# Whats the best free photo editing software?



## Phot (Feb 20, 2012)

At present all I really want to do is blur the background of a picture, but I imagine that I will want to do more at some point.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Feb 20, 2012)

google GIMP


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## Phot (Feb 20, 2012)

Hey, I got that. Where is the blur feature located?


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## 480sparky (Feb 20, 2012)

The teardrop icon in the Toolbox window.

Or, Tools > Paint Tools > Blur/Sharpen.

Or Shift + U.


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## Phot (Feb 20, 2012)

I found this online. Thanks, I'm glad I didn't have to buy new software or download more stuff I don't need.


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## 2WheelPhoto (Feb 20, 2012)

yeah this forum is awesome


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## ann (Feb 20, 2012)

try photoscape, my students love it


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## SCraig (Feb 20, 2012)

Phot said:


> I found this online. Thanks, I'm glad I didn't have to buy new software or download more stuff I don't need.


Be careful using that.  Anyone who has looked at photographs for any amount of time can tell that it is just plain wrong since not everything should be out of focus.


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## bobandcar (Feb 20, 2012)

i use photoscape currently but been tinkering with gimp


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## dxqcanada (Feb 20, 2012)

You should take a look at GimpShop
http://gimpshop.com/


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## Tstandiford (Feb 21, 2012)

Yeah gimp is pretty great once you learn how to use it. Some great gimp tutorials can be found here: Gimped! Gimp Tutorials


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## jowensphoto (Feb 21, 2012)

Not trying to hijack or whatever, but this is one of those things that shouldn't have to be done in post. Using a wider aperture will acheive this in camera.


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## KmH (Feb 21, 2012)

If the camera has a small image sensor (physical size), like so many Bridge and P&S cameras do, a wider aperture won't help much, if any.


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## cathyhill (Jan 7, 2014)

I have to say I really love this forum cuz you can always find the answer that you want. But I have little suggestion that will it be more perfect if this forum allows people to mark the best as a solution:blushing:? Because it will save later readers a lot of time by reducing the time to read all these posts.
By they way, thanks for recommending GIMP. The only good image editor that I know is Photoshop.


Phot said:


> At present all I really want to do is blur the background of a picture, but I imagine that I will want to do more image editing function at some point.


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## Tailgunner (Jan 7, 2014)

jowensphoto said:


> Not trying to hijack or whatever, but this is one of those things that shouldn't have to be done in post. Using a wider aperture will acheive this in camera.



Yes ma'am, that technique takes some practice but produces really nice results. 

Anyhow, my vote is on CS6. I've been playing with some old practice panning shots that didn't quite have enough motion blur. It's amazing what you can do in a few minutes once you figure it out.


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## KmH (Jan 7, 2014)

Which Photoshop? There are several.

Photoshop Elements - version 12 is current
Photoshop Lightroom - version 5 is current and specifically designed for photographers.
Photoshop Creative Suite (CS) - version 13 is more commonly known as CS 6
Photoshop Creative Cloud (CC) - which is a monthly subscription service that is effectively version 14 of Photoshop Creative Suite, but Creative Suite is no longer offered.

But, there are other good image editing applications.


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## Josh66 (Jan 7, 2014)

KmH said:


> Which Photoshop? There are several.


The one that's free, per the OP.

Did you not notice that this thread is nearly 2 years old?  Usually you're good about noticing that sort of thing.  


GIMP is going to be damn hard to beat for "best free editing software".  Even now, in "the future".


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