What do you think to this idea?

[Horus]

OK folks after much deliberation I am going to make the following suggestion to you. As we all have different photo manipulating programs it is very difficult for everyone to either follow a common tutorial or maybe even to carry out any particular task using the software that they already have installed, usually because their own version does not have that particular feature in it. There are also the other things to consider, namely that these programs can be very expensive and not everyone can either afford them or would have enough use out of them to justify the cost of buying it in the first place, so I am going to propose the following: That we all use the same program!

“How can we do that” I hear you cry, well actually it will be quite simple, I have found a FREE program that is surprisingly good and should see us through what most of us would like to learn in order to enhance our photographs and to do a bit of photo manipulation. As I said it is entirely free, it is not a trial version and as far as I am aware it is safe to use. It will not interfere with any other software you may currently be using or have installed and the main advantage is that quite a lot of the tools and methods for doing things can be related to your own software once you have grasped the basics of using this program. It is called GIMP (short for Gnu Image Manipulation Program) and once I have completed some security checks (now completed ) I will post a new thread with a safe download site link and some installation details and pictorial guides.

The other good thing is as I have not used this program myself it will also be a learning curve for me, so we can explore the program together and hopefully because we are all using the same software we can share various tips and things we find out ourselves. So you don’t have to be an expert to join in as none of us at the moment will really know what we are doing and as long as you have a camera of some description or photographs on your PC or Laptop, (you will need to be using a PC or Laptop in order to run the program) then you can join in. It would be nice to know who are the people who are interested be they old members or new ones, that way we can include everyone in our chats as we go along, so don’t be shy just join in. Let me know what you think and if everyone is happy then I will post the link and instructions later and make them a ‘sticky’ so you will know where to find them again, I will call the new thread Instructions & Links for GIMP software. in the Hobbies Section.

[Grandad]

That makes a lot of sense Horus.

I have Gimp and loaded it a few years ago at Stans (LIL) recommendation. I have just updated it to 2.8.2

I remember it as being very user friendly and very 'icon driven'. It is not too difficult to translate what the Gimp does to other programs. They all do similar things (some are much more sophisticated) and it is just a case of finding the equivalent buttons or menus on owns own program.

I'm waffling, as is my way, but count me in and it will be good if we are all using the same software and it will be good to exchange experiences of using the program....

[LovelyLadyLux]

GREAT!!! Sounds like a plan to me AND the best solution to everything. This way we can all comment and will talking on a common known entity. Sounds good to me! I'll get it installed by this weekend.

Thanks for all your hard work in researching this H! You're A+++++++++++++++ (and BTW - are there going to be tests and grades?)

[LovelyLadyLux]

I really like the idea of this topic/thread being made into a sticky so it stays at the top of the threads so it is easy to find and doesn't get hidden under the other threads over time.

[Horus]

Thats great so we are off to a good start, Grandad the thing about GIMP is that it will have automatically removed the older 2.6.10 version that you had on before, I have had it on my PC for yonks but never really got around to using it as I find Photoshop better for what I do, but at least this way we will all have the same thing to work with so that should eliminate some confusion. The only thing we will need to do is to set all of our defaults the same, but that s a minor problem.

LLL, if you hang on a little while I will put the upload details and link up and you can download from that as it looks to be safe.

[LovelyLadyLux]

Sounds good to me - I'll wait. I run Windows 7. Hopefully the GIMP will be compatible and a downloadable program.

[Horus]

Its all posted now under the Hobbies section, hopefully it will all work as described.

[Winged Isis]

Good idea. But will work on Mac computers, too, H?

[Horus]

I have just added a link for MAC users in the GIMP upload thread in 'Hobbies', it should work, but I cannot actually test it for myself, it should follow a similar install to what I described, so give it a try and report back.

[Kiya]

Alls sounding great & it will be good to be learning stuff in another program

[Ruby Slippers]

I'm game too, Horus, but my PC is running extremely slow at the moment (need to do some housekeeping!) so I will have to wait a while to download it!

[Horus]

RS, your PC may just be running slow for web reasons, connection speeds, or cookies need dumping etc, so it probably wont have much affect on actually using your PC to run and use the program because you will do your practicing work off line after you have read about any tips we may share

[Ruby Slippers]

Horus, I bought a new laptop less than 4 months ago. A super fast, all bells and whistles, with two graphics cards, 3D rendering etc! Cost me a packet but I reasoned that when my trusty old desktop finally bit the dust, I would at least be used to a laptop! It kept freezing! At first I thought it was my ISP and me, so hardly used it. (You know how it is when you have a tried and trusted alternative that you are comfortable with. ) Anyway, the laptop locked solid last Monday so back to the shop on Tuesday, with me all prepared for them to say it was a software problem, and me having a row, when it turned out it was the hard drive at fault! It's now gone in to be fitted with a new one. I would absolutely prefer to use the laptop but.................. I'll see if I can download the programme on to my desktop.

[Horus]

Have a go, you can always load it again onto the laptop when it comes back, there is no limit to how many PC's you can use it on. at least that way you can start getting familiar with it.

[Ruby Slippers]

All done and dusted, Horus!

[Horus]

Great stuff up to now we have Grandad, Kiya and LLL plus myself with the program loaded and I gave WI a link for her Mac, anyone else interested?

[LovelyLadyLux]

Almost hate to even ask this Should we 'advertise' this elsewhere?

[Horus]

Er, not really, anyone who reads this thread is welcome to join in, but I would think that anyone who was interested in what goes on here would already be reading this forum.

[LovelyLadyLux]