Fur Picture modifications

[Guest]

I'm not talking about the "Fake" pictures Tweety does so well but regular pictures I find on Fox Files and other sources.

 

Since I've been learning how to manipulate the GIMP functions [much like those of PhotoShop] I've discovered that sometimes significant improvements can be made in those pictures.

 

Unlike the darkroom of old its easy and costs nothing to toss your mistakes and start over.

 

This is also true with Web Pictures and eBay pictures.

 

There are those that are simply beyond salvation but some are remarkably better. Back from the brink so-to-speak.

 

I find that Avatars require a bit of manipulation to "read" in the shrunken format relative to their full size presentations.

 

I wonder how many others do this and what your suggestions might be?

 

 

OFF

[Worker 11811]

Two things that I always do to repair pics:

 

1) Avoid the "automatic" features of the programs.

 

2) Layer effects so that you can adjust the amount of "repair" on a photo.

 

When you use the "automatic" exposure adjustment(s), for instance, all the program does is go into the levels/histogram and adjust the sliders according to a preprogrammed set of instructions. If you learn how to operate the levels dialog manually, you can get much better results. You can adjust color balance, brightness and contrast all from one dialog.

 

Second, I make a second, duplicate layer of the picutre (or area of picture) that I am working on and do my magic on that. I always "overdo" the corrections on that layer. Then I adjust the layer transparency, allowing the original to show through. The result is a more natural lookng picture that doesn't appear "Photoshopped". By adjusting the transparency up or down you can adjust how much of the repaired picure shows through.