

As a Newbie to Darktable, I have just discovered your excellent videos. I will be watching a lot more of your videos to help me learn !! Thank you !!

[@audio2u]

Welcome aboard!

[@michaelremski8295]

"Rules are made to be broken" Very good video. Cropping and histogram good point.

[@MarkWick]

Bruce, I just discovered you with this video. Thank you it was very helpful. i am just beginning to really learn about Darktable. It reminds me very much of my 30 plus years of working in actual darkrooms (real ones, in closets, under stair ways, in basements, and even in film changing bags in the bed of a pickup truck) but with way more options for precise control. I am looking forward to mastering this tool as I did film darkrooms.

[@audio2u]

Glad you're finding them helpful, Mark!

[@LosingMyCool]

Thanks for sharing, great video.

[@audio2u]

Thanks for watching!

[@DenisThibeault_inci]

Awesome video - nice to see a complete workflow from beginning to end. I had not thought of cropping from the start, that makes perfect sense to me now. Again, thank you.

[@joaovtaveira]

Your videos are always great. Thanks for your time.

[@audio2u]

Thank you!

[@october001]

Loved this video! Very useful techniques. Many thanks again, Bruce!

[@audio2u]

No worries!

[@demarestk]

Another big thanks! Greetings from Belgium

[@sfink16]

One of the suggestions in the Q&A to sharpen images to use Highpass, which I agree can work good. However, Darktable does offer a hidden "Smart Sharpen" technique that you may want to look at as well. For example, I have an image of a bald eagle flying in a light blue sky background. I can eliminate sharpening the sky by adjusting the radius and threshold by only sharpening the eagle's features in th following manner. Use the Sharpen module, go to the blend mode (uniformity) and select "Difference" to see only the detail lines of the image, no colors whatsoever. Now you can adjust radius and threshold to sharpen exactly the lines you want to sharpen. After you settle on the smart sharpening lines, you can go back to normal mode, or turn off uniformity altogether, and wind up with a smartly sharpened image. I found out about this technique in another software called Lightzone and decided to try it in Darktable. I was happy to report that it works fine. Also, why doesn't any of the DT bloggers discuss or use the Raw black/white point module? Should we use this module before we use exposure for at least setting the white point? After all, it is always the first DT active module, even before white balance. The manual isn't very helpful in describing this feature.

[@audio2u]

Thanks for that! I shall investigate. :)

[@audio2u]

As for why don't bloggers/youtubers ever cover the Raw Black/White Point module... probably because, according to the manual, "Changes to the defaults are normally not required." I know I mucked around with it once or twice and realised that I wasn't achieving any massive improvements with it.

[@styx85]

Thanks, Bruce! Super helpful as always :)

[@samuelmetzger6364]

Thank you alot for your effort. I would love to see you doing a end to end on a portrait. greetings from Switzerland

[@samuelmetzger6364]

Just got to the part where you talk about Studioportrait... Ill just sit back and wait for it then.:-)

[@TheMoksa]

Hi Bruce, regarding the de-saturation after enabling the filmic module, I have found that ticking preserve the chrominance and reducing the global saturation to 60(ish)% brings the colour saturation back to normal Edit: Actually it seems to not work well for all images, I do find some colours become overly saturated even when reducing the global saturation to 30%. But using the velvia module and the filmic module together works very nicely

[@munkieluva]

Great video

[@audio2u]

Cheers!

[@peterpiper0815]

Again, very good tutorial Bruce! Now that we learned so much about darktable I can imagine a video series by you about shooting photos (getting good source material to feed darktable) ;)

[@audio2u]

Hahaha! Maybe....

[@wido123123]

This was amazing. But it's really REALLY different how the input image behaves compared to my cameras. I've used my nikon d3000 and now I'm using a D3400. Using RAW without basecurve (which DT sets at the start) the image is super dark. Like 3 steps dark. And the sharpen is almost mandatory, because the original looks so much blurred when zoomed (even when properly focused with my nikkor 35mm f1.8). And those are because of RAW, since the jpeg the camera produces looks normal

[@audio2u]

Well, the base curve that darktable ads to your raw file on import, is designed to try and emulate what the camera does when it creates a jpeg (in camera). The image processor in your camera essentially applies a similar type of base curve to the raw data to create the image you see on the viewfinder/screen. And as I've said in previous videos, if you are going to avoid the base curve module, you do need to recreate that look, and my go-to for that is either filmic or tone curve. YMMV.

[@wido123123]

@@audio2u oh, yes, I do use base curve as a general, and then tone curve to make it look prettier. My previous comment was just to state how different the raw file is.

[@audio2u]

Ah, right!

[@charlesmolt7706]

I enjoyed this tutorial since I rarely shoot people. I just wonder if you could have enhanced the colors of the sky near the sun. I can see this shot being done with clouds or even you model in it, Maybe even as a storm was approaching,

[@audio2u]

Everyone has their own aesthetic for an image. Your idea of tweaking the sky more might have (not saying it was) been too much for me. At the end of the day, I'm just trying to help others to understand the wealth of tools available in darktable, so that we can all make the most of it in our own images. As I say often... There's no right and wrong with this stuff! 😃

[@abhishes]

I wonder if you can please do a video of a workflow of fixing a portrait taken in bright sunlight. When traveling with family its hard to wake them up early or make them stay late for golden hours. Most of the portraits I take are during like 11 to 4 when the sunlight is very strong and I get shadows on face and specially under eyes. the sky gets blown out. These photos are hardest to fix because all tools lead to haloing.

[@audio2u]

That's a great idea for a video. I'll add that to the list!

[@abhishes]

@@audio2u Thank you so much!!!

[@domenicosolimeno8893]

Great video. TNX a lot! One question: how is the ratio for the jpg DPI resolution? I mean at how DPI value will be export the jpg image at 100%?

[@audio2u]

That is controlled by the "export images" module. You decide how many pixels you want the long edge to be.

[@leona_devon]

Yes, with reference to slow down, I apply any denoise profile last, as these will slow down the processing, but then I'm using a 5 year old Intel I3, with 8gb ram :) yes I need to buy a new pc.

[@huntedghostsnero7035]

To avoid Facebook compression, export images as 2048px and resolution @ 72 ppi.

[@cosmo0080]

i have read that some modules run faster with linux than win10 i have a i5 10mg ram bascic NVIDIA and st runs very well

[@alwilliams8584]

I have my darktable all messed up how do I return to defaults as a new start.I am in windows 10

[@audio2u]

What did you mess up?

[@cosmo0080]

i have been told to sharpen last always that we no matter what software used

[@audio2u]

Oh ok, I'd not heard that. I guess it makes sense, though.

[@bereantrb]

As a general rule, yes, since in some editors it can have a negative affect with other adjustments that come afterward. However, it wouldn't be an issue for darktable because of the fixed order of darktable's pixelpipe. No matter when you apply it in your workflow it is applied at the same place in the background process.

[@cosmo0080]

i also crop first

[@joaovtaveira]

Don't you use lens correction?! It is not on your favourites tab. Neither is any noise reduction module, I'm sure you use some of them.

[@audio2u]

Believe it or not... No, I don't. 😃 not on every image anyway. Those are modules that I'll switch to the groups to find when I need them. I still have things to learn!

[@samuelmetzger6364]

Hey there, I was looking for focus stacking in Darktable. All i found was a tutorial of a Plugin from Holger.... Do you know if it is possible to do Focus- stackin in Darktable? cheers

[@audio2u]

Not that I'm aware of, but I think they are working on something in the development channel right now. If that all goes to plan, it'll be a feature in 2.8 which will drop at Christmas 2019.

[@joaovtaveira]

34:35 that information was given by me.