How to Use the New Photo Tab in DaVinci Resolve (Lightroom Alternative)

DaVinci Resolve’s latest beta added an amazing new feature, a dedicated Photo tab with the aim to compete with Lightroom. Davinci is primarily as a professional video editing and color grading tool, but it seems they are now stepping into photo editing territory as well, positioning itself as a serious alternative to Lightroom. Even better, the base version is free, with an optional one time purchase for the Studio version that unlocks a ton of extra features. So in this guide we going to have a quick look at the new Photo Tab in Davinci Resolve.

How to Use the New Photo Tab in DaVinci Resolve (Lightroom Alternative)

When you first open DaVinci Resolve, the interface usually feels overwhelming. It is built with video editors in mind, so most of the panels are not really relevant for photographers. So the key area to focus on is the new Photo tab located at the bottom of the workspace. Keep in mind this is the very first version of this tool so there might be some bugs but it's a great step at getting away from Adobe!

How to Import Photos into Davinci Resolve

Start by importing your images into DaVinci Resolve.

• The simplest method is to drag and drop your files directly into the Media Pool.

• Click on an image to preview it.
• View metadata and file information on the right side panel.
• Select multiple images and drag them into the strip at the bottom.
• This strip functions like a filmstrip or album for organizing your shoot.

Once your images are imported, focus on setting up a clean workspace so you can edit efficiently.

• Collapse the Media Pool panel to reduce clutter.
• Hide or minimize the album strip if you need more screen space.
• Keep only the main image preview visible for a Lightroom-like layout.

From here, you can start editing. It is best to start with the raw controls before moving into more advanced adjustments. Think of it like Camera Raw.

Editing RAW Images in Davinci Resolve

• Set decode quality to full resolution for the best preview quality.
• Adjust white balance using presets or manual controls like temperature and tint.
• Choose a working color space, Adobe RGB is recommended for photography.
• Use exposure, highlights, and shadows to balance overall brightness.
• Watch the histogram to avoid clipping in highlights or shadows.
• Use additional scopes if needed, such as parade, waveform, or vectorscope, but the histogram is usually enough.

Next, refine your image using the main tonal and color sliders. Many of these are similar to Lightroom but named differently.

• Color Boost works similarly to vibrance, increasing color without oversaturating skin tones.
• Lift controls the black point and deep shadows.
• Gain adjusts highlights and brighter areas.
• Midtone Detail enhances midrange contrast similar to clarity.
• Use these tools together to build a strong base edit before detailed grading.

The Photo tab also includes transformation tools for composition adjustments.

• Use crop tools to refine framing.
• Adjust zoom and position for better composition control.
• Use sliders or open the crop tool from the menu for more precise control.
• Apply source looks if you want quick preset based styles, or ignore them for full manual editing.

Once your base edit is complete, move into more advanced grading in the Color tab. This is where DaVinci Resolve becomes significantly more powerful than most photo editors.

• Use tone curves to add or refine contrast.
• Work with color wheels for Lift, Gamma, Gain, and Offset.
• Adjust shadows, midtones, and highlights independently.
• Offset shifts the entire image brightness up or down.
• Modify individual color channels within each tonal range for advanced color grading.
• This allows for highly controlled cinematic or stylized color looks.

Masking is another key feature for selective adjustments.

• Create linear, circular, or custom masks depending on your subject.
• Use masks to isolate specific areas like skies, faces, or foreground elements.
• Resolve uses a node based system instead of traditional layers like Photoshop, Gimp, etc. They do take a bit to get used to though so bare with it.
• Each node contains a separate adjustment or effect just like layers.
• Nodes can be connected in sequence or in parallel and stack just like normal layers would.

A practical example of nodes (layers) in action:

• Create a new node for an effect.
• Apply an effect such as Glow from the Effects panel.
• Add a mask to restrict the effect to a specific area.
• Adjust feathering to blend the effect naturally.
• This keeps edits non destructive and easy to modify.

Effects can be found in the Effects panel and applied per node.

• Some effects are limited in the free version.
• Glow is fully available and highly flexible.
• Adjust spread, intensity, and color to control the look.
• Combine effects with masks for targeted enhancements.

Once your image is fully edited, export it using the Deliver tab.

• Choose your file format and resolution.
• Set export location and naming options.
• Render the final image.