GIMP is widely reputated to be the most powerful free alternative to Photoshop. It is the defacto free photo editing software.
As a Photoshop user, I appreciate GIMP’s power. However, I also find the latter’s interface and quirks frustrating too. Therefore, there is a good reason why Photoshop remains the staple program to use amongst creative professionals.
As a workarounds to make GIMP more user friendly, I recommend using a Photoshop-friendly variant of GIMP. There are 2 Photoshop-alike versions of GIMP, namely Gimpshop and Gimphoto. The advantage of using either Gimpshop or Gimphoto is that one do not have to mess with multiple-windows. You know how frustating it is to search for the right window.
With the photoshop-alikes, all the windows are contained in a single MDI.
Personally, I think for photo editing, Photoshop still pack more power. It is a great digital tool for a photography enthusiast. GIMP on the other hand is great for creating images for the Web. Nevertheless it still pack punch for photo editing.
That is just my opinion, though.
July 21st, 2009 | Posted in Graphic and photo editing tutorials | Comments Off
Under many circumstances, you will need to keep the camera still and stationary. Unless, you have a super strong and steady hand, it is practically impossible to prevent shakes and vibrations to the camera. Since most of us are not robots, superman or superwoman, thus having a super strong hand grip is impossible.
One way of resolving this common photography issue, is to use the camera supporting tools such as a tripod or a monopod. A tripod is a three legged stand used to support and stabilize a camera. As the name suggests, a monopod is a one-legged counterpart of the more commonly used tripod.
On the market now are fairly new type of tripods known as flexible tripods. In terms of look, they are quite difference from the usual ones. The flexible tripods can stabilise cameras on floor levels that are uneven. It can also be deployed in positions and structures that are not possible with conventional tripods. Some can even grip and position themselves on vertical poles.
One of the original flexible tripod is the Gorillapod. Instead of having hard and stiff legs as supports, the Gorillapod has flexible legs. These legs look like gorilla grips. Perhaps that is where the name gorillapod came from.
Joby is the maker of Gorrillapod. One point to note is the original gorillapod is catered for compact cameras. However, the product range has expanded. It now has many versions for other types of cameras as well. This includes versions for Single Lens Reflex cameras (SLRs), zoom-lens mounted camera and large video cameras. The various versions of Gorillapod have soft rings and rubberized feet. These features serve to enhance the gripping power of the tripods.
These new tripods should prove themselves to be useful for situations that require static positioning of the camera. This includes situations such as night and dim light photography.
March 27th, 2009 | Posted in Accessories | Comments Off
