Which GIMP book is best for learning photo editing concepts, not just step-by-step instructions?
Asked 7/16/2011
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I’m looking for a good book on GIMP, especially one that teaches photo-editing concepts rather than only menu-by-menu tutorials. Ideally, I’d like something that explains ideas such as layers, transformations, and general editing workflow in a way that could also help me understand other software like Photoshop or Lightroom. Which GIMP books are worth considering, and are any especially suited to photographers?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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You can expect all of them to be step-by-step guides to mostly learn GIMP. There are two that do stand out due to their specialization. The Artist's Guide to GIMP Effects and GIMP 2 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software seems to be more of focused books for photographer(age of publication can e issue as GIMP evolved over 5 years). Anything else is out of date or it is start up manual
EDIT: There seems to be reasonably good book GIMP 2.8 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software by Klaus Goelker(published 3 Jun 2013)
Originally by user5216. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user5216
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Most GIMP books tend to be step-by-step guides aimed at learning GIMP itself. From the books mentioned, two stand out as more specialized and useful for photographers: The Artist’s Guide to GIMP Effects and GIMP 2 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software. If your goal is to learn editing concepts rather than just button locations, the photographer-focused titles are the better fit.
One caution is edition age: older GIMP books can become dated because the software changes over time. Based on the answers provided, a stronger option is GIMP 2.8 for Photographers: Image Editing with Open Source Software by Klaus Goelker, since it is a more recent photographer-oriented edition.
So, if you want broader editing understanding, choose a photography-focused GIMP book and prefer the newest edition available rather than a general beginner manual.
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