I've been playing around with lighting and taking zoom shots, various things with my camera and my last bunch of takes, a couple of pictures came out really cute. So today I dove in and tried my first photo manipulation to make something out of a real picture. Nothing fancy and the differences are standing out big time as to the differences between virtual photo manipulation and real photo manipulation. But it's a start. The biggest thing I had to do, which I hadn't successfully done before was, in the very center of the manipulation it was glaringly bright white and yellow...so with a -layer mask- (i'm learning!)...i fiddled around with color levels and layer modes and got it to a state that blends in with the rest of the background. The edge is a bit sharper yet than I'd like though I smudged and blurred..but also realized that it always would be due to the fact the light was hitting at that angle...but..it is way better than I used to do...and than the way it looked before.
I just had to show it off....
By the way..this is one of my outdoor kitties, the shot just came out way to precious to not do something with it.

The Original Picture


Looking Coy by Jorden, on Flickr

The Manipulation


He did it! by Jorden, on Flickr

Thanks for all the wonderful support and encouragement that is received here!

The quad-flip seamless texture; there are a lot of other cool things for you to explore too Jorden. Do Fractal Trace (under the map dialogue). Keep exploring and GIMP will be your oyster.

Looks very nice, the original picture is good as well. Have you showed the Cat it's new picture?

That is very nice Jorden. cute cat.

He thinks he is the cat's meow!

Goes off to look at fractal trace.....thanks all!

Oh! AND I get my wacom bamboo tablet tomorrow!!! woohoo!