My first attempt with PP using GIMP

[Shambhala]

So instead of finishing my assignment for school. I have been playing around with GIMP which I just down loaded. I have Photoshop Cs5 but it looks too hard at the moment. Anyways, I picked one of my simplest pictures and tried to sharpen the bird.. I don't think it worked because the instructions were not very clear, and I couldn't find half of the things they wanted me to use.. LOL, anyways .. here it is.. There is probably a GIMP user out there that can direct me to some clear instructions.

Before GIMP SOOC



After attempting to use the unmask filter, I couldn`t figure out how to do it with `decomposing`



Ok Now really I am going to stop procrastinating and playing around and finish my DOF for school.. ha!

[Shambhala]

Ok now that I can actually see them together .. I did a really bad job at my first attempt and the one straight out of the camera looks better

[DavidGee]

Shannon, if you have CS5 forgrt GIMP as I have read many comments that GIMP is not the easiest package to use as it is far from intuitive.
If you want to procrastinate then stay with CS5 and have a look at the tutorials here on CiC or just do a search on You Tube for hundreds of videos on CS5.

Get the school project finished then play!!!!!

David

[Shambhala]

LOL, Thanks David... ! That is the kick in the pants I needed to go take photos for the school project.. I didn`t find GIMP that easy. I am not really good with instructions I have to read them about ten times or more. You might be right about using CS5 instead there seems to be more tutorials and such. OK going to do the school project now. I really mean it this time.

[Donald]

Shannon

I agree with David.

I'm a committed GIMP user, but if you already have CS5 then, yes, go with that. There is far more support available for CS5 and GIMP can be a steep learning curve.

[Geoff F]

CS5 is certainly an excellent piece of software - for the wealthy. Although I suppose you qualify for the reduced student rate which is much more realistic.

I tried for a 'pensioner rate' but couldn't get anywhere.

There are a few good books about CS5 but most of them cost as much as many editing programmes.

However, I can't recommend anything better than CS5. But it isn't an easy programme to fully understand so take your time with it.

I would say that it is worth shooting Raw with CS5 as the Raw Converter is very good and relatively logical to use.

[Shambhala]

Tuesday's Assignments are done.. Now I can play around a bit, until Wednesdays assignments are due.. That gives me one day to figure out CS5 .. Joking .. ... I think I will look into them both and see which one I find easier at the moment they are both difficult for me. I am not very technical.

[Shambhala]

Here is a test.. I don't exactly know if it worked.. (the picture isn't nice, I just picked a random dud to try and photoshop)

Original



One I tried out in Photoshop

[Shambhala]

Maybe I didn't do anything.. They look exactly the same to me... UGH.. going to read it all over again.!!

[Peter Ryan]

One thing about PS it will not make a silk purse out of a sows ear BUT I love the enthusiasm you are showing.

[jiro]

One thing about PS it will not make a silk purse out of a sows ear BUT I love the enthusiasm you are showing.

+1 on that, Peter.

[Shambhala]

LOL!! Of course it won't .. I didn't want to ruin a picture I liked so like I said, I thought I would try it on a DUD.. just to see if I could notice a difference. it's a terrible photo, but the point was to see if I noticed a difference in the sharpening. which is what I was testing out.

[Shambhala]

Just to clarify... I am NOT trying to make a nice picture.. Just practicing "sharpening" so that I can try it on one of my pictures that I like. I am not confident enough that I won't do something and end up losing a good picture forever. So hence the "ugly practice picture"

[Peter Ryan]

One big tip - don't ever do any processing on an original shot. Save a copy and practice on that. That way, as your processing skills improve you can go back to the original and rework it from scratch.

[Peter Ryan]

As a starting point try Unsharp Mask with Threshold at 3 - 5, Radius around 0.7 to 1.2 and adjust the amount slider from say 90 - 150 and see the effect. This is very rough and ready guide but you will see the difference. In time you will learn to fine tune sharpening.

[Shambhala]

Great tip Peter. ! That is why I picked an ugly picture, in case I ruined something. I will keep that in mind If I want to practice on a good picture.. I don't know why I didn't think of making a copy.. great idea!

[Shambhala]

Thanks!!! I have improved already had you wrote that yesterday I would have no clue what you were talking about LOL.. I will try that.. as you can tell.. I am not that patient.. I like to know everything instantly.. When I read a book I have to read the last chapter first.. then go to the beginning. Photography is good for me.. it's teaching me to be patient. I wrote down those numbers and will try it from there.

[Shambhala]

OK attempt with Gimp.. This is a picture someone else took of me so ... I decided to try Gimp to see how I liked it to compare the two I think I noticed a difference this time.

Original Picture of me..

Gimped me.



I think I actually find Gimp easier (for now anyway)

[Shambhala]

AHHHHHHH I am going to pull my hair out.. LOL!!! I think I better stop for tonight.. on my computer they look different but then when I post them they look exactly the same...! I am going cross eyed now.. I will try again tomorrow.

[ucci]

If I may put my 20 cents worth in. I believe that for a newbie, both programmes have steep learning curves. Gimp does have a comprehensive user manual which can be accessed and down loaded on line. I found it not the easiest of systems to use. "Intuitive" is not in its index. But then again, for a first timer, PS can be very daunting. It has lots of great features which are very cleverly hidden where few would find them if relying solely on intuitive logic. There are a stacks of sites on how to use PS however, some free, others pay as you go sites. There is a PS guru who has put a lot of user use on line for ps which is at
http://www.jkost.com/photoshop.html ( is a free site). There is also a pay site Lynda run by an expert in PS which gives you access to an overwhelming number of tutorials and other goodies. PS has a enormous number of users and consequently, if you can access it, potentially an almost infinite data base on its use.
IMVHO once you get some insight into using PS, Gimp is a a definite second preference. But I guess this is predicated by your background in what you have used for some time and what is a new experience for you.
I hope this is of some use.
And now it is time for me to hop on my bike and cycle off into the night mist, having rabbited on for so long and far outstayed my welcome.!