How can I create a turquoise/teal color grade in darktable similar to Lightroom?
Asked 8/6/2018
2 views
2 answers
0
I'm trying to reproduce a turquoise/teal look in darktable that I normally build in Lightroom with Camera Calibration and HSL adjustments. In darktable, using Color Zones to push blue toward turquoise tends to make the image look greenish instead of giving the cleaner teal tone I want.
What darktable modules or workflow can create a similar effect, especially for blue tones in a night scene? If possible, I'd also like to apply the effect selectively so skin tones or subjects aren't affected too much.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
3
A quick way to do it, which does not create the exact same result, but it's turquoise alright, is to use the color correction module and move both the white and the black dot to turquoise.
The colorize module with a blending mode of overlay also produces a similar effect (here I didn't add the drawn mask to exclude the subject, you'll have to do that yourself)
The closest I came to emulate your photo is this, which uses Colorize with Lab Color overlay and two drawn masks (This does not let the blue lights pass, only the red ones (see the mask values). It doesn't apply to very black colors either (not shown)
Originally by user46659. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user46659
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—Color Zones isn’t your only option in darktable, and for this look it may not be the best one by itself.
From the shared examples, the most useful modules are:
- color correction: move the white and black color points toward turquoise/teal; increasing saturation helps push the overall grade.
- colorize: apply a turquoise color with a blending mode such as overlay or Lab color overlay for a stronger stylized look.
- channel mixer: reduce or rebalance green/blue channels to better match the background highlight color you want.
- tone curves / zone system: refine luminosity so darker areas and reflections keep the look without becoming muddy.
If Color Zones turns blue into an unpleasant green, use it more gently or combine it with the modules above instead of relying on it alone.
For a more natural result, apply the grade selectively with drawn masks so the effect mainly targets the background or certain lights while protecting skin tones and your subject.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
What is the Darktable equivalent of Lightroom’s HSL panel?
How can I apply Lightroom’s blue luminance adjustment only to the sky?
How can you get turquoise water and warm sand tones like this beach photo?
How can I create a soft, blue/turquoise portrait look in Photoshop or in-camera?
What is the orange-and-blue look, and how can I recreate it in GIMP?