Greetings,
Can you recommend a free photo editing program? I am a novice so I would need something basic. My main goal is to alter a few photos that I have, by removing unwanted parts of a few photos. I realize that Photoshop would be the ticket, but that is way more than I need. I already have photo programs that do very basic editing, but I need something a little more advanced.

thanks
rlight

Hello rlight,

Have you looked at the Graphics Design & Editing section of http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic3616.html

ah, I'm just going to go ahead and tell you to go with the GIMP (http://www.gimp.org) You can't really beat it for a freeware program. I can do almost anything in there that I can do with photoshop, minus a few nice features, but its definitely a program that rivals PS for me, at least. Plus, its sharpen and open as layer are awesome.

Thanks for the imput. I just finished downloading GIMP.. I want to change one of my photos that I took in San Francisco. I took a picture from Alcatraz of downtown San Francisco, however there is a guardrail in the bottom part of this photo. I would like to remove the guardrail, is this possible in GIMP? Any advice how I would attempt this?

thanks
rlight

If you're new at photo editing, perhaps a program with less of a 'learning curve' may help. Love Gimp but it helps if one knows photo editing basics first perhaps).

Below is a link to a program that I hope you enjoy using, rlight. The download site is 'brothersoftware' - a safe site thankfully (gentle hint - please always be exceeding careful of which site one chooses to download freeware from).

And it's free!!!

http://www.brothersoft.com/magix-xtreme-ph...gner-88653.html

One wee hint if you don't mind ... always, always use a copy of the original photo when editing! And to remove the fence from your photo, without being able to see it, suspect it's the 'clone' tool you'll need to use, no matter what program you work with.

Hope you find photo editing great fun!

Greetings MaraM,

Thanks for your help, I am in the process of downloading Magix Xtreme. One question, I know that I need to be extra careful where I download freeware from, but what is the best way for someone to know which one is a safe site?


thanks
rlight

One of our security experts here will surely pop in and give a full answer ... but in the meantime...

First, ensure you have a Firewall (bells and sirens go off when trying to download something that's nasty) - I use Sygate freeware; have at least two antivirus programs - I use Avast and ThreatFire and (both freeware) plus have AntiMalware; and I use Mozilla FireFox as my browser (it too lets you know if you've headed to a site where nasties lurk.

Then... always, always download a program by clicking 'save' (never 'Open' or 'Run') ... I save to my desktop because it's easiest for me.

1. Right click the appropriate icon on your desktop and another wee window opens ... I choose 'Scan with ...' (first one and then the other of above mentioned antivirus programs) and then again, this time with AntiMalware. (Know it must seem like overkill but some of the nasties are downright mean!).

lright, I wonder if I may make another suggestion ... it's so easy to 'loose' or forget about various programs we download and later dislike or simply never use, so to make my life simply I create separate folders under C: Drive/Programs.

For instance: Created C: Drive/Programs/Photo Editing ... and it's into that folder I install all the photo editing programs.

Please do let me know if you like the Magix Etreme ... there are so many different free programs to choose from - some truly lousy and others quite brilliant.

MaraM,

Thanks for the information, I already have Zone Alarm for my firewall and use AVG for virus protection. I appreciate the additional help.

I have downloaded Magix Xtreme and it fits me quite well. I've figured out how to remove various unwanted items in my photos with the 'clone' feature. Also, I've used the lasso tool to remove a 'head' on someone and replace it with a more favorable one. One question that I have is, regarding removing an object from one photo and adding it to another, where would I find in the manual step by step instructions to accomplish this? As I said I already did this, but I found it quite confusing.

thanks again for all your help.

rlight

Sorry I'm late getting back - but you are ever so welcome, rlight!

Re your question ...

What I do is open both photos ... the second one open with now be in a wee box at the bottom of the screen (for ease of doing things, I would open the photo where one wants to add something to first so it becomes the tiny imagine at the bottom).

With the photo you want to 'remove something from' now the larger photo, simply use your 'lasso tool' ... then click on edit>copy (along top of page)

Now click on the tiny photo down below - and it will automatically become the bigger one and enable you to work with it ...

Click once anywhere on the photo...
Click edit>paste

And poof, the new object should be sitting on the photo - ready to be moved into position, etc.

Do hope this helps, rlight!