u/ExquisiteLeap

As a beginner, the number of modules in darktable are overwhelming. What are some of the most/must use modules when editing a photo?

Please also tell about modules that are no longer recommended, because they were replaced by something better.

What modules are interchangeable?

I want to start in a minimal manner, preferably concentrate on a single digit number of modules to achieve the edits, later expanding my tool kit as I gain experience.

The problems I face are the huge number of ways in tweaking something. I also hear that some modules are to be avoided like White Balance, Sigmoid, for better alternatives. Most of the tutorials and AI answers I find seem to contain outdated information.

Edit:

Thank you all for contributing with your workflows.

Based on the discussion in this thread, I have categorized the modules:

Most used (almost by everyone):

1. Exposure
2. Color calibration (while leaving the White Balance module to "as shot to reference"): Adjust white balance here
3. Tone mapping: People choose between AgX, Sigmoid, Filmic RGB (in order of popularity)
4. Tone equalizer
5. Color balance RGB
6. Lens correction (workflows split between doing at the beginning or end)
7. Crop, Rotate and Perspective (workflows split between doing at the beginning or end)

Used by a fair number of people:

1. Sharpening modules: People seem to acheive it with Demosaic Capture Sharpen, Diffuse and Sharpen, Sharpen
2. Contrast equalizer
3. Denoise (profiled)

Rare mentions:

1. LUT 3D
2. Retouch
3. Graduated density
4. Tone curve
5. Color equalizer
6. Chromatic aberrations
7. Haze removal
8. Dither
9. Local contrast

Hoping this will be good enough for beginners to take off.