How can I learn photo post-processing techniques using GIMP?
Asked 2/21/2013
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I’m new to post-processing and most books and tutorials I find explain editing concepts using Photoshop. I’d like beginner-friendly resources that teach both the artistic side of photo editing—what kinds of problems post-processing can improve, what it cannot fix, and when editing differs from changing camera settings—and the practical side of how to do those tasks in GIMP specifically. Are there good books, tutorials, or strategies for learning this in GIMP?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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If we set aside the UI differences between GIMP and Photoshop, my experience has been that figuring out how to do something is mostly a terminology issue. Translating from Photoshop terminology to GIMP terminology is usually just a Google search (e.g. "XYZ in GIMP"). Once you know what GIMP calls it you can find plenty of tutorials on how to use it.
As for actual materials, the GIMP site has a lists of books. I haven't used any of them, but there's a good chance one of them will meet your need of explaining post-processing techniques from the perspective of GIMP and not just how to use GIMP. If I had to guess "GIMP 2 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software" looks like a pretty safe bet. There is a newer version, "GIMP 2.6 for Photographers", and there's an even newer version, "GIMP 2.8 for Photographers," coming out in May (Amazon link).
Originally by user13982. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user13982
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. A practical approach is to learn the editing concepts first, then translate the Photoshop-specific terms into GIMP’s terminology when needed. Many post-processing ideas—layers, curves, tone and color adjustments, masking, sharpening, etc.—are common across editors, so Photoshop-based material can still be useful if you search for the equivalent tool in GIMP.
For GIMP-specific learning, the official GIMP site has book recommendations, including photography-focused titles such as GIMP for Photographers. The tutorial site/blog “Meet The GIMP” was also recommended for its large library of video lessons covering core workflows and tools.
One answer also noted that GIMP is not just a Photoshop clone, so some concepts are approached differently. If you prefer a Photoshop-like interface, GIMPShop was mentioned as a way to ease that transition.
If your main goal is photo workflow rather than deep pixel-level editing, some photographers may prefer tools like Darktable or Lightroom-style software. But for learning post-processing itself, GIMP is fully capable and a good place to start.
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