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Darktable Made Easy for Beginners | GIMP RAW Editing

Chris Parker

Darktable Made Easy For Beginners.  

This darktable class was created for darktable beginners. Discover how to edit photos like a pro, including how to re-touch, use masks, fix "multi-light" white balance issues, and more.

This class will get you started with editing your RAW files in darktable & GIMP. Everything from importing to organizing and exporting.

Oh, and we can’t forget about the dozen+ editing tools you’ll use on a regular basis to achieve your creative vision.

Plus, you’ll learn how to retouch directly in darktable. And how to use the most powerful tool in all of darktable… Masks.

Read more

Darktable Made Easy For Beginners.  

This darktable class was created for darktable beginners. Discover how to edit photos like a pro, including how to re-touch, use masks, fix "multi-light" white balance issues, and more.

This class will get you started with editing your RAW files in darktable & GIMP. Everything from importing to organizing and exporting.

Oh, and we can’t forget about the dozen+ editing tools you’ll use on a regular basis to achieve your creative vision.

Plus, you’ll learn how to retouch directly in darktable. And how to use the most powerful tool in all of darktable… Masks.

How to install darktable...

First, you’ll start off by learning how to install darktable… it’s quick and easy.

Quick start guide

Next, you’ll discover four essential skills all darktable users want to know:

  • How to import your photos

  • Quick editing tips

  • How to export your photos

  • How to edit your RAW files with GIMP

Discover the lighttable view

Next, you’ll discover how to work with your photos in darktable…

  • Discover the lighttable view interface

  • How to organize your photos

Discover how to edit your photos in darkroom

You’ll learn the 12+ most used tools in darkroom for editing your photos. Plus, advanced tools for retouching your photos are included. Oh, and you’ll discover the most powerful tool in darkroom; Masks.

  • Learn where editing starts

  • Learn how darkroom creates an editing challenge and how to overcome

  • Learn about the Histogram + Tonal Ranges

  • How to fix lens distortion

  • Make quick basic edit adjustments

  • How to fix the white balance

  • How to crop, straighten, + rotate your images

  • How to add contrast to your photos

  • How to recover details in your highlights and shadows

  • How to use Masks for precise edits

  • How to retouch your photos in darkroom

  • How to remove digital noise

  • How to sharpen your photos

  • How to add a vignette

  • How to create presets + styles

  • How to batch edit your photos

  • How to create a watermark

Editing challenges...

You’ll now see everything put together as I share how I edit images from start to finish.

  • Butterfly Transformation

  • Portrait Retouching

  • "Multi-Light" White Balance Challenge

  • Epic Yosemite Edit

If you're ready to cut the Adobe cord and their monthly subscription sign-up and I'll see you in the inside.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • How to edit in darktable
  • How to organize your images with the lighttable view
  • How to import your photos
  • How to export high-quality images to share with the world... web and print
  • How to color correct your images
  • How to sharpen your images
  • How to use the tone curve to add contrast
  • How to edit your raw files with gimp
  • How to add a vignette
  • How to create presets + styles
  • How to retouch in darkroom
  • How to use masks!
  • How i approach editing in darktable with 4 real-world editing challenges... start to finish!
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Start Here
Class Resources + How To Get the Most Out of This Class
Elevate Your Photography Skills
Quick Start Guide
Read more
Install + Overview of Darktable
How To Import Your Photos
Quick Edit
How To Export Your Photos
Edit RAW Files in GIMP
lighttable
Discover the Interface
How To Organize Your Photos
darkroom
darktable 3.8 Updates
Where does editing start?
First Editing Challenge
Discover the Histogram + Tonal Ranges
Fix Lens Distortion
UPDATE
Basic Edit Adjustments
Fix White Balance
How To Crop + Rotate
How To Create Contrast
How To Recover Highlight + Shadow Details
How To Edit With Masks
How To Retouch Your Photos
How To Remove Digital Noise
How To Sharpen Your Images
How To Add a Vignette
How To Create Presets + Styles
How To Batch Edit
How To Add a Watermark
Editing Challenges
Butterfly Transformation
Portrait Retouching
"Multi-Light" White Balance Challenge
Epic Yosemite Edit
Extra Project
Bonus Project
Retro Effect
Bonus
Bonus Lecture

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Darktable Made Easy for Beginners | GIMP RAW Editing with these activities:
Review Basic Photography Concepts
Reinforce your understanding of fundamental photography concepts to better grasp the editing techniques taught in the course.
Browse courses on Aperture
Show steps
  • Review the exposure triangle.
  • Practice adjusting aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
  • Study composition techniques.
Read 'Understanding Exposure' by Bryan Peterson
Gain a deeper understanding of exposure to improve your editing skills in Darktable.
View Understanding Street Photography: An... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book cover to cover.
  • Practice the techniques described in the book.
Practice RAW Image Editing
Enhance your proficiency in RAW image editing to effectively utilize Darktable's features.
Show steps
  • Download RAW images from online sources.
  • Edit the images using Darktable, focusing on different tools.
  • Compare your edits with professional examples.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create a Before-and-After Editing Showcase
Solidify your understanding of Darktable by showcasing your editing skills and demonstrating the impact of your adjustments.
Show steps
  • Select several RAW images to edit.
  • Edit each image in Darktable.
  • Create a side-by-side comparison of the before and after images.
  • Share your showcase on social media or a photography forum.
Explore Advanced Darktable Tutorials
Refine your Darktable skills by learning advanced techniques from experienced users.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on specific Darktable tools or techniques.
  • Follow the tutorials step-by-step.
  • Apply the learned techniques to your own images.
Read 'The Image Editing Handbook' by Tim Grey
Expand your knowledge of image editing principles to enhance your Darktable workflow.
View Playlist of the Damned on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book cover to cover.
  • Apply the techniques described in the book to your Darktable edits.
Create a Darktable Preset Pack
Deepen your understanding of Darktable by creating and sharing your own custom presets.
Show steps
  • Experiment with different Darktable settings to create unique looks.
  • Save your settings as presets.
  • Organize your presets into a pack.
  • Share your preset pack with the Darktable community.

Career center

Learners who complete Darktable Made Easy for Beginners | GIMP RAW Editing will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Image Retoucher
An Image Retoucher specializes in enhancing and manipulating images to improve their overall appearance. This course is an excellent tool for aspiring Image Retouchers as it covers essential techniques. Image Retouchers require proficiency in retouching, masking, and color correction to address imperfections and enhance the beauty of images. The course’s comprehensive modules, including noise removal and the use of masks, provide a strong foundation for professional image retouching. Any serious image retoucher should consider this course.
See salaries and explore the career path for Image Retoucher
Photo Editor
A Photo Editor enhances and manipulates images to meet specific requirements for publications, advertising, or personal use. Aspiring Photo Editors learn to correct imperfections and enhance the overall quality of images. This course helps photo editors develop a strong understanding of editing tools and techniques, including retouching, masking, and color correction. The sections on fixing white balance, recovering highlight and shadow details, and removing digital noise help photo editors to refine images. Taking this course helps develop the skills needed to deliver professional quality photos.
See salaries and explore the career path for Photo Editor
Freelance Editor
A Freelance Editor works on a contract basis to edit various types of content. This course helps freelance editors refine their skills in photo editing. Freelance Editors benefit from knowing techniques in retouching, masking, and color correction to meet client expectations. The modules on lens distortion, white balance correction, and sharpening help freelance editors deliver high quality work. This course provides the skills needed to deliver professional quality images.
See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Editor
Fine Art Photographer
A Fine Art Photographer creates photographs as works of art, often exhibited in galleries or sold to collectors. This course is helpful to Fine Art Photographers. Fine Art Photographers require mastery of post processing techniques to realize their artistic vision. The course teaches photographers how to import, organize, and export photos. It guides professionals towards retouching, masking, and color correction, allowing them to express their unique artistic style. The course provides the skills to make truly artistic photographs.
See salaries and explore the career path for Fine Art Photographer
Photographer
A Photographer captures images for a variety of purposes, from artistic expression to commercial projects. This course helps build skills essential for photographers who want to refine their post processing workflow. Photographers learn how to import, organize, and export photos, crucial for managing large volumes of images. The course’s comprehensive coverage of editing tools, including retouching, masks, and color correction, allows photographers to enhance their images to meet professional standards. Specifically, photographers who take this course may be attracted to the modules on fixing lens distortion, correcting white balance, and sharpening.
See salaries and explore the career path for Photographer
Digital Artist
A Digital Artist creates art using digital tools and software. This course helps digital artists fine-tune their skills in image manipulation and enhancement. Digital Artists require proficiency in tools for retouching, masking, and color correction to bring their creative visions to life. The course’s focus on editing RAW files with GIMP and using Darktable’s editing tools provides artists with a solid foundation for producing high quality digital art. A digital artist may find the section on creating presets and styles to be especially useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Artist
Content Creator
A Content Creator produces engaging material for online platforms. This course helps content creators elevate the visual quality of their work. Content creators can use the skills learned in this course to enhance their images, making them more appealing to their audience. The course’s emphasis on retouching, masking, and color correction helps content creators to create visually consistent and polished content. The ability to quickly edit and export high quality images will improve a content creator's workflow.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Social Media Manager
A Social Media Manager oversees a company's online presence. This course helps Social Media Managers improve the visual content they share on social media platforms. Social Media Managers can use the skills learned to enhance their images, making them more engaging for their audience. The course’s emphasis on retouching, masking, and color correction, helps Social Media Managers to maintain a consistent and professional brand image. Modules on batch editing can especially boost efficiency.
See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Manager
Graphic designer
A Graphic Designer creates visual concepts for various media. This course may be useful to Graphic Designers in creating visually appealing images. The course’s modules on color correction, adding contrast, and creating vignettes provide graphic designers with tools to enhance the visual impact of their designs. The ability to batch edit photos and create watermarks is essential for graphic designers who manage large projects. A graphic designer may benefit from the course content on retouching and the use of masks.
See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer
Marketing Specialist
A Marketing Specialist develops and implements marketing campaigns. This course helps marketing specialists enhance the visual appeal of their marketing materials. Marketing Specialists who understand image editing can create more effective and visually compelling campaigns. The course’s focus on editing tools, including retouching, masks, and color correction, provides marketing specialists with the skills to enhance their images. Skills taught in this course help deliver high quality marketing content.
See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Specialist
Web Designer
A Web Designer plans, creates, and codes internet sites and webpages. This course helps web designers optimize images for online use. The course covers essential skills such as importing, organizing, and exporting photos. Web designers can benefit from the knowledge of image retouching, noise removal, and sharpening. The course helps web designers ensure that the images they use on websites are visually appealing and optimized for fast loading times. The course will improve the appearance of a web designer's digital products.
See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer
Multimedia Artist
A Multimedia Artist creates animations and visual effects for various media. This course may be useful to multimedia artists as it provides skills in image enhancement and manipulation. The course covers retouching, masking, and color correction. These tools are essential for multimedia artists to create visually stunning animations and effects. Multimedia artists may find the modules on fixing lens distortion, correcting white balance, and sharpening to be particularly useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist
Studio Assistant
A Studio Assistant provides support to photographers and other creative professionals in a studio setting. This course helps studio assistants develop skills in photo editing and organization. Studio Assistants can use the skills learned in this course to assist with post processing tasks. The course’s emphasis on importing, organizing, and exporting photos may be useful for managing photo shoots. The modules on basic edit adjustments and creating presets also help assistants to streamline their workflow.
See salaries and explore the career path for Studio Assistant
Archival Assistant
An Archival Assistant supports digital marketing teams by archiving and preserving historical records. This course may be useful to archival assistants who want to preserve historical photographs. This course teaches the tools and techniques to repair old or damaged photos. Archival Assistants can use the skills learned to enhance images, and preserve historical objects. The course’s emphasis on retouching, masking, and color correction, helps transform old photos into new ones.
See salaries and explore the career path for Archival Assistant
Digital Marketing Assistant
A Digital Marketing Assistant supports digital marketing teams by creating and managing content. The course’s coverage of image editing techniques provides digital marketing assistants with the ability to create visually appealing and effective marketing materials. Digital Marketing Assistants can use the skills learned to enhance images, making them more engaging for their audience. The course’s emphasis on retouching, masking, and color correction, helps digital marketing assistants to maintain a professional brand image.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Assistant

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Darktable Made Easy for Beginners | GIMP RAW Editing.
Cover image
Understanding Street Photography
Save
Provides a comprehensive guide to understanding exposure in photography. It explains the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO in a clear and accessible manner. It is particularly useful for beginners who want to master the fundamentals of photography before diving into advanced editing techniques. This book is commonly used as a textbook at academic institutions.
Understanding Street Photography: An Introduction...
Paperback
$$
Understanding Street Photography: An Introduction...
Kindle Edition
$$
Cover image
Playlist of the Damned
Save
Provides a comprehensive overview of image editing techniques applicable to various software, including Darktable and GIMP. It covers topics such as color correction, sharpening, noise reduction, and retouching. While not specific to Darktable, it offers valuable insights into the principles of image editing. This book is more valuable as additional reading than it is as a current reference.
Playlist of the Damned
Paperback
Check
Playlist of the Damned
Kindle Edition
Check

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Effort
4.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Chris Parker
Language
English
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