PS+Alternatives

There are many great software options available. Photoshop CS is the cadillac of photo editing. It's also very pricey and complicated. Some other options include:

**Free**
Gimp http://www.gimp.org/ //GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as**[|photo retouching]**, image composition and **[|image authoring]**. It works on many operating systems, in many languages. (**[|more...]**)// [|Picasa]...from Google. Provides basic editing and excellent organization [|Ifranview]...More advanced options [|Photofiltre]...another more advanced program
 * [|Basic features]
 * [|Tutorial]...large screenshots of the most basic functions.
 * [|Video Tutorial]...29 minutes walking you through everything from downloading, installing to using.

Great gimp content from the 21stcentury tech wiki

http://21centuryedtech.wikispaces.com/GIMP

At the Woodside Tech Lab there is site licensing for Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop Elements. So why is GIMP the photo editing, creation, and manipulation program that is the favorite? Because it is free! You may be thinking that it should not matter since the others are already owned by the school. The reality is, programs that are most popular to students are the ones that they can also use at home. The most accessible programs for middle school students are ones that are free. A free program allows for some sense of equality in the growing digital divide. As educators,we must recognize that it is important for both technology and educational opportunities to find no boundary between the classroom and the home. In this sense, GIMP fills the need for a robust photo manipulation program that is in many ways equal to programs that can cost upwards of several hundred dollars. This page is dedicated to GIMP and the open source community that supports it. I am providing some material that allows GIMP to be learned and used in the classroom. I am hoping that others will share their ideas. Here is a [|video] about GIMP, where to get it, and how to install it.

Learn about [|GIMP] and be sure to download it. Learn about its [|features] and look over its [|user manual]. Take a look at these [|commonly asked questions].

//__**Learning GIMP - Here is a set of links and documents that can be used by teachers and students to learn about GIMP.**__//

I created a ten page activity packet called [|rose1_all.doc]. It allows students to go over and learn about some of GIMP's most popular features. Feel free to download and use it. You will also need pictures to complete the activity. I have supplied them below. Right click to download them. Once again, you cannot beat free. The  [|GIMP Site] offers the following tutorials for free. They range from [[|Beginner] | [|Intermediate] | [|Expert] | [|Photo Editing] | [|Web] | [|Script Authoring]]. Have fun learning more about GIMP!

[|Atomic Learning] offers great video clips for learning about software. Take a look at the [|Atomic Learning GIMP Clips]. Your school may already subscribe. If not, a teacher log in account can be created for under one hundred dollars a year.

I really liked this collection of [|25 Videos To Help You Get Started] showing great effects for using GIMP. It also provides some wonderful educational ideas.

//__**Activities for GIMP - Here is a partial collection of activities I have used with students involving GIMP.**__//


 * Editing Photos** - Download this [[image:http://www.wikispaces.com/i/mime/32/application/msword.png height="32" link="http://21centuryedtech.wikispaces.com/file/view/GIMP_edit.doc"]] [|GIMP_edit.doc]. Then Right click and download each picture. Students must use photo editing skills to make necessary fixes.


 * Picture Mock Up** - One of my favorite activities allows students to create a mock picture of a fictional event. First, they practice using this [[image:http://www.wikispaces.com/i/mime/32/application/msword.png height="32" link="http://21centuryedtech.wikispaces.com/file/view/lochness_word.doc"]] [|lochness_word.doc] and the pictures I have included below. Feel free to download these pictures of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Lake Michigan. Students will also need their own Loch Ness monster which I let them choose from a bag of various dinosaurs I purchased at a dollar store. (I downloaded a picture I shot so you can try the activity without spending a buck. The last shot is my final creation.) Using a digital camera students take a picture of their future Loch Ness Monster. When they are done they create their own pictures and then each one writes a paragraph to describe the picture. Give it a try. They are now ready to create their own mock up! Please feel free to share some creative GIMP ideas so they can be posted here for others to use.