GIMP Image editing - Autumn 2010

This Thursday, at 7 pm in the Ohio Union Senate Chamber, Brian Swaney will be demonstrating use of the GIMP image editor. GIMP is what some might consider an open source alternative to the proprietary $800 Photoshop application, except that many people refuse to consider it on the grounds that it is allegedly inferior, and therefore unusable. While I’m not familiar with Photoshop, I will debunk the myth about GIMP being unusable, and show just how powerful GIMP can be for those who take the time to learn it. I’ll do this by teaching you how to perform arbitrary Photoshop-esque techniques in GIMP.

Image manipulation is done a by-case basis, so what works on one image may not work on another. Use of these editors is best learned by practice, as opposed to lectures, so the presentation will be interactive and based on audience feedback. Use of a laptop with GIMP already installed was recommended. Questions are also encouraged, so please come prepared with ideas of what you would like to see - as basic as “how do I save as a JPEG” to as advanced as “how do I remove braces?” or anything else you can think of. Asking your questions below in advance will help me to prepare relevant content for you.

While I have some example content, basic to advanced, the talk will be focused on what you want to cover. This can be anything from a quick adjustment of the color/contrast/angle for your pictures, to completely removing a girlfriend/parent/sibling, to rendering lightning bolts, to making the picture just… lie. By the time you leave, you should qualify as a Fox News editor.