First Post..............Be Gentle Please

Bluebird 65

Bluebird 65

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14
Name
Paul
Edit My Images
Yes
My latest 'Mid Life Crisis' hobby has made me promise to utilise my D3100, I'll have many questions which may come across as daft so please bare with me................please !

So, here's my first Q, I have the free 'Gimp' editing programme installed. I have been told that in order to allow my photographs to be edited I need to shoot in RAW, but.................Gimp allows you to edit when shooting in normal Jpeg mode. I'm sure I am misunderstanding, maybe the editing possibilities enhanced when a RAW image is uploaded.

Can someone advise please ?

Additionally is Gimp OK ? Or s there something that would be better for me.

Thanks
 
Last edited:
Bluebird 65 said:
My latest 'Mid Life Crisis' hobby has made me promise to utilise my D3100, I'll have many questions which may come across as daft so please bare with me................please !

So, here's my first Q, I have the free 'Gimp' editing programme installed. I have been told that in order to allow my photographs to be edited I need to shoot in RAW, but.................Gimp allows you to edit when shooting in normal Jpeg mode. I'm sure I am misunderstanding, maybe the editing possibilities enhanced when a RAW image is uploaded.

Can someone advise please ?

Additionally is Gimp OK ? Or s there something that would be better for me.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I have tried Gimp, but I have never gotten along with it. I use the free Nikon Capture NX-D download, from Nikon. It is very basic, but I like keeping things simple. I would shoot in RAW, as you have more information to work with.
 
Bluebird 65 said:
My latest 'Mid Life Crisis' hobby has made me promise to utilise my D3100, I'll have many questions which may come across as daft so please bare with me................please !

So, here's my first Q, I have the free 'Gimp' editing programme installed. I have been told that in order to allow my photographs to be edited I need to shoot in RAW, but.................Gimp allows you to edit when shooting in normal Jpeg mode. I'm sure I am misunderstanding, maybe the editing possibilities enhanced when a RAW image is uploaded.

Can someone advise please ?

Additionally is Gimp OK ? Or s there something that would be better for me.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Did your camera not come with a RAW file converter?

You can get it free here >> https://www.europe-nikon.com/en_GB/product/software/capture-nx-d
 
Bluebird 65 said:
My latest 'Mid Life Crisis' hobby has made me promise to utilise my D3100, I'll have many questions which may come across as daft so please bare with me................please !

So, here's my first Q, I have the free 'Gimp' editing programme installed. I have been told that in order to allow my photographs to be edited I need to shoot in RAW, but.................Gimp allows you to edit when shooting in normal Jpeg mode. I'm sure I am misunderstanding, maybe the editing possibilities enhanced when a RAW image is uploaded.

Can someone advise please ?

Additionally is Gimp OK ? Or s there something that would be better for me.

Thanks
Click to expand...
You can shoot and edit jpg files just fine most of the time.

if you shoot in raw, you do have more information to work with, but it adds a extra step in the editing process - you take the photo, then you 'develop' the raw before you can really use it, then you edit it.

Gimp will work fine as the editor for the last step, and the software that came with your camera will do the middle 'developing' bit for you.

Other software such as Lightroom, will combine both steps for you, so the process seems more fluid, and will do so in a way that means you can try and re-try edits if you don't like the results.
 
You can edit jpegs using GIMP. Raw files have more data and so you can do more editing before the image shows defects, raw also allows you to do some edits that are not possible with jpegs.
I have never used GIMP, I have used a similar program called Paint.net. GIMP has lots of advice online and is very popular, as you already have it use it and learn what it does, once you have an idea of what post processing is you will be able to choose a different program if you want to.
 
I can't comment on shooting RAW as I never have but I've used gimp and didn't get on with it. I use Photo Pos Pro
 
One tip about post processing.

If a small adjustment is good then a little bit more is worse!
 
Why not start out shooting RAW + Fine JPEG - the d3100 will do this. .

That way you get an instant JPEG to show off to (bore) your family / friends and a RAW
to start developing your PP'ing .skills. It does take a while to get up to speed.

I tried Gimp but couldn't get on with it. Lightroom is expensive but imo the best.
You can download a full function 30 day trial for free.
 
There are lots of image editors of varying cost and complexity. I would suggest using something designed to help you 'develop' your images in the way one might use a darkroom, rather than make very deep and fundamental changes in the way GIMP or Photoshop are designed to. Gimp & Photoshop are very good (and as a free package GIMP is incredible) but are not normally the first software options to choose when developing RAW images.

Free software capable of handling RAW images, have a look at Darktable, Raw Therapee and DigiKam. The link for Photodirector 8 above would also give you useful software.

If you want to spend some money then I'd suggest downloading and trying trial versions of Adobe Lightroom, On1 Photoraw 2018 and DXO Photolab. All are professional packages with their own particular spin on image development and tools.
 
Thanks so much for all your help and pointers, I have downloaded Photodirector 8 and had a play today. It seems much easier to use than Gimp as per Toni above suggests.
 
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