GIMP DISCUSSIONS

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Horus
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Horus »

Great result Grandad and as you can see, once people have a grip of using the basic tool (as in this selection tool) we can customise the way they are used to obtain different or better results, in your case you tweaking the 'feather' settings was just one example of this in action.

On the point of using external hard drives, these are a great idea and can be purchased quite cheaply, part of what I was doing yesterday was to purchase a 500 GB USB 2/3 drive for my mates laptop and to show him how to use it properly, it was a 'Seagate' from PC world (not always the cheapest store) and it was £55.

On the GIMP front:
(1) is everyone who is participating up to speed and happy, or does anyone need more time/help before I move on, don't be shy if you are struggling with anything its better to say so and I can help resolve it.

(2) I know that I have dealt with this at other times, but as we are using a new program, does everyone understand about LAYERS or would you like me to cover it in a tutorial before we move on any further with editing pictures?


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Grandad
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Grandad »

Horus I am up to date now. :)

I don't know what you plan to move on to but for my part more on picture editing, ie, all the things that can be done to improve an image, would be most valuable. We have only really touched on 'cloning' and 'selecting' and I think it would certainly help me to know more about the finer points so that changes to an image are less visible than they tend to be on some of my efforts. :lol:

With regards to additional hard drives, I have an external HD that I back up to at least once a week. My computer, Packard Bell, which is quite ancient only has an 80gb Seagate HD and my plan is to put another HD in the tower. Still pondering on the best option long term. I can buy a very good up to date new tower for under £300 so in the long run that might be the best option.
:gg:
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Kiya
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Kiya »

I'm up to date with what you've given us so far, as for " LAYERS " I have the jist in how they work but when working with layers I can get a bit muddled at times :?

I have my 1TB external hard drive which is handy as backup of all my photos/important documents & the new computer " Zoostorm " which I've never heard of before has 750GB hard drive, I'm more happy now with all the added space as before with old computer I was always checking the space.
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Horus »

We can move onto more picture editing no problem, :up I only asked because some editing techniques will involve using the LAYERS pallet to produce the result, so people need to have a reasonable understanding of how layers work so that I can avoid having to break off and explain it all at a later date. I know that you are all keen to learn new tricks and play around with your pictures, but you really do need to take things slowly and understand what you are doing, for example the 'Scissors' tool is just one thing that you will use a lot, but it is only one of many tools that you will need to use. What I hope that you will all do is to take each new tool that you learn about and practice using it on some of your own pictures, OK it may leave you feeling a little frustrated because you want to know how to correct all the other little problems at the same time, but that really is a case of trying to run before you can walk, far better that you can use one tool proficiently and move on, rather than lots of random things that you may not use properly because you don't know their full potential. ;)
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Grandad »

You're the guv'nor H :) It is probably because I don't use layers for some editing tasks that I get less than acceptable results. It is a case of 'How' so I am sure we will all leave it to you to guide us along the way. :)
:gg:
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Kiya »

I agree all in Mr Tutor's time when we move on :) ok back to practising for now :)
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Grandad »

I have been a good pupil (Creep Creep ;) ) this afternoon and spent some time revising on what we have covered so far.
I chose a picture from inside the mill at ‘Batemans’, the East Sussex Jacobean House that was the home of Rudyard Kipling. Although it is a picture I like (I am a sucker for anything old and mechanical) I could see some areas that could be improved. These are the steps that I took and a ‘Tip’ from a hard learned lesson:-

1) ‘Crop’ picture slightly to remove the pictures on the left wall.
2) ‘Clone’ to remove the bell and spring from nearest hopper.
3) ‘Select’ and ‘Curve’ the windows to bring in some of the window frame detail.
4) ‘Select’ and ‘Curve’ the nearside of nearest hopper to show more detail.
5) ‘Select’ and ‘Curve’ the quernstone to show a little more texture.
6) ‘Select’ and ‘Curve’ the floor boards that were blown out by the light.

I probably spent about 40 minutes on this.
‘TIP’ When selecting with the scissors, take great care if you are near the edge of your picture. If the scissors change to your pointer because you have gone over the edge you will lose your selection sp far if you click your mouse. And Ctrl-Z will not recover it for you so you have to start again.

Here are the before and after pictures. The changes are quite subtle but I like the improved detail. :)

2913 2914

Note the date on the timber post ‘JS 1795’
:gg:
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Horus »

Your 'Brownie points' are well earned on that one Grandad and subtle is what its all about. :up

Just to say I have uploaded another tutorial/exercise to explain another useful tool for selcting areas, used it in conjunction with the other method you have all learned, "Horses for courses" so to speak. ;)
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Grandad »

The last couple of days I have had time on my hands so have spent some time on 'revision' It is not always like that and tomorrow I have a commission, well a favour job really, to get some photos of number two grandsons football team when they play in Herne Bay Towns under 18's.

The ones I try to get are the goals being scored so I set to 1/1000sec, centre focus, continuous. That way I usually get 4 or 5 with one of those the best action shot.

I have just used all that we have learned to modify this picture at Dovedale, your neck of the woods I think Horus. I didn't like the post in the foreground, the hills lacked colour and, because I didn't use a polariser, the river Dove lacked detail. (The sky was totally bland so I couldn't do anything about that....yet! )

It is crude in some areas but it was just an exercise.
2918 2919

More brownie points please Sir.
:gg:
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Kiya »

My practice for this aftn.....Grandad's pic, it could be better especially around the boat but I wanted to keep some dark shadows upon the water.
2920

And Roy down below Dunnottar Castle this too can be better, the cloning I did in a rush! but I managed to get around Roy brighter.
Before
2921

After
2922
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Horus »

Well I have to say that you are both putting your newly aquired skills to good effect :up and you can both have Brownie points for your efforts. ;)
I hope that you are now starting to see the benefits of using these tools to adjust your pictures and apply any given technique as and when you feel it's right to do so.

Yes Grandad Dovedale is not a million miles away ;) and I think your sky is lovely as is the dark and light shadows of sunlight on the river and hillsides cast by the passing cloud formation. :lol: :lol:
2923

Kiya the only thing I would try differently is to make your selction, then using the second icon along (remove from selection) put a line around Roy's head. Now apply the changes that you did previously in order to lighten the shadows in the tunnel, this will brighten the shadows without blowing the colour and brightness of his head. When you have done this, use the SELECTION 'Invert' option to switch the selection to it being just around his head, which will still be quite dark. Now carefully lighten the head so as not to lose the features too much by over brightening.
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Grandad »

How strange, my picture looks SO much better now. A little bit of Horus magic I suppose. :lol: :lol:
:gg:
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Kiya »

Ok back to the drawing board tomorrow :)

Grandad the sky in your photo behind the top of tree looks so natural, how did he work his magic on that ;)
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Grandad »

Kiya wrote: Grandad the sky in your photo behind the top of tree looks so natural, how did he work his magic on that ;)
Kiya, I am going to stick my neck out and guess. I think Horus 'selected' the sky, then either flooded the blue then brushed in the cloud, or, erased the area in the selection and put behind it a picture of cloud formation using layers.

We are challenging Horus to come clean with us. ;)
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Horus »

Grandad wrote:
Kiya, I am going to stick my neck out and guess. I think Horus 'selected' the sky, (I'm afraid not :lol: ) then either flooded the blue then brushed in the cloud (sorry no coconut :lol: ) or, erased the area in the selection and put behind it a picture of cloud formation using layers. ( sorry no pinapple :lol: ) but you are getting a bit closer. ;)

Full explanation tomorrow folks. :up
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Kiya »

Oh cannot wait :)

I remember doing something at college to replace a better sky to enhance any photo, but for the life of me I cannot remember how to do it.........................or just being Sunday .......lazy day ;)
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Horus »

Will do something later, busy day with all family.
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by LovelyLadyLux »

I'm here, not doing my homework BUT I have an excuse :( I have a cold and have had to go back to work JUST for a little bit.......I'll be back real SOON!

***And don't think I've forgotten the fall colour photo challenge. I'm really just giving the rest of you a chance to (ahem) catch up) ;) ;)
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Horus »

I have just added another tutorial about Layers. :up
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Re: GIMP DISCUSSIONS

Post by Grandad »

LAYERS: Nicely described and illustrated Horus :up

One question springs to mind. We need to 'select' and clear the area, such as in your first picture, to create the sky. I don't think we have covered how to make that selected area transparent....I just select and use the eraser but is that the best method?
:gg:
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