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If you are seeking the best FREE photo editing software out there, then you must check out GIMP. GIMP is, as defined by their website (www.gimp.org) "the GNU Image Manipulation Program". GIMP is open source software that you can download, for FREE, for many operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and UNIX.

I am a graphic designer by trade, and I eagerly downloaded GIMP one day to try it out. I am a big fan of open source software, such as Open Office, and GIMP because I believe that software developed in this manner tends to evolve into the most useful tool for the greatest number of people. Many minds can create almost perfect programs due to the infinite ways in which people can think and grow.

However, back to GIMP. I downloaded GIMP as an alternative to Photoshop. I use Photoshop at work everyday for such tasks as image color correction, image manipulation and retouching. I was seeking some FREE software that performed similar to Photoshop, in that it had many of the same features, such as cloning, healing, color correction, layers, font features, gradients, shapes, patterns and more. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that GIMP has all of these features and performed these tasks in a similar fashion as Photoshop. Once I had downloaded GIMP, it took me no time at all to begin to use it as I would Photoshop.

First of all, I opened up a recent digital photo that I had taken of my daughter outside in the woods. The sun in the photo was behind my daughter, and the shadows had cast darkness on her face. If I had simply lightened the entire photo with GIMP, the vegetation in the background would be too light. Instead, I made a duplicate layer of the base picture. Then, I created a mask on the top copy of the photo. My purpose for this was to lighten her shadowy face, but keep the background in it's original state. So, using GIMP, I lightened the top layer. Then, I masked out the background of the lighter layer, keeping in mind to blend the difference between the two layers. And there you go! I had the photo adjusted correctly in no time at all, AND I did not have to pay thousands of dollars to get the software.

Simply put, GIMP is the best FREE software for photo editing that you can find on the internet. You can create, modify and enhance any digital image with GIMP with ease and confidence. The best way to enjoy GIMP is to download it and begin to use it right away. In no time at all you will become a photo editing expert without having to pay an arm and a leg.

Learn more about this author, Merri Weaver.
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