Photoshop Versus the Gimp

Every digital and graphic artist knows about Photoshop. There is also the open source bitmap editor, the Gimp which is completely free to use for personal and commercial use. It is just a matter of preference. Here we will discuss the benefits and downfalls of both graphics programs.
Photoshop is commercial and very expensive. It is almost always considered the standard for a professional artist or photographer. The upgrades are not free and thus adds another cost in keeping up  with the latest Photoshop updates. The benefits outweigh the cost if one can afford it. Photoshop has many excellent photo editing tools but also has a steep learning curve. The good news is that there are many free tutorials to be found on the intenet on using Photoshop to its fullest potential. The Gimp, on the other hand also has many tools and filters that is totally free to use. Updates are always free and thus is the most economical graphics editor for the casual artist to the professional. 

The Gimp however lacks a shape tool that is similar to Photoshop. One can make very basic shapes in the Gimp. Photoshop, however has a much more advanced shape creator which is a very important tool for artists especially graphic artists. This is probably one of the major differences in Photoshop and the Gimp. Other than that both programs are both excellent for digital imaging and photo retouching.  It is just a matter of how much one wants to spend on graphics software. If one is just starting their out new, the Gimp is the way to go. Another alternative would be to find an older version of Photoshop which would be cheaper. This can be done by searching on Ebay or Amazon. This is not easy to do these days because those rare older copies of Photoshop still maintain their value. People are hanging on to their prized possessions and when they do appear they are snatched up as fast as they are listed. 

Software and Tools For New Artists on a Tight Budget

Are you and or artist and photographer who is wanting to promote your work but are on a limited budget?   Here are some tips and suggestions.
First of if you cant afford a new DSLR camera, go for a high end point and shoot camera such as Canon.  Some of the high end point and shoots are better than the lowest price DSLR cameras.  You can find a high end point and shoot for around 3 or 4 hundred dollars and perhaps even cheaper.  You will also need a photo editing program such as Adobe Photoshop or the Gimp.  The latest version of Photoshop CS5 is very expensive but there is an alternative if you prefer Photoshop over the Gimp.  You can still buy an older version of photoshop 7 from Ebay for much cheaper.  It does run on Vista if you set your compatibility mode correctly.  This version of photoshop does not require the annoying activation that the newer versions require.  There are tons and tons of free filters that run well on Photoshop 7.  Just Google it.  Photoshop 7 has all the basic photo editing needs you can want.  I have found that the only difference between this version of Photoshop and the newer version of Photoshop is that there are a few more features such as content aware and 3D tools.  However, you will pay much more for the latest version of Photoshop just to get these features which is really not necessary if you only need to do simple image editing to prepare your photos for the market.
There are many photo stock sites where you can sell your photos.  Many of these sites have a strict criteria for the photos that you submit which can be somewhat discouraging.  Photos can be rejected often and it is very time consuming.  There are sites where you have much more control over the photos you submit.  One such photo site is Clustershot.  You can upload your photos for free and set your own prices.  If you have your own website or blog, you can sell prints, cards and downloads with FotoMoto.  All one has to do is sign up for a free account with FotoMoto.  They give you a script and you paste it into your website.  It grabs your photos that you want to sell and adds them to your secure online store with FotoMoto.  The FotoMoto script then adds buy buttons automatically underneath all your photos located on your website.  One can also have many websites registered with Fotomoto to sell photos.  People can then choose to buy your photos from your website.  Once they have selected their order it takes them to the secure checkout with Fotomoto.  This is a super idea especially if your site does not have SSL which is required to accept credit cards.  Both Clustershot and Fotomoto take approximately 15 percent from your photo sales.  This is acceptable considering selling photos on one of the major stock sites may only give you a few dollars each or less for your photos.
It is never easy one way or the other to sell photos and artwork.  It is a lot of work, time and effort on the part of the individual.  Most will not make any money overnight because there are factors such as the bigger competitors, search engine optimization, setting up a website and many other things.  It definitely can be a  24/7 job.  However, if you love photography and art time will have no meaning.  

Those Bad Photo Shots May Be Good For Something

Have you ever had photo shots that didn't turn out so well. Perhaps the picture had a bad angle or poor composition. Well, there is still hope for that rotten photo to come in handy providing it is not out of focus or a poor resolution. Even then the worst of the crop can do with a complete makeover. This is where photo manipulation does its job.
Powerful editing programs such as Photoshop have many filters and plugins that can do amazing transformations. Camera shots that didn't go well usually are good candidates for abstraction photo manipulation. This is because it is the easiest form of digital editing to achieve with photographs that contain unwanted bad lighting, uneven color, and so forth. All these faults in a photo can be completely controlled by added effects, color control, and much more. It is just a matter of experimentation till you come up with a unique design or look that catches your eye. The end result is a completely new picture that can be worth something and one more added to your photo collection.

The image above is an example of extreme photo manipulation.  Although the before photo is not entirely undesirable it could use simple editing such as cropping and perhaps removing the stump in the background.  Overall, this photo has many possibilities.  It can be edited just enough to leave it in its natural state or completely altered to create a new image.