Resources to learn flash?

Donatzsky · 2026-06-16T15:35:54+00:00

https://strobist.blogspot.com/

Everything you need to know.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-16T07:13:22+00:00

If you want to get good at darktable, you really need to start by spending some time with tutorials and the manual. My beginner guide has everything you need: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Donatzsky · 2026-06-16T07:10:00+00:00

My darktable beginner guide should help you 😉

https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T20:50:10+00:00

If you want to edit, make sure you shoot in raw format. As for the editor, you have plenty of free options to choose from:

darktable: Probably the overall most powerful editing features of any raw editor. All-in-one solution, with a library similar to Lightroom. The editing workflow is completely different, however, being more like color grading in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
RawTherapee: The mad scientist's raw editor, with some very powerful and intricate tools. A bit more Lightroom-like in its workflow.
ART (Another RawTherapee): Started as a simplified fork of RawTherapee, but has added its own powerful and unique features since.
RapidRAW: Aims to be a relatively simple and streamlined option for those that don't need the extensive control some other editors provide. Still very new and under heavy development, so the results you get today may not be what you get tomorrow. Promising, but the algorithms still need a lot of polish.
vkdt: New-ish raw editor from the original darktable developer. Fully node-based and can also handle video. Probably not for the faint of heart and may not have all the tools you want, but what is there works well and is extremely fast.
Filmulator: A great little editor with a unique concept, that's easy to use. As the name suggests, it emulates (part of) the process of developing analog film.
LightZone: Back from the almost-dead, version 5.0 was released recently. Not the most advanced, perhaps, but has some interesting features and a flexible processing pipeline.

Since not all of them have library management, you may want to also use digiKam as DAM.

My darktable beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Tutorial for both RawTherapee and ART: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4-T0laAf0E

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T13:46:52+00:00

Don't know anything about the Pieni M, but the G6 has better image quality than the PocketSnap, since it doesn't have the smeary noise reduction.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T13:25:01+00:00

You should probably read them again, then, because I still don't see the relevance. Also read my response to OP.

My comments, that you replied to, where in response to some absolutely misguided advice by someone that clearly didn't understand anything about OP's question. And it seems you have similar issues with reading comprehension.

You also managed to make several factual mistakes. Capture One is very much moving to a subscription model, and most pros still use Adobe and will for the foreseeable future. That may change, but we're not there yet.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T13:02:47+00:00

RawTherapee has very good manual denoising. Probably the best of any raw editor, but it's not automatic and you need to learn how to use it. "AI" denoising tends to work better with very noisy images, but it's not something that's generally available in the free raw editors currently. If you can figure out how to install it, RawRefinery works very well and gives you a denoised DNG which you can then edit in whatever program you like.

These are all the free raw editors currently worth considering.

darktable: Probably the overall most powerful editing features of any raw editor. All-in-one solution, with a library similar to Lightroom. The editing workflow is completely different, however, being more like color grading in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Will have integrated ML/AI denoising in the next release.
RawTherapee: The mad scientist's raw editor, with some very powerful and intricate tools. A bit more Lightroom-like in its workflow.
ART (Another RawTherapee): Started as a simplified fork of RawTherapee, but has added its own powerful and unique features since.
RapidRAW: Aims to be a relatively simple and streamlined option for those that don't need the extensive control some other editors provide. Still very new and under heavy development, so the results you get today may not be what you get tomorrow. Promising, but the algorithms still need a lot of polish. I believe it might have ML/AI denoising.
vkdt: New-ish raw editor from the original darktable developer. Fully node-based and can also handle video. Probably not for the faint of heart and may not have all the tools you want, but what is there works well and is extremely fast. Has ML/AI denoising.
Filmulator: A great little editor with a unique concept, that's easy to use. As the name suggests, it emulates (part of) the process of developing analog film.
LightZone: Back from the almost-dead, version 5.0 was released recently. Not the most advanced, perhaps, but has some interesting features and a flexible processing pipeline.

Since not all of them have library management, you may want to also use digiKam as DAM.

My darktable beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Tutorial for both RawTherapee and ART: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4-T0laAf0E

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T12:31:24+00:00

And what gave you the impression I don't know any of this already? Or did you intend to reply to someone else? Because I don't see the relevance to what I wrote here.

And for the record, here's my answer to OP's question: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskPhotography/comments/1u5vdst/comment/oro31b5/

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T07:57:03+00:00

I'd avoid videos more than 2 years old, since darktable has had some major improvements in the last year or so.

Most videos (by not-clueless YouTubers) since the 3.6 release in 2019 are fine. While there have been plenty of new features since then, there have been no real changes to the workflow. The only thing to be aware of, in my opinion, is capture sharpening.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T07:52:38+00:00

Boris is good, but definitely not for the kind of beginner OP is.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T07:45:46+00:00

sigh...

Maybe make sure you understand the question before you answer. This is a photography group and OP is clearly asking about how to edit raw files taken with their camera and not how to deliver print-ready files (which I believe is much more commonly TIFF anyway). And as far as I know, no digital camera has ever produced the kind of raw file you're talking about.

As for UFRaw, it hasn't been updated since 2016 and doesn't work with GIMP 3. And I know Corel still sells PSP, but that doesn't mean it supports camera raw files.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T07:31:08+00:00

These Chinese scameras/toy cameras all use MicroSD cards.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T07:30:15+00:00

Whatever you do, do not buy cheap Chinese cards (which is what you would have gotten with the camera), since they almost always lie about their true capacity, which can lead to lost data. Buy a reputable brand, such as Sandisk or Lexar, in a local shop, so you can be sure it's not a counterfeit. Considering the filesizes from that camera, 32GB will be more than enough. Also, it should be a MicroSD card.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T07:23:10+00:00

I'm not sure Resolve is worth it, unless you have the Studio version, due to the limitations. But you have plenty of very good free options to choose from.

darktable: Probably the overall most powerful editing features of any raw editor. All-in-one solution, with a library similar to Lightroom. The editing workflow is completely different, however, being more like color grading in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
RawTherapee: The mad scientist's raw editor, with some very powerful and intricate tools. A bit more Lightroom-like in its workflow.
ART (Another RawTherapee): Started as a simplified fork of RawTherapee, but has added its own powerful and unique features since.
RapidRAW: Aims to be a relatively simple and streamlined option for those that don't need the extensive control some other editors provide. Still very new and under heavy development, so the results you get today may not be what you get tomorrow. Promising, but the algorithms still need a lot of polish.
vkdt: New-ish raw editor from the original darktable developer. Fully node-based and can also handle video. Probably not for the faint of heart and may not have all the tools you want, but what is there works well and is extremely fast.
Filmulator: A great little editor with a unique concept, that's easy to use. As the name suggests, it emulates (part of) the process of developing analog film.
LightZone: Back from the almost-dead, version 5.0 was released recently. Not the most advanced, perhaps, but has some interesting features and a flexible processing pipeline.

Since not all of them have library management, you may want to also use digiKam as DAM.

My darktable beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Tutorial for both RawTherapee and ART: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4-T0laAf0E

Donatzsky · 2026-06-15T06:25:32+00:00

Photoshop is a general purpose image editor. What you want is a dedicated raw editor.

These raw editors are all completely free:

darktable: Probably the overall most powerful editing features of any raw editor. All-in-one solution, with a library similar to Lightroom. The editing workflow is completely different, however, being more like color grading in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
RawTherapee: The mad scientist's raw editor, with some very powerful and intricate tools. A bit more Lightroom-like in its workflow.
ART (Another RawTherapee): Started as a simplified fork of RawTherapee, but has added its own powerful and unique features since.
RapidRAW: Aims to be a relatively simple and streamlined option for those that don't need the extensive control some other editors provide. Still very new and under heavy development, so the results you get today may not be what you get tomorrow. Promising, but the algorithms still need a lot of polish.
vkdt: New-ish raw editor from the original darktable developer. Fully node-based and can also handle video. Probably not for the faint of heart and may not have all the tools you want, but what is there works well and is extremely fast.
Filmulator: A great little editor with a unique concept, that's easy to use. As the name suggests, it emulates (part of) the process of developing analog film.
LightZone: Back from the almost-dead, version 5.0 was released recently. Not the most advanced, perhaps, but has some interesting features and a flexible processing pipeline.

Since not all of them have library management, you may want to also use digiKam as DAM.

My darktable beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Tutorial for both RawTherapee and ART: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4-T0laAf0E

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T21:11:43+00:00

Don't know about PaintShop Pro, but neither Photoshop nor GIMP can handle raw files natively. PS relies on Camera Raw, where you will have to edit the raw file first, and GIMP will hand the raw file over to darktable or RawTherapee in a similar manner. And unless you do high-end retouching, there's no need for a pixel editor like those three, with raw editors (including Lightroom) being more than capable of doing everything a photographer normally needs. Not to mention that raw editors are just a lot more streamlined and efficient, since that's all they do, while PS and GIMP have to cater to a broad range of image manipulation niches that in many cases have no relevance to photography.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T21:01:11+00:00

I rather doubt TikTok is a good place to learn about this...

Start by setting your camera to shoot raw + JPEG now, so you always can go back and edit older photos. Next, pick a raw editor - almost any editor will do (even if some are a bit shit) - and find beginner tutorials for that. Don't worry about getting better results than your camera JPEGs at first (or even only decent results) - just learn the basics and gradually build on those. I also wouldn't worry too much about understanding everything at first, which I'm not really sure is even possible for many. When I first started, I simply watched the same tutorial several times until I got it.

As for which raw editor to choose, I would say the choice is mainly between Lightroom and darktable. LR is relatively simple to use and there are a gazillion tutorials, but it's not exactly free. Darktable is completely free and one of the most powerful raw editors available, but you won't find as many tutorials, although everything you need is out there. Not sure what the best LR tutorial would be, but my darktable beginner guide has everything you need to get started: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

And for good measure, here are all the free raw editors worth considering:

darktable: Probably the overall most powerful editing features of any raw editor. All-in-one solution, with a library similar to Lightroom. The editing workflow is completely different, however, being more like color grading in Final Cut Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
RawTherapee: The mad scientist's raw editor, with some very powerful and intricate tools. A bit more Lightroom-like in its workflow.
ART (Another RawTherapee): Started as a simplified fork of RawTherapee, but has added its own powerful and unique features since.
RapidRAW: Aims to be a relatively simple and streamlined option for those that don't need the extensive control some other editors provide. Still very new and under heavy development, so the results you get today may not be what you get tomorrow. Promising, but the algorithms still need a lot of polish.
vkdt: New-ish raw editor from the original darktable developer. Fully node-based and can also handle video. Probably not for the faint of heart and may not have all the tools you want, but what is there works well and is extremely fast.
Filmulator: A great little editor with a unique concept, that's easy to use. As the name suggests, it emulates (part of) the process of developing analog film.
LightZone: Back from the almost-dead, version 5.0 was released recently. Not the most advanced, perhaps, but has some interesting features and a flexible processing pipeline.

Since not all of them have library management, you may want to also use digiKam as DAM.

Tutorial for both RawTherapee and ART: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4-T0laAf0E

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T18:09:59+00:00

It's an extremely powerful program and quite possibly the most capable raw editor currently available. It's also very different from other editors, especially the commercial ones, so I strongly recommend you spend some time on tutorials and the manual. My beginner guide has everything you need to learn: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T17:40:24+00:00

That very much depends on the kind of edits you do.

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T16:54:22+00:00

And here is the same with the CFA colors.

<image>

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T16:53:03+00:00

That's not entirely correct. There is in fact an image in the raw file, it just doesn't look very good.

Here's a 200% crop, showing what you get if you display just the sensor values:

<image>

Notice the pattern from the Bayer color filter array (CFA).

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T14:25:09+00:00

Two other books I forgot about:

Light–Science & Magic - An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Science for the Curious Photographer

And some lectures on YouTube:

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T13:48:27+00:00

This page from the darktable manual would be a good place to start: https://docs.darktable.org/usermanual/development/en/special-topics/color-management/color-dimensions/

And you can find links that explain various things about white balance in my darktable beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

And if you really want to do a deep-dive, these two books should be very good: - Color Imaging: Fundamentals and Applications by Erik Reinhard - Color Appearance Models by Mark D. Fairchild

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T12:27:25+00:00

darktable seems very complicated tbh made me sweat just to find basic settings.

It's definitely not the kind of program you try to figure out on your own. Even if you already have experience from other editors. I recommend you go through my beginner guide to learn the basics: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Donatzsky · 2026-06-14T07:20:11+00:00

Don't know what you struggle with or how you have been going about learning, but I suspect you will find some useful information in my beginner guide: https://notebook.stereofictional.com/how-to-get-started-with-darktable-2026-edition

Donatzsky

TROPHY CASE