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38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential guide to using THE GIMP, August 28, 2007
This review is from: Gimp 2 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software (Paperback)
GIMP 2 for Photographers provides essential help-by-example in the use of the many advanced GIMP tools. It does not claim to be a complete manual, and does not address the paint and art creation aspects of the GIMP. It does an outstanding job demonstrating its use in the advanced photo editing procedures that are normally well beyond the capability of common photo editors, such as the ones bundled with camera software.
The GIMP is often included in desktop Linux distributions. A CD included with the book contains recent versions of the GIMP for Linux, Windows and OS X. It also contains practice images for use with the examples in the book.
After an introductory chapter, the book presents chapters covering correcting and touching up images, using masks and layers - painting, filling, and color tools, and working with black-and-white and color images. A typical exercise describes how to improve a scanned image. The initial image is tilted and needs to be righted, using the angle tool to measure the degree of tilt to be corrected. A moiré effect is removed with the Gaussian blur tool, the levels and curves tools are used to correct the tonality, and contrast is increased for better definition. The different options available for these tools are briefly discussed. Another example shows how to restore an old, faded and scratched picture using various cloning and healing tools.
The use of layers and masks is shown to modify an originally dull landscape photo. The colorless sky is replaced with a blue sky with natural-looking color gradient and some light clouds and a setting sun low in the sky is added. The text tool is then used to convert the image to an Easter card.
Some of the examples towards the end of the book are getting complex enough to go beyond the scope of ordinary photo editing but serve to demonstrate some of the most sophisticated tools available in the GIMP.
I highly recommend this book as an excellent and essential guide to using the GIMP. Adobe's Photoshop Elements 5 may have more bells and whistles, but the GIMP will let you do most of the same editing steps for free. Of course, Linux users don't have a choice and are fortunate to have this powerful editor available.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Opens up the GIMP for those of us stuck in the basics., January 10, 2007
This review is from: Gimp 2 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software (Paperback)
This book is a tutorial. As it states right at the beginning of the introduction, it is not a reference guide, but is
"designed to facilitate your entry into the world of digital image editing with the help of the GIMP...You will learn the fundamentals of digital editing, familiarize yourself with common image editing tools and their functions, and acquire a working knowledge of the GIMP 2 program."
And that is exactly what it does. The tutorial style is almost like being in a classroom. The steps are explained, then set out in detail, starting with pixels, color, resolution, and file formats. Towards the end of the book there is less explanation, as the exercises build on what has already been learned and focus on new ways to use the tools.
This really is not a beginner book. It assumes a certain amount of knowledge about computers, cameras and scanners. But you don't have to be an expert in any of those areas. In fact, although the book discusses importing RAW formats and scanning images, the actual editing exercises are done with images included on the CD which comes with the book. Also included on the CD is the entire book in PDF format, copies of what the exercise images should look like after the editing exercises, the GIMP program for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux (with source files), plugins for the program, and a copy of Irfanview, a free image viewer and conversion tool (for Windows).
Although intended for all formats, the book presents material from a Windows-centric perspective. I worked through the exercises on a Mac, however, and had no problems, thanks to the GIMP having virtually the same interface across platforms.
As seems to be the case with all books, this one is not without a few flaws. There were many typos, although few of them really serious. It would be better if there was an errata page (having marked them all in the book, I could probably put up one myself at this point). Some of the tools could use more explanation. I wish the beautiful, color screenshots were bigger. But my biggest surprise was the book itself: I don't think I've ever had a cover on a brand new book start separating from the book after only one week.
I have been using the GIMP for a couple years already, but there was a lot in the book that was new for me. In fact, I wish I'd read the book a few weeks earlier: it would have saved me a lot of time on a Christmas project! Despite the flaws, and even with the defective cover, I'd recommend it. It will give you more than a working knowledge of the GIMP.
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
GIMP 2 It will get you up to speed in no time, January 16, 2007
This review is from: Gimp 2 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software (Paperback)
If you are doing digital photography, and these days, who isn't, then chances are you will be in need of an image editing program. If you have the money, you can spend around $600 for a copy of Photoshop or, for less functionality, you can get Photoshop Elements for about $100. But what if you are just starting out, or on a tight budget, or you work in a Linux environment? You can get GIMP 2 For Photographers, which contains both a beginners' manual for GIMP 2 as well as the GIMP 2 software on an enclosed CD. You just may find that you do not need any other product
This book began as materials that the author has used and refined in his workshops and classes.
For beginners just getting into image editing, as well as those who are starting to work with GIMP 2, GIMP 2 For Photographers is an excellent addition to your library. It will get you up to speed in no time and lay the framework for your future success.
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