The BEST WAY to approach your photo edits in darktable 4

Welcome to our essential guide on approaching image editing with darktable. This tutorial is designed to equip beginners and intermediate photographers with the knowledge to transform their images from good to great. By focusing on key elements such as exposure, contrast, saturation, cropping, and noise reduction, we delve into the methodology behind effective photo editing in darktable.
🚀 What You'll Discover:
Fundamental concepts of photo editing: Understand the importance of exposure, contrast, and saturation in your images.
Step-by-step guide to cropping and composition: Learn how to enhance the visual appeal of your photos through thoughtful framing.
Techniques for reducing noise: Keep your images crisp and clear, even in challenging lighting conditions.
Practical examples: Watch as we apply these techniques to real photos, demonstrating the dramatic transformations possible with darktable.
🔥 Why Watch This Video:
Editing photos can be daunting, especially with powerful software like darktable. This video simplifies the process, providing a clear framework for approaching any image you wish to edit. Whether you're new to photo editing or looking to refine your skills, this guide will help you understand the critical adjustments that make a difference.
🔔 Stay Updated!
Don't miss a moment of our creative odyssey! Stay tuned for our latest tutorials, pro tips, and artistic revelations in the realms of photography and editing. Hit subscribe and ring the notification bell to be the first to explore our upcoming adventures.
👍 Let's Connect:
Questions or creative sparks? Drop a comment below, and let's embark on this artistic journey together.
For exclusive peeks into our creative process and real-time updates, join us on social media:
🐦 Twitter: @ricoresolves
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👍 Support This Channel:
Like, comment, and share if you find these tutorials helpful. Check out our other photography playlists for more learning resources.
📝 Your Feedback:
Let us know in the comments which topics you'd like us to cover next. Share your darktable edits and experiences with us.
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Thank you for watching our guide on how to approach image editing in darktable. Your support inspires us to continue sharing valuable knowledge and techniques in photography. Keep experimenting with your photos, and stay tuned for more tutorials that will help you unlock the full potential of your images.
🔹 Tags:
#darktable #darktabletutorial #darktablevideos

[@andrejgrgic5978]

Great video. Thank you. I choose you as my FIRST go-to tutor for Darkroom.

[@RicoResolves]

Amazing Andrej! I would love to hear why I'm your preferred source! That way, I can learn from it and take it into consideration with next videos!

[@andrejgrgic5978]

I think that Darktable is a very potent and comprehensive RAW editing tool. The fact that it is so versatile, open source and free means a lot to me. It is not an easiest-to-use tool out there, but it packs a mighty punch. I watched many of your videos while in the process of choosing the right software for my RAF files. The fact that you made excellent "beginner" videos as well as the fact that you have many theme-focused videos is what turned my attention towards your channel. I have to be very focused during your videos (I have to process all of the information you deliver in a relatively short time) and I pause & rewind a lot, but the amount of information I get from your videos is vast. It is up to me to arrange and organise this information in order to create my own MO for using Darktable. The learning curve for Darktable is very steep, imho, but this will not discourage me from learning more. I know that making a good video takes a lot of time and effort and therefore I appreciate what you do and I wish you and your family all the best. Cheers from Croatia 👋🏻

[@RicoResolves]

Thank you so much for your insightful comment Andrej. Don't forget that you can always contact me on [e-mail] if you have questions that haven't been addressed on my channel yet!

[@MrDominosify]

Great video! I love the convention of quickly explaining whole process from start to end. While I know this is not everything that could be done here, for a intermediate beginner who knows something about darktable, these short remarks are enough for me to know what is going on, while seeing the end result quickly. Thank you!

[@RicoResolves]

Awesome to hear MrDominosify! Hope to have welcomed you as a (new) subscriber!

[@MrDominosify]

@@RicoResolves It is already done brother :)

[@emrg777]

One thing that you could have leverage in this image is the gray fulcrum in rgb colorbalance. This lets you set the pivot point for the contrast slider and really lets you dial in the contrast.. People using the module should first set both fulcrum sliders in the mask tab with the auto pickers so that the sliders hit the intended targets...

[@RicoResolves]

Luckily you're always around to say what could have gone better Todd!

[@emrg777]

Sorry I didn't mean it that way... but its a key feature of that module that many people are not aware of and its really the way to get the best result with it when modifying contrast. Your focus was on contrast restoration so I thought it was worth a mention.... One other comment... it may have been intentional but it could confuse people in that you were talking about denoising using the contrast equalizer module but you modified the contrast waveforms not the denoise waveform which you would drag up from the bottom... it may have been your approach to the edit but it might have been good to show that just to avoid confusion@@RicoResolves

[@chriskrook-magnuson4905]

Hi Rico, thanks for tackling the image. it is very helpful to see such a start to finish approach in DT! I definitely agree that the removal of the green cast is a big improvement! Chris

[@RicoResolves]

Thanks Chris, glad you liked it. I appreciate you sending me the photo and allowing me to work with it!

[@brianw6645]

I love these types of videos. I always learn a lot about how to use Darktable. What do you recommend for AI denoise tool/sharpening tool for exclusive Linux users?

[@RicoResolves]

Awesome Brian, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Topaz Denise AI works under Wine I believe. It's the best denoise tool. My friend Anthony Morganti makes videos on Topaz, check him out :)!

[@JarebMendez]

I couldnt see a difference after the denoise module honestly. Could be because I'm watching off my phone in 1080. Could you explain what changed/where? Also do you do more videos like this where you go start to finish on editing a photo and explaining the process?

[@RicoResolves]

@@JarebMendez most of my videos tell you the process. Unless you mean my actual thought process behind an edit. If that's what you mean, I can create another one for Sunday. If you have a specific photo you'd love my thought process on, then please mail it to [e-mail] and I'll feature it in the video (please give me a waiver to use it)

[@cosmo0080]

good job

[@RicoResolves]

Much appreciated Cosmo!

[@timatwater8247]

Good condensed lesson here, thanks.

[@RicoResolves]

Thank you!

[@barracuda976]

Great video. Once again

[@RicoResolves]

Thank you, I appreciate your ongoing support!

[@tccharleston8669]

Probably a "stupid" question: What is the purpose of the xmp files? Once I have edited my photo and exported it, do I delete the xmp file then? (I'm assuming the xmp file is there to save your editing process until you have completed your edit. Then it is discarded. ???) Thanks these videos. A lot of the modules are great. And it depends on the photo as to which is the most important in editing that photo. But so far the color calibration (rgb parade graph) adjustment to fix the white balance is my favorite and most useful. I always found it so hard to adjust the white balance in Lightroom.

[@RicoResolves]

The .xmp file stores your edits yes. You can delete them, but I always keep them. They hardly take up space and allow me to revisit previous edits without having to replicate it.

[@CharlesCooper-o7i]

I had one main question during the video. The green cast was removed. But, it seems to me that the woodpeckers were on the tree trunch, likely surrounded by a canopy of light green leaves. So, wouldn't there have been a green cast on the light reaching the tree trunk and birds?

[@CharlesCooper-o7i]

Trunk

[@RicoResolves]

Yes absolutely, but the whole idea is to get rid of that cast to make the image look better

[@gracekoscielna1044]

the video is great, although I am struggling with the basics. Pretty much when you say to take the notepad and write down all that is wrong... I don't even know with some of them what exactly is wrong besides it clearly is off. So great to see where things can be improved but probably I need to look for some basics on what this editing actually does.

[@RicoResolves]

Please write your questions that you have when editing here. If you do it now, I'll make a video on it tomorrow and will upload it on Sunday. Let me know what you need help with and I will address it!

[@johnq.public2621]

😃👍👏👏👏

[@JulesMoyaert_photo]

👍

[@RicoResolves]

Thanks for commenting Jules!

[@tomwd.2825]

I am sorry, but serious editing starts with white balance not ends with it. You should redo all the steps after applying it because it influences all the steps done before. Just look at the contrast after doing it... left side of the blurry green is almost invisible after WB. A little pro tip, ad some vignette after finishing edit... makes the birds pop more... a litte warmth after neutralizing WB is helping also...

[@wendysburgers4326]

Bro clipping whites to match jpeg

[@RicoResolves]

I like to live dangerously

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

The first hint for beginners should be - consider RAW photos!

[@RicoResolves]

True, but in the era where most people shoot with their phone... I might need to do more jpg photos lol. To tell people how to extract the maximum from it

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

@@RicoResolves But Rico, editing jpgs in Darktable is like mixing good whisky with coke.

[@RicoResolves]

If it gives you that buzz that you're searching for, it should matter haha!

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

@@RicoResolves Oh, sorry, what a blunder - I actually meant a variant of Coca-Cola - I'll change it to: '.. like mixing good Whisky with Chocomilk' - i.e. it's a waste of good whisky - an act of blasphemy. Or more simply put - if your are an average phone shooter then a matching Google editor would do ;O) Most people struggle with learning Darktable to create excellent raw images, because Darktable primarily is for raw editing. But I get it, Rico, you don't want to reject a jpg from a supporter, and neither would I (even if I had one).