Even if I started with Darktable and properly learned how to use it, I’d probably have switched to Adobe by now. I also like the idea of free and open software and would love to see how long it takes until I feel as comfortable using the “filmic RGB” module in Darktable as I do feel with the “basic” panel in Lightroom.īesides all the curiosity, the most important advantage of Adobe is its product line. Time is valuable and I rather spend it outside shooting than reading manuals. I’d rather like the artist in me playing around than I’d like my inner coder to engage in pixel peeping. Playing around and being able to develop new looks without thinking too much keeps me curious and creative. I want to reach a certain look by shifting a few sliders and I want it to happen quickly. Call me lazy or even call me a “millennial” (which happened to me in the comment section of one of my first articles here on Fstoppers), but I feel I don’t need to understand the complexity of Darktable to develop my photographs. What counts to me, though, is the result. Once you went through the whole Darktable rabbit hole, you might even start learning coding and engage with the wonderful community which brings the world a solid editing software for free. When you start learning the functions of Darktable from scratch on, you will really get to know how a digital photograph works.
More than 50 different modules go far beyond the few sliders which Lightroom has to offer. Yet, mastering Darktable will take some time and if you are not willing to go through a full manual, several tutorials, and ask questions to the community, you might get disappointed.ĭeveloping your basic workflow in Darktable, leaves you with almost endless possibilities, even though there are some recommended basics. I guess, once you mastered Darktable, you will have a good laugh about the simplicity of Lightroom. Still, I struggle with understanding Darktable.ĭoes that mean Darktable is not recommendable for beginners? It depends. I even have a good idea about advanced editing in Photoshop using frequency separation, high pass filters, and (rarely) luminosity masks. I understand how contrast and even "micro-contrast" works, and what’s the difference between curves and basic adjustments. I have been working with photographs for a while now and I’ve developed thousands of images in Lightroom. Yet, the topic is more complex, because Darktable is far from being a downgraded version of Lightroom.
Let’s face the truth: Only really ambitious hobbyists and professionals will be willing to pay hundreds of dollars for the services of Adobe. Ironically, one would assume that software that comes for free is the beginner’s best choice.
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