Darktable for Mac

Darktable for Mac is an open source photography workflow application and RAW developer. A virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers.

It manages your digital negatives in a database, lets you view them through a zoomable lighttable and enables you to develop raw images and enhance them.

Raw is the unprocessed capture straight from the camera's sensor to the memory card, nothing has been altered. There are multiple alternatives in the open source world for raw development (ufraw, dcraw, rawtherapee) but Darktable tries to fill the gap between the excellent existing free raw converters and image management tools (such as e.g. ufraw, rawstudio, f-spot, digikam, shotwell).

It focuses on the workflow to make it easier for the photographer to quickly handle the thousands of images a day of shooting can produce. It's also one of the very few FOSS projects able to do tethered shooting.

The internal architecture of the app allows users to easily add modules for all sorts of image processing, from the very simple (crop, exposure, spot removal) to the most advanced (simulation of human night vision).

The user interface is built around efficient caching of image metadata and mipmaps, all stored in a database. The main focus lies on user interaction, both in terms of a smooth interface design as well as processing speed. High quality output is also one of goals.

All editing is fully non-destructive and only operates on cached image buffers for display. The full image is only converted during export. Raw image loading is done using rawspeed, high-dynamic range and standard image formats such as jpeg are also supported.

The core operates completely on floating point values, so Darktable for macOS can not only be used for photography but also for scientifically acquired images or output of renderers (high dynamic range).

Features and Highlights

• Non-destructive editing preserves original images at all times.
• Processes RAW files using 4x32-bit float buffers for high precision.
• Fast performance via GPU acceleration and OpenCL support.
• Fully color-managed with ICC profiles for various RGB spaces.
• Cross-platform support: Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD, Solaris.
• Search and sort images using tags, ratings, labels, metadata.
• Supports standard, RAW, and HDR formats (JPEG, CR2, NEF, etc.).
• Smooth, zoomable UI thanks to smart multi-level caching.
• Tethered shooting with live view support for some cameras.
• Available in 12+ languages; check updates for latest list.
• Flexible export options: disk, web, email, Piwigo, HTML gallery.
• Export formats include JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PPM, EXR, and more.
• Uses XMP files and a database to store edits and metadata.
• Exif metadata managed via libexiv2 for reading/writing.
• Lua scripting enables task automation for advanced workflows.

How to Use

Open the app and import RAW or JPG photos to the library

Use the “Darkroom” mode to edit and enhance your images

Apply presets or manually adjust exposure, color, tone

Organize, tag, and rate your photos in the “Lighttable”

Export edited images in your preferred file format

Customize the interface and modules for workflow needs

System Requirements

• macOS 10.14 Mojave or later
• 64-bit Intel or Apple Silicon (Rosetta or native)
• Minimum 4 GB RAM (8+ GB recommended)
• OpenCL-compatible GPU for better performance
• At least 200 MB of free disk space

PROS

• Full-featured RAW photo editing
• Open-source and completely free
• Non-destructive editing workflow
• Advanced color correction tools
• Customizable and modular interface

CONS

• Slower performance on older Macs
• Interface can feel overwhelming
• Lacks AI-powered enhancements
• Occasional bugs or stability issues

Also Available: Download Darktable for Windows