darktable ep 063 - The Lowlight Vision module

[@jdandcoke]

Do feel these are the better darktable tutorials on KZbin.

[@audio2u]

Thanks Paul, much appreciated! 😃

[@paulskillen2158]

G'day Bruce and greetings from sunny Perth. I am a refugee from Adobe and also another raw editor that I paid $150 for that is useless, I downloaded darktable opened it up, screamed and ran and his behind the sofa. I then discovered your videos and have been binge watching them. You are without doubt one of the clearest, most easy to understand tutors of there. Even my missus loves listening and says how clear you are. I've subscribed, I'm playing with my favourite images and getting amazing results. I love how darktable gives you at least half a dozen options of ways to make each adjustment in various modules. Thanks for taking the time to put these videos together.

[@audio2u]

Thanks mate! I'm a sandgroper, too!

[@tommyes3591]

I am working with darktable for years and still are always discovering new things. Really appreciate your input. Keep going!

[@audio2u]

Thanks!

[@ilyakruchinin7618]

Mate, your videos are the best tutorials on Darktable I could find! Keep doing the great job! 👍

[@audio2u]

Thanks!

[@thingsiplay]

I never knew how useful and good the results with this module could be. Thank you for this little showcase.

[@audio2u]

Any time!

[@charleshacker765]

Thanks Bruce. Very creative way to illustrate the use for this unusual module. I now realize I could be using it also.

[@audio2u]

Yeah, for me, this is a real "sleeper" module! I did not realize, until I actually read the documentation, what it was trying to achieve. Now that I get it, I love it!

[@debpreetmukherjee7998]

Sir keep on uploading. I came up with darktable as a free alternative of Lightroom to use. But It was very tough to use even a single module in that software. But thanks to you and your videos. Great help sir 🙏.

[@audio2u]

You're most welcome!

[@davidknowles5519]

Like you I have used it pure,y for night shots or indoor shots with low light. Cheers

[@audio2u]

Oh well, at least I'm not the only one! 😃

[@timoteiafanasie4894]

Thank you very much!

[@audio2u]

No worries!

[@fotografie-joerglang]

As always a very good video. Thanks a lot for this.

[@audio2u]

My pleasure.

[@GM-el2zb]

Thank you for another piece of photographic enlightment. I even didn't know that such a module exists.

[@audio2u]

No worries! 😃

[@raziel7997]

Good tutorial. I'm here for the first time, but for sure not last. :)

[@audio2u]

Thanks!

[@jackdeangelis6585]

Good one Bruce. I've not used this module before but like you can now see some uses for it. I just tried it on some Milky Way images and it added an interesting effect. Thanks.

[@audio2u]

Would love to see the results!

[@jackdeangelis6585]

@@audio2u I'll post something on 500px and send you a link.

[@jackdeangelis6585]

@@audio2u I spent some time with Lowlight and I'm less enthusiastic than I was before. I've noticed some odd behavior (I'm still using version 2.6.2 so perhaps these have been changed). For one, if you lower a point along the dark-bright axis to the bottom it sticks there and you can't move it off the bottom unless you reset the module, seems strange. Second, if you lower the point on the left (darkest) toward the bottom you'll begin to invert the darkest tones, sort of like the old "solarization" in b&w printing. Again, very odd. Finally I was able to achieve almost the exact same effects with the split-toning module but with more control. Anyway I think I may put this module on the back burner for now. Here are my Milky Way images at 500px if you're interested 500px.com/calyphoto. BTW, are you a member of 500px? I searched on your name and a portrait of you came up that someone else took!

[@audio2u]

Yep, confirmed. Dragging darkest node to bottom makes it stick to the bottom left hand corner. Love your images! And yep, the portrait of me was shot by Doug (same photo sitting as my current profile pic).

[@cosmo0080]

that was more interesting than i thought it would be

[@audio2u]

Bwahaha!

[@cosmo0080]

@@audio2u i am not saying your boring

[@audio2u]

Hahaha! You're entitled to, if you want! :)

[@abuasabu]

Very conductive! As always!

[@audio2u]

Conductive? I hope you didn't get an electric shock! 😃

[@abuasabu]

@@audio2u The funny ways of using google translate, and believing it is true... :) I think the appropriate word I was trying to express is "instructive". Thank you, anyway! :)

[@silicoid]

So basically it does something very similar to filmic. The difference I see is that with filmic you have a "must" de-saturation of your bright and dark areas. Where here you have a bit more of a direct control over it and can leave your highlights saturated. Plus you can add the blue. I wonder how this module would work for e.g. a bright desert shot. You would only de-saturate highlights. Basically the opposite of low light.

[@audio2u]

If you try it out, post the results in the FB group! 😃 I'd be keen to see what you come up with.

[@drone360productions7]

Hi Bruce - thanks for the videos!! Another comment for you on the font size in 3.0.2 - seems the handling has changed AGAIN. The fonts are too BIG again. What I did: Location: C:\Program Files\darktable\share\darktable\themes (new location to change) File: darktable.css (for the default theme) Go to: Line 163 (font-size: 1em;) Change: 1em to .99 (previously changed to .85 - now is WAY to small) It appears Darktable is no longer looking to C:\Users\XX\AppData\Local\darktable for the .css

[@audio2u]

Thanks for the tip!

[@joaovtaveira]

8:37 what if you push the slider all way to the right? It gets reeeeeeeeeeally blue.

[@audio2u]

You're a mad man! I take no responsibility for any harm you do to yourself! :)

[@wido123123]

Oh, this is a very nice way to use the module. Like you, I haven't use this module because whenver I tried it the result was...unappealing. But in those night shots looks soo good. An extra question, I see you're using the local contrast, which I've 'replaced' with the contrast equalizer (after watching your episode). Is there a reason why you choose one over the other ?

[@audio2u]

I often feel like raw files need some contrast just in the mid tones, and the local contrast module does just that...boosts the upper mids, drops the lower mids, but leaves the black point and the white point where they are.

[@audio2u]

Just realised I didn't really answer the question of why...It's quicker and easier! 😃