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GIMP 2.6 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software [Amazon] Rocky Nook; 1 edition (February 4, 2011)

About the Book

Image editing has become a crucial element in the photographic workflow. Image editing tools, most notably Photoshop, are usually sophisticated and deep applications, and are fairly expensive. The only open source tool in this market is the GIMP, which has developed into a powerful, multiplatform system running on Linux, Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows.

GIMP 2.6 for Photographers is a beginner's guide to the only open source image editing tool that provides a low-cost alternative to expensive programs such as Photoshop. Topics include the basics of image editing and simple adjustments, as well as advanced techniques using layers and masks, stitching panoramic images, and preparing high-quality black and white images. The most important editing functions are presented in individual, easy-to-follow workshops.

GIMP 2.6 for Photographers has evolved from classroom materials that the author developed and taught in courses and workshops on image editing with the GIMP.

About the Author

Klaus Goelker is an architect and photographer who lives and works in Munich, Germany. He also teaches courses on image editing at a local art school. He chose GIMP to teach this class because it was free and yet powerful enough to do serious photographic image editing.

GIMP Image Editing for Photographers Book Review

Klaus Goelker has put together a really great guide for photographers who want to use a fully functional and powerful image editing tool but don't want to fork over the big bucks that Adobe's Photoshop software costs. For years GIMP has been that alternative.

Keep in mind that this is a beginner's guide. If you're already deep into GIMP you will want to skip this review and skip the book.

For all of the websites and forums dedicated to the wonderful community of GIMP users it can still be a daunting task to learn if you're new to the software. This, of course, is true of any software that is powerful and open source. That's really where this book excels. The author takes you by the hand and walks you through the software with the photographer in mind. Goelker's conversational style of writing is easy to read and follow.

Klaus runs you through the basics of image editing and how to use layers but also delves into some deeper and more technical subject matter.

The included DVD is packed with the software as well as the sample images used in the books many tutorials. It's the best way to learn a software program like GIMP.

Conclusion

I think the author really nailed his agenda with the book in its application for photographers and his audience (beginner's to GIMP). Because the book is easy to read and provides the images used this really is a great starter book for the digital photographer who wants to get full functionality and flexibility with image editing but cannot, or is unwilling, to drop the cash for Photoshop.

A side note

While GIMP is often compared to Adobe's Photoshop you do need to know that it isn't quite as advanced. This is an open source software so you'll be missing some of the flashy bells and whistles that you get with Photoshop like "content aware fill" or the way that most of Adobe's programs work pretty seamlessly with one another. That said, I did make the switch from Photoshop to GIMP early last year because I simply found myself opening up Photoshop so rarely that I couldn't justify the costs of upgrading the software every year. Most of my editing is done in Adobe's Lightroom and I use GIMP for the rare times that I need to really "fix" something or really want to punish some pixels. My style of photography doesn't require either of those things that often. I do use GIMP for printing as well because it just seems to work better than Lightroom on the Mac.

This book is for...

Photographers who are new to GIMP and want to shorten the learning curve of learning a new software program. I might also recommend this book to someone who is switching from Photoshop as there are enough differences in the way the programs work but this is dependent on your ability to move from software to software or navigate forums.

If you're already using GIMP and are pretty familiar with it you will likely want to skip this book.

I'm giving this book on GIMP 2.6 a...

5 out of 5!

Get your copy of GIMP 2.6 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software at Amazon today!