Say Hello To GIMP!

I mentioned GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) in an earlier post, and I want to take some time now to tell you more about it.  I came across GIMP on the internet when I was searching for a free program to edit and optimize my digital photos.  Of course I had heard of Photoshop, but since I didn't have the extra money to invest in that program, I began to search for free alternatives.  There were several programs that came up during my searches, but the one that seemed to come up time and time again was GIMP.  I then began to search for reviews of GIMP, and was surprised to see that it got very good reviews, in fact, sometimes better than Photoshop.  Now, I have a hard time passing up a bargain, let alone a freebie, so I had to check it out for myself.  The download was painless.  The next step was to explore the menus and to see if I could make sense of the program.  I could make sense of the basics such as "cropping" and "export", but there were a lot of menu items in the program that I had no idea about.  I mean, "Selective Gaussian Blur"...really, no clue!  No worries though.  The best way to learn about the program is simply to use it.  I opened photos and just began playing with the program.  There are also may YouTube tutorials.  I am by no means an expert, but I have learned a lot over the past several weeks.  If I can use this program, you can too.  You can decide how in depth you want to use the program.  For example, you could keep it simple for just cropping and simple adjustments, or you can learn how to use layers and download scripts.  I have just had this program for a few short weeks and have already downloaded and used scripts.  Scripts are add-ons created by developers that make the program even more versatile.  Here are three examples of GIMP in action on the same base photo:

The subject of the photograph is the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum in New York City that was taken with a Canon Powershot SD550.  You can see a different effect in each photo courtesy of GIMP.  

Google GIMP and download it today...it's totally free!

Check out this article for information on GIMP vs Photoshop
http://www.unixmen.com/why-gimp-wins-over-photoshop/

I will give more specifics on how I use GIMP in my photos in future blog entries, so stay tuned!