It doesn’t matter if we are talking about open source or commercial products. User experience and intuitive interfaces are the key features for any software, at least to me. Instead of taking days to understand the program, most of its basic functions were clear at first sight. The histogram and buttons work well, but they need an update in my opinion. I have the feeling that wherever I shifted one slider in Lightroom, I need to shift three sliders in Darktable: make an adjustment, counterbalance it, and soften the effect. Still, there are far too many panels and sliders. Once you find a suitable workflow, however, this program will help you gain full control of your image. There is simply too much going on in the software - too much to discover, too much to consider. Still, I found the program really hard to understand.

Of course, a few sessions of editing with Darktable couldn’t replace my years of experience with Adobe. With little or no expectations, my first impression still was disappointing. But as I wanted to write a fair review of the program, I had to be patient. In the beginning, it was really hard to deal with new concepts of editing and to not have all those shortcuts which are written deeply into my muscle memory. I really like the path tools in Darktable.ĭarktable was the first software I used after a decade of experience with Adobe. Downloadsĭownload the latest version of GIMP 2.Great design and full control. This is a great photo editing tutorial for beginners wanting to learn the GIMP basics. I use a combination of the curves tool and layer masks to create this result. Rather than using the Dodge/Burn tool, I show you an alternative method that takes less time and can even be more flexible or non-destructive. In this GIMP 2.10 tutorial, I show you a simple method for using dodge and burn in your photos.

Darktable dodge and burn