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Color Grading in Darktable
This is a picture that I took in Big Sur, Ca, Follow me as I transform this image.
Color grading and color correction may seem like the same thing but there actually is one key difference. Grading is purely stylistic while correction is only adjusting colors to be neutral.
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For this tutorial I will be using Darktable which is a free, open source, photo editing software which can be downloaded here. If you have a preferred software that isn't Darktable (like Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity, etc). All the settings should still be available.
Pre Color Grading
The first thing that I did was reduce the sharpness of the photo. I felt that the rocks on the waterfall looked unnaturally thick. It should be noted that this should be a very slight adjustment that is typically not needed for color grading.
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On occasion I use the Graduated Density module to brighten or darken a specific side of the image. However, in this case I preferred the darker side of the mountain to be left as is.
Saturation / Vibrance
The next step is to add the "basic adjustments" module to your edit stack. If you don't know where to start with editing your work try out basic adjustments. All I changed is the saturation (and adversely the vibrance). I did this because I wanted the colors of the sunset to be a bit stronger. A good rule of thumb is to increase and decrease saturation and vibrance in opposite directions by the same amount.
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In this example, I did +0.24 saturation and -0.24 vibrance. I was happy with these results. Lastly make sure to keep these numbers low or else you will end up with a picture that mimics an Instagram filter.
Color Calibration
Color calibration is a tool that may go by different names depending on your software of choice. Color calibration is very powerful so make sure to keep adjustments. I only subtracted input green on red by -0.157. You shouldn't have to go above +/- 0.5 with this tool.
White / Black Relative Exposure
The last step I took on this image is to balance out the relative black and white exposures. This is also a very powerful tool so adjust it carefully. The adjustments default at +4.00EV and -8.00EV I found that these settings worked fine for my photo but you can mess around with them for whatever you feel is right for you.
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Conclusion
This is the final image that I came out with. I believe that anyone with a computer will able to recreate the steps I took in this tutorial. Go and give it a try with your pictures!
Lastly an additional trick you can use if your colors aren't looking right. Try adjusting the white balance. This essentially makes the image cooler or warmer and may quickly correct your colors.
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Unfamiliar with Darktable? Learn the basics here.