Thank you so much steven8, I'll learn it in the link you have given me.

steven8,
Thanks for that. There is also a non-video tutorial from Pat David which covers more of the uses and, I think, is easier to follow.
http://blog.patdavid.net/2012/08/gettin ... ction.html

Issabella,
Heal Selection and Heal Transparency are part of the Resynthesize plug-in.
You can find information about obtaining the correct version and installing it at:
http://gimpforums.com/thread-how-do-i-g ... r-gimp-2-8

I suggest you look there, because I am not familiar with the versions for Windows.
If I can help in any way, just ask!

david.

Thank you David. I'll do it.

My tries on the pictures.

come on guys! Will you post your tries on photos?

My tries. I learnt to use Heal Selection & transparency! Good! , but still learning masks.

Issabella,
Thank you for asking about Heal Transparency and Heal Selection. I discovered that there is much more in this suite of programmes that I still have to learn about.
Now, as ordered, my try at your latest two photographs!

Bay Leaves: Intensified the colours using Colours/Components, Cropped to emphasise the main group of flowers, Duplicate Layer and add Radial Gradient. I darkened the top layer so that the corners become darker and blur 10px. Bottom layer - Wavelet Sharpen.

Tomatoes: G'MIC Foreground Extract. Background layer, darken and blur. Foreground layer I used curves to increase contrast and brightness, then cropped the image.

(That tomato looks very tasty!!!)

david.

Thanks David.
I find your results good balanced in your aims. Also, I appreciate your conclusions to get the desired target. So, I can see what steps are needed for it.
David, when you applied a radial gradient, was it from transparent to black with opacity low about 20% ? Thank you so much.

Issabella,

For the radial gradient, I added a layer mask to the top layer and put the gradient on the layer mask - Black in the middle, going towards white at the corners.
The black area was too small initially, so I used curves to darken the dark parts of the gradient.

I have attached a screen-shot because I don't think the explanation is very clear!

david.

Thank you so much David. Understood.

Issabella,

The screen-shot was with the mask visible, but I should have added that if you select the mask and have the picture visible, you can see the changes as you make them.
The other advantage of using a layer mask is that, if you don't like the result, just delete the layer and mask and you have your original image.

david.

Thank you so much David. Interesting what you say. I have to practise it to be sure I have understood it correctly.

Issabella,

I have created another tutorial! It shows the process that I went through with your Bay Leaves & Flowers Picture, particularly using a layer mask to apply the gradient.
I hope it may prove more useful than my previous attempts at explanation!

I have zipped the file to reduce its size.

david.

Thank you so much David. I'm sure that your tutorial will be very useful.

Another photograph for anyone to try!!!

david.

Thank you David. Your tutorial is really useful and very understandable, and easy to follow, too. Nice photo. Here my try.

Issabella,
I am glad the tutorial is useful. I try to explain why I use certain steps, so that others will understand the reasons and can adapt them to suit themselves.

Your result on the latest picture is very good!

Now for my try. I made a selection of the flowers and pasted it onto a new transparent layer. Then I used curves to darken and reduce contrast on the bottom layer - particularly in the brighter parts. I used a gaussian blur of 7px to slightly diffuse the leaves that were in focus. On the top layer, the flowers, I used curves to enhance the contrast slightly. I cropped the image.

david.

David, thank you for sharing your steps on your photography. I can see the good result with them in a delicate enhance transformation.
This photo, I leave for you all play. I see in it, dull colours, blur, and in the whole it isn't interesting at all. So when you experts see a photo as this is, I would like to know what your planning to act is on it. What is the first actuation? What is the best effect to get from a photo which isn't perfect? Are there an order in acting? I have many questions but these are the first ones.

Issabella,

For a reply to your question, I think you need a real expert, such as dinasset!

My first impression is that the photograph may be slightly overexposed - there is no true black and the flowers are too white, so lack detail.
As always, I used Luminosity Masks! I duplicated the image twice. On the top layer I added a LLL Luminosity Mask - only the flowers were white in this.
I used Colours/Curves to try and get some detail in the flowers.
The middle layer I used MMM Luminosity Mask with Colours/Curves. Left end of the line to the start of the histogram to produce a true black, then modified the curve to bring out details - particularly the branches with their lovely texture.
A couple of screen-shots to try and make it clear.
Finally, Wavelet Sharpening and an increase in saturation.

Where has everyone else gone on this thread - I am missing them!!!

david.

Here is another photograph for anyone to try. I would instinctively use masks to modify it. Others may have better solutions!

david.