Linux Flash Drive

Getting to grips with photo manipulation: Transforming images to black and white in GIMP

Sep 28

authorLinux Flash Drive digital cameras, kettle, laptops No Comments

These days everyone seems to be a photo editing expert but it doesn’t mean that the programs for such tasks are easy to get your head around. Transforming colored images into black and white is likely to be an essential skill you’ll need to learn. This tutorial is based on GIMP a photo manipulation program which basically acts as the free version of the costly Photoshop software. I feel that this program has a far simpler interface for beginners.

Once you have retrieved the image you would like to edit from your digital cameras or the internet, your best bet for cementing these techniques is to stick on the kettle, boil yourself a tea and simply try out the different methods of achieving B&W images to see which works best.

I myself am no manipulation expert but these are the three methods I have learnt by experimenting with GIMP and my Dell laptops own editing program that came packaged with it.

Grayscale:

(Right click the image - Mode - Grayscale)

This is the most popular method for creating B&W images, though it works less well with images with low green channels (read as; less green colouring). The grayscale method supposedly mimics the human eyes sensitivity to different colours.

Desaturate:

(Right click the image - Colours - Desaturate)

Unlike Grayscale, the RBG channels in Desaturate mode are not remixed to different percentages, so different results should occur. Images transformed to B&W via this method tend to have more ‘noise’ (or blur) which can be desirable or undesirable depending on what you want for you image.

Channel mixer:

(Right click - Components - Channel Mixer - Monochrome (tick box))

Flexibility is the main attractive trait of this method. Once the monochrome box has been selected, you can trial different levels of the red, blue and green channels. Experimenting with these levels will affect the contrast and noise of the picture. Working out which percentages of each work best is all part of the fun!

What MacBook Notebook computer Will you Select?

Sep 12

authorLinux Flash Drive apple laptops, laptops, macbook, macbook air, macbook pro, notebook computers No Comments

As it pertains to laptop computers it is challenging to beat the MacBook. However the question you could be asking yourself is which MacBook laptops are the best. There’s a serious competition involving the  MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. The one which you ought to choose will probably depend upon precisely what you will use  your laptop for. Everyone is unique and there are pros and cons to both these laptops  so it is important to do your research.

When a thinner laptop is precisely what you need then the MacBook Air should be the one you choose. This laptop has been called  the worlds thinnest notebook computer and comes in at .76 inches. This laptop offers a new multi-touch track pad which  makes use of a  variety of motions which you can use with your fingers. Additionally, it offers a backlit full size  keyboard that enables  you to  still see even in the dark. It truly is energy efficient that you  are not going to get  with other types of  laptops and that’s why it has the capacity to use a  thinner lid as compared with others. A handful of of the cons may include no mobile broadband, no sd slot and no express card slot to list a few .

With regards to the MacBook pro it comes into play weighing only just 2 pounds. It also  features outstanding  battery life that can last you about 5 hours for a full charge. It gives you a full sized keyboard and possesses  a big 13.3″ screen for all of your viewing needs. It has exactly the same LED technology as available in the Air and is also reported to be more typist compatible then its competition. The Pro includes a number of  options that you won’t  find if you select the Air.

In regards to  which laptop you should choose it’ll depend on what features you must have and what you cannot live without. After you have considered the pros  and cons of each laptop you could then  develop a  much better idea of which one it is that will work the best for you and your needs.