Very new to Gimp and completely new in this forum - but I think I'm going to do well with both. I'm just beginning to get a handle on how to make things happen in Gimp. I was a middling PS user but I'm making a lot of changes that take me away from PS, Windows, the proprietary software world...

I'm working on photographs: especially how to make effective use of local controls with techniques related to luminosity masking, or more directly, selections based upon luminosity, selections derived from various channels. The "global" editing tools seem quite straightforward, much the same as PS, and little challenge getting them to work, but luminosity based selection techniques are a bit more complex and not as intuitive, but they open up entire new worlds, and I have some work ahead of me.

The impetus behind my move to Gimp has been first, a move to Linux, and to as much open source as I can, or, you could call it a move away from Adobe/Apple/Microsoft, not as a matter of dogma, but a flexible preference. If I really thought I could get more out of PS, I'd stick with it, but as far as I can see, Gimp offers just as much, maybe more???

I want to get more out of a great camera and lenses; to see what Linux image processing can really do. I'm finally making use of raw files, NEF files, and getting more now out of a D700 I got a few years ago. I recently downloaded Gimp 2.9.3, just a development flavor but amazing nonetheless version of Gimp, and am loving it. The ability to work in up to 64 bit precision is impressive and I like the option to use a single window interface.

2.9.3 seems on my machine, at the moment to have a couple of "interesting" behaviors, like the inability to properly use NEFs, oddities are no big a surprise in an unreleased development version, and so I am now using and learning raw converter software instead - Darktable, RawTherapee, RawStudio, LightZone and a couple others, to output tiffs I then send to Gimp.

I'm an artist / designer / and more / jack of some trades / master of fewer. The artist part of me works in the "fine arts" (I hate that term) world, doing non-representational work, not greatly connected to my photography, mostly done in oils and oil related media, but also some mixed media including acrylics, collaged elements, whatever comes to hand.

to Gimp Chat lUminster.
Cant wait to see your work.

Welcome to Gimp Chat, lUminster. Longing for seeing your works.

Hello lUminster.

Welcome to Gimp Chat!

Welcome to the Forum and also to Gimp.

Hello lUminster, welcome to Gimp Chat and to Gimp!

Welcome lUminster!

to Gimp Chat lUminster
The G'MIC plugin is handy and as a photographer I think you'll find the Nine Degrees Below website useful for color management info. Also there is A Review of FLOSS Raw Processors, it's somewhat dated info but well worth the read.