darktable 5.6 ships its first AI features: an AI object mask that turns a single click into a vector mask around any subject, and a neural restore module for ML-based denoise and upscale. Our focus was on building the foundation that loads and runs open computer-vision models locally on your CPU or GPU – so darktable can host AI tasks suitable for photography as the open model landscape evolves. This post is the hands-on tour: what each tool does, how to use it, and where it falls short.

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This is a beginner-friendly and simple workflow for developing photos in darktable 5.4 using some new tools made available in this version. The intent is not to go in-depth on any particular tool, but rather to show off how a small number of modules can be used to process an image quickly. This article can hopefully serve as a relatively non-technical introduction to darktable and a reliable starting framework for developing your own photos whether you’re new to RAW editing or an experienced photographer looking into using darktable.

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Users new to darktable who have experience with other raw developers may have trouble figuring out how to do various tasks as a result of different names or workflows in darktable compared to their previous software. The following entries are a quick reference to help you accomplish what you want to do.

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How do I…

run darktable in ‘simple’ or ‘beginner’ mode

The large number of processing modules and many different ways of accomplishing the same goal often leaves first-time users feeling overwhelmed. You can manage this feeling by not trying to use every single option right from the beginning, but focusing on a few key controls and slowly learning the rest as you discover that you need them.

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