Beginning Photo Retouching and Restoration Using GIMP

This thoroughly revised book teaches you how to retouch and restore photos using the most up-to-date version of GIMP, currently in version 2.10.32. GIMP (which was version 2.8 at the time) has undergone many improvements since the first edition of this book was published in 2014. This updated edition explores some of the latest tools and features.

GIMP is a free, open source image editing program that is an alternative to Adobe Photoshop. GIMP is cross-platform, and can be installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Basic knowledge of GIMP is helpful, but Chapter 1 provides an overview of GIMP, helping beginners become acquainted with this powerful program. GIMP is a powerful program that offers a wide set of features for just about any type of retouching or restoration work. Readers will follow along using the step-by-step tutorials to duplicate the results using the same practice images used in the lessons.

What You Will Learn:

• Acquiring the best scans and digitizing large photographs
• Digitally repairing damaged prints, correcting color shifts, even colorizing black and white images
• Adjusting contrast and exposure to make dull images 'pop'
• Removing cracks, creases, tears, and blemishes
• Retouching portraits, and replacing backgrounds
• Turning 'unfixable' photos into digital art
• Preserving your newly restored and printed photographs, and properly storing originals

This book is for anyone interested in retouching or restoring photos, whether they are family archivists genealogists,  photographers, designers, or students-particularly those requiring a powerful program, but don't want or need to use Adobe's subscription-based service to access Photoshop. 

Phillip Whitt is an author, photo retouch professional and graphic designer. He is the author of several Apress books and video tutorials pertaining to image editing. He has edited, retouched, and restored countless digital images since the late 1990s. Mr. Whitt has served both clients from the general public and a number of commercial clients over the years. In addition to over 20 years of image editing and graphic design experience. In addition to writing and working with images, Phillip continues to learn.  In recent years, he's earned an Expert Rating Certification in Adobe Photoshop Skills, as well as VTC certifications in GIMP and Scribus.