Post-process image with me and using DarkTable(Linux) #1

in photography •  6 years ago  (edited)

Hello guys. I decided to experiment and to try something new. I will try make posts where I will show you the way I post-processing my images and let's see what will happen. I will try to make them to looks like a tutorial.

Избрано_589.png
This is the appearence of the Darktable

For the purpose I will use Darktable. This is software for post-processing images on Linux OS. Yep, my operation system is Linux, so I will use this software. It is very similar to the Adobe Lightroom on Windows. Even, more of the setting wich I will use are available in almost all softwares of this kind.

For the first image for post-process I choosed the following one

DSC_1987_01.jpg

From the image you can see with simple eye that some of the light parts are so white that there is almost no information. Also some of the dark parts are too dark.

When you load image in the software , it looks like the following image

Избрано_590.png

The first thing I want to to is to fix the problems which I said on top - to fix very light and very dark parts of the image. Exactly below the image , there are three little icons which can help with that. They are shown on next images.

Избрано_591.png

Избрано_592.png

When you click on the first icon from left to right Избрано_593.png it shows to you all over/under exposed parts of the photo like on the following image.

Избрано_594.png

Now you can see what parts must be fixed. Both of the colors - blue and red must be gone. So I begin from exposure option which is located on the right menu. it is shown on the next photo.

Избрано_595.png

The exposure menu had a few options but from there I use more often black and exposure

Избрано_596.png

Now it is time to play a little with the settings. Mostly black and exposure. Now, with these new settings on the black and exposure there is no over and under exposed parts. The result is shown on the following image.

Избрано_597.png

Now I think the image looks like better. And can play a little with shadows and highlights which are located on the same menu like exposure but on top. (you can see from the previous image)

The shadows and highlights option had more settings and you can play with them to look how they reflect on your image. There is no magic formula here to define how exactly to be these settings. The key is just experimenting and to look for a under/over exposed places. You remember them are you ? :) If you go too far with some of the settings it is probably they to appear again.

It is cool in Darktable that when you double click on the arrow from some slider it will turn this settings on default value. So you can experiment bravely.

The result from playing with shadows and highlights is show on the next image. On the left you can see newest settings.

Избрано_598.png

After this I think the image looks much better from the version on the beginning. Now the last thing we can do is just to add a little more vibrance on the color.

Избрано_599.png

I make this slider on 41% . Now when I am happy with the result the only thing to do is just to export the image. You must click on the button lighttable on the top menu. It is shown on the next image.

Избрано_600.png

When you click on lighttable you will see the following window.

Избрано_601.png

From here you need for storage options located on the right menu.

Избрано_602.png

target storage is the path where to save your edited images. You can change it clicking on the folder icon Избрано_603.png

quality option I keep almost on 100% for the best quality, but for the purposes on this tutorial I make it on 50%.

And now if you ready , you only must click on the export button in the bottom and to wait a little until the software save your image.

Now you can see the difference. The first image is non-processed

DSC_1987_01.jpg

The processed image

DSC_1987.jpg

I believe you can see well the difference. Defintely the light on the final image is more soft, and there is no over/under exposed places.

I hope to be useful for you this tutorial. I give my best to explain my actions. Thank you for stopping by.

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thanks for this... I am still stuck with lightroom, but darktable finally seems to be a good to use product... I will give it a try

lightroom is still one of my reasons to boot up windows :(

One of the nice thing of darktable is that it is free. It looks like to lightroom and it have similar functionality. I don't remember if there is available verison for windows but you can easy google it. And yep you are right. For the same reason I keep my windows too...but recently I begin to get used with darktable. You have nothing to loose so if you want, you can give it a try.

I can lose time :D that's my fear
I just install it right now

Yes.. it has some risk but..in the end you can win more :) I hope to work fine for you. I use it also from soon.

will process some photos tonight :D

I hope to like it. But without a risk there is no win :)

@angelveselinov thank you