Quick question for the GIMP users.

Melcox · May 1, 2016

I use Faststone and am extremely happy with it. It's easy to use, very powerful and very intuitive.

My question is why do people think GIMP is so great?

I've tried it a few times and found it cumbersome, un-intuitive and confusing.

I'm not throwing stones at GIMP. I'm just trying to understand what I'm missing.

Here's my Faststone workflow for reference.

1. View photos full screen as a first pass as a keep / delete choice

2. Open a 2, 3 or 4 window side by side comparison to select the best focused.

3. Crop as necessary.

4. Adjust, as necessary, saturation, contrast, shadows, etc and sharpen if needed.

5. Rename.

In Faststone I can do all that and more (clone, heal, etc, etc) very easily.

Trying the above with GIMP was very, very difficult for me.

So what am I not understanding about GIMP?? Lots of people think its great but I've tried to use it several times and ran back to Faststone.

Mind you, I'm a jpeg shooter. Is that the difference?

Thanks, Mel

ggbutcher · May 1, 2016

I use GIMP occasionally, and it's all about a powerful set of tools, precisely applied. Layers are a significant part of that. The G'MIC tools available in GIMP provide an extensive set of alternatives for things like sharpening, at least 5 that I can recall off the top of my head. It's like that big toolbox your auto mechanic pushes around the shop; myriad tools, each specifically suited to a particular problem.

If you're shooting JPEG, GIMP can be very useful with problem images, letting you locally apply corrections without disturbing the rest of the image, to minimize posterization. However, in terms of bit-depth, GIMP was no better than any of the 'quick-n-dirty' editors until version 2.9; now, it has high-bit-depth editing to rival any of the commercial tools.

I think much like you do about PP; I want to do it quickly, without much fuss. So much so that I wrote my own software, 16-bit tone manipulation with Picasa-quickness. But, when I have an image that has potential hidden in a problem exposure or color situation, I crank up GIMP...

scrambler2 · May 1, 2016

I am probably going to get killed here for that, but O well...

Gimp was created to be a clone of Photoshop. Photoshop, although a powerful tool for people who use it all the time, has one of the worst User Interface ever created.

So here you go.

Melcox · May 2, 2016

Thanks, ggbutcher and scrambler2

-D), for your perspectives.

It's nice to have many so free choices for such complex software.

Regards, Mel

Glen Barrington · May 2, 2016

Melcox said:
I use Faststone and am extremely happy with it. It's easy to use, very powerful and very intuitive.

My question is why do people think GIMP is so great?

I've tried it a few times and found it cumbersome, un-intuitive and confusing.

I'm not throwing stones at GIMP. I'm just trying to understand what I'm missing.

Here's my Faststone workflow for reference.

1. View photos full screen as a first pass as a keep / delete choice

2. Open a 2, 3 or 4 window side by side comparison to select the best focused.

3. Crop as necessary.

4. Adjust, as necessary, saturation, contrast, shadows, etc and sharpen if needed.

5. Rename.

In Faststone I can do all that and more (clone, heal, etc, etc) very easily.

Trying the above with GIMP was very, very difficult for me.

So what am I not understanding about GIMP?? Lots of people think its great but I've tried to use it several times and ran back to Faststone.

Mind you, I'm a jpeg shooter. Is that the difference?

Thanks, Mel

Faststone is basically an image browser with some basic photo organization and editing functionality added to it, while GIMP, Lightzone, Paintshop Pro, Serif PhotoPlus, and Photoshop itself are much more fully featured editing programs, and were designed to be editing programs. In skilled hands, they are capable of extensive edits of great subtlety.

This doesn't mean one can't do extensive, subtle work with FastStone, or that one can't do simple edits with the others. I've loosened screws with a simple US 10 cent coin in the past, and I once caught my daughter scraping paint with some very expensive wood chisels that were my pride and joy. (I nearly cried!). But the truth is, the right tools, coupled with the right skills can make the job easier and faster.

And the users of any of the editors I mention above can quickly bring to mind tasks that COULD be done in FastStone in 20 -30 minutes of work, that can be done with a more sophisticated editor in 2-3 minutes, OR LESS!

If FastStone meets your needs and allows you produce the photos you want, by all means keep using it. It is without a doubt, one of the better free browser programs available. But I do believe that finding a good mid grade bit mapped editor or above, and taking the time to learn to use it, can pay off in opening new paths for your photography to develop.

Learning to use GIMP is just a matter of commitment. If you are smart enough and skilled enough to use FastStone, you are smart enough to learn to use GIMP. And if I recall correctly, you can even set FastStone up to act as the browser/organizer/touchup editor for GIMP or one of the other Editors. In time, you would learn which photos need only FastStone and which could really benefit from a more sophisticated editor. Then a simple click of the mouse in Faststone can send that photo to GIMP or one of the other editors.

There are no wrong answers in photography, just different visions. Good luck and have fun.

--
I look good fat, I'm gonna look good old. . .
http://glenbarrington.blogspot.com/
http://glenbarringtonphotos.blogspot.com/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/130525321@N05/

CAcreeks · May 2, 2016

scrambler2 said:
I am probably going to get killed here for that, but O well...

Gimp was created to be a clone of Photoshop. Photoshop, although a powerful tool for people who use it all the time, has one of the worst User Interface ever created.

So here you go.

Ha ha! So true.

As a GIMP user, I select which photos to edit (culling etc.) using gThumb or some other image browser. Right click > edit with GIMP.

I'll look at FastStone, which I recently installed, but I do not believe it has area selection (magic wand, lasso, select by color) and gradient replacement or image overlay. Also I doubt it has arbitrary rotation to straighten the horizon line. I'm sure it does not have layers, useful for many things including single-image HDR.

P.S. FastStone does have Straighten / Rotate to any degree! I don't believe Irfanview has it.

DonA2 · May 2, 2016

Of course I will be shot down for this but photography to me is much more than spending a lot of time in post processing. In this case less is more. I do try for the best possible outcome before pressing the shutter and edit to the absolute minimum. That means shoot a lot, pick the best and do the minimum in post.

An image editor should be quick, intuitive (simple) and offer just enough tools to do the job. I can edit a photo in Picasa in seconds that takes minutes in FastStone for the same outcome. Even though I tried Gimp it is just too fussy for me. So, in the freebe class it's Picasa, FastStone and Gimp in that order.

After all photos should be a snapshot of reality not someones idea of an art form taken out of context. If i want to distort reality I will paint it. Works for me. ;-)

Vernon D Rainwater · May 2, 2016

DonA2 said:
Of course I will be shot down for this but photography to me is much more than spending a lot of time in post processing. In this case less is more. I do try for the best possible outcome before pressing the shutter and edit to the absolute minimum. That means shoot a lot, pick the best and do the minimum in post.

An image editor should be quick, intuitive (simple) and offer just enough tools to do the job. I can edit a photo in Picasa in seconds that takes minutes in FastStone for the same outcome. Even though I tried Gimp it is just too fussy for me. So, in the freebe class it's Picasa, FastStone and Gimp in that order.

After all photos should be a snapshot of reality not someones idea of an art form taken out of context. If i want to distort reality I will paint it. Works for me. ;-)

Have never tried Gimp and have no idea of the features it provides. Is there any type of User Guide for Gimp. Even a detailed list of features would be helpful. Does Gimp have provisions for Creating and Using Actions (such as within Photoshop).

Regarding one part of above comment -- a Software to "offer just enough tools to do the job" would be rather difficult primarily due to the different type images a user may be processing. Some are easy and need minimum adjustments, Some need a lot of help, then there are others that do not need adjustments.

--
Vernon...

Pictus · May 2, 2016

Photoshop user here...

But the best GIMP is from http://www.partha.com/
Also do not miss http://blog.patdavid.net/
http://blog.patdavid.net/p/getting-around-in-gimp.html

Patco · May 2, 2016

Vernon D Rainwater said:
Have never tried Gimp and have no idea of the features it provides. Is there any type of User Guide for Gimp. Even a detailed list of features would be helpful. Does Gimp have provisions for Creating and Using Actions (such as within Photoshop).

Lots of info on the Gimp site, including Manual, Tutorials, Books, etc., on this page:

https://www.gimp.org/docs/

CAcreeks · May 2, 2016

Vernon D Rainwater said:
Have never tried Gimp and have no idea of the features it provides. Is there any type of User Guide for Gimp. Even a detailed list of features would be helpful. Does Gimp have provisions for Creating and Using Actions (such as within Photoshop)?

I never used Actions in CS2, so I'm not sure, but it sounds like Script-Fu. (bad name, as is GIMP).

Here are the Pros and Cons of Picasa. I never took time to download and learn it, so I cede to those who did.

Loading…

www.werockyourweb.com

Vernon D Rainwater · May 2, 2016

Patco said:
Vernon D Rainwater said:

Have never tried Gimp and have no idea of the features it provides. Is there any type of User Guide for Gimp. Even a detailed list of features would be helpful. Does Gimp have provisions for Creating and Using Actions (such as within Photoshop).

Click to expand...

Lots of info on the Gimp site, including Manual, Tutorials, Books, etc., on this page:

https://www.gimp.org/docs/

Patco · May 2, 2016

Vernon D Rainwater said:
Patco said:

Vernon D Rainwater said:

Have never tried Gimp and have no idea of the features it provides. Is there any type of User Guide for Gimp. Even a detailed list of features would be helpful. Does Gimp have provisions for Creating and Using Actions (such as within Photoshop).

Click to expand...

Lots of info on the Gimp site, including Manual, Tutorials, Books, etc., on this page:

https://www.gimp.org/docs/

Click to expand...

Vernon D Rainwater · May 2, 2016

Patco said:
Vernon D Rainwater said:

Patco said:

Vernon D Rainwater said:

Have never tried Gimp and have no idea of the features it provides. Is there any type of User Guide for Gimp. Even a detailed list of features would be helpful. Does Gimp have provisions for Creating and Using Actions (such as within Photoshop).

Click to expand...

Lots of info on the Gimp site, including Manual, Tutorials, Books, etc., on this page:

https://www.gimp.org/docs/

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Glen Barrington · May 2, 2016

I was surprised to learn after a quick google search for "Gimp Training" a VERY large number of hits returned, both free and commercial training.

It would seem to me, that people struggling with GIMP, have far more resources available to them than one might think!

Vernon D Rainwater · May 2, 2016

Glen Barrington said:
I was surprised to learn after a quick google search for "Gimp Training" a VERY large number of hits returned, both free and commercial training.

It would seem to me, that people struggling with GIMP, have far more resources available to them than one might think!

CAcreeks · May 2, 2016

Glen Barrington said:
I was surprised to learn after a quick google search for "Gimp Training" a VERY large number of hits returned, both free and commercial training.

It would seem to me, that people struggling with GIMP, have far more resources available to them than one might think!

Who says millenials have it tough?

When I was learning, I had to buy and read Photoshop books, then figure out how to do the same thing in GIMP.

Here is PDF of the GIMP User's Guide (653 pages):

Loading…

docs.gimp.org

DonA2 · May 2, 2016

Vernon D Rainwater said:
Regarding one part of above comment -- a Software to "offer just enough tools to do the job" would be rather difficult primarily due to the different type images a user may be processing. Some are easy and need minimum adjustments, Some need a lot of help, then there are others that do not need adjustments.

Vernon D Rainwater · May 2, 2016

CAcreeks said:
Glen Barrington said:

I was surprised to learn after a quick google search for "Gimp Training" a VERY large number of hits returned, both free and commercial training.

It would seem to me, that people struggling with GIMP, have far more resources available to them than one might think!

Click to expand...

Who says millenials have it tough?

When I was learning, I had to buy and read Photoshop books, then figure out how to do the same thing in GIMP.

Here is PDF of the GIMP User's Guide (653 pages):

https://docs.gimp.org/2.4/pdf/en.pdf

Thanks for the user Guide link. I DL it and it has a July 26, 2007 date.

Do you know of a later version. Surely there must be a later version (Revision).

Vernon D Rainwater · May 2, 2016

I finally found what seems to be a later version of the Gimp User Guide which has less pages (451) but did not find a Revision Date. The original DL version had 651 Pages with the rather old revision date. Thanks to all for their help.

--
Vernon...

Quick question for the GIMP users.

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