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GIMP Photo Editing

Free Photo Editor, Photoshop Alternative

Chris Parker, Phil Ebiner, and Video School

Do you want a professional application to edit & retouch your photos? And do you want it for free?

GIMP is the perfect solution for you. GIMP is a free application for Windows, Mac or Linux users with most of the capabilities you would find in Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo and other expensive photo editing applications.

This course will help any photographer become confident using GIMP to edit their photos.

Start editing your photos professionally, completely free with GIMP.

What will you learn in this GIMP course?

Read more

Do you want a professional application to edit & retouch your photos? And do you want it for free?

GIMP is the perfect solution for you. GIMP is a free application for Windows, Mac or Linux users with most of the capabilities you would find in Adobe Photoshop, Affinity Photo and other expensive photo editing applications.

This course will help any photographer become confident using GIMP to edit their photos.

Start editing your photos professionally, completely free with GIMP.

What will you learn in this GIMP course?

  • Make your photos look amazing

  • Learn all the essential photo editing tools in GIMP

  • Retouch portraits in GIMP

  • Crop, rotate and resize photos in GIMP

  • Learn the difference between layers in GIMP vs Photoshop

  • Edit RAW photos with GIMP using the free Darktable app

  • Make selections, and edit just parts of your photos

  • Adjust the color & tone of your photos in GIMP

  • Fix the exposure in your photos

  • Export your photos for online sharing, print, or any other purpose

  • How to create out-of-this-world photo composites (photo manipulation)

You'll learn the complete image editing process in GIMP. This really is the best GIMP course for photographers wanting to learn how to edit their photos in GIMP.

Get instant access to:

  • 5+ hours of easy-to-watch tutorials

  • Downloadable practice files

  • Assignments & activities to help you learn

  • Premium instructor support if you ever get stuck

  • Lifetime access to course updates

Learn professional tools just like in Photoshop:

  • Levels Tool

  • Curves Tool

  • Dodge & Burn Tool

  • Foreground Select Tool

  • Layer Masks

  • Sharpening

This course is project-based, using real-world & practical examples.

We've included downloadable practice photos for you to follow along with. And we've added 13 real-world editing projects showing you how to do everything from replacing skies to changing the color of clothing.

Who teaches this course?

This course is a partnership between Video School, one of the most popular and top-rated photography course creators on Udemy, and Chris Parker, a professional photographer and photo editor.

Watch a free preview of the course to get a sense of our teaching style and make sure this is the right course for you.

Start editing your photos like a pro today with this GIMP course.

Now is the time to learn GIMP, a free photo editing app that will help you become a better editor. Whether you're a professional photographer or just editing photos for fun, this is a great skill to have.

Enroll now and we'll see you inside.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Make your photos look amazing with gimp
  • Learn all the essential photo editing tools in gimp
  • Retouch portraits in gimp
  • Edit raw photos with gimp using the free darktable app
  • Make selections, and edit just parts of your photos
  • Adjust the color & tone of your photos in gimp
  • Fix the exposure in your photos
  • Export your photos for online sharing, print, or any other purpose
  • Give your photos style

Syllabus

Welcome to the GIMP Photo Editing Course
Download Resources
Get + Install GIMP
GIMP Quick Start Guide
Read more
Customize Your Workspace
Your First Edit in GIMP | Make it POP
How To Retouch in GIMP
How To Resize + Save in GIMP
3 Essential Tools For GIMP
Selection Tools in GIMP
Color + Tone Adjustments in GIMP
Understanding Layers in GIMP
Layers in GIMP
Layer Attributes in GIMP
Adjustment Layers in GIMP
Editing RAW Files with GIMP
Overview of Editing RAW Files with GIMP
How To Import Your Photos
Pre-defined Variables
Your First RAW Edit
How To Export Your RAW Files For Online Use or Print
Pro Editing Tips
Pro Tips | Intro
Pro Tips | Levels Tool
Pro Tips | Curves
Pro Tips | Dodge + Burn
Pro Tips | Foreground Select Tool
Pro Tips | Layer Masks
Pro Tips | Sharpening
10 Editing Projects
Free Stock Photo Resources
How To Replace a Sky
How To Create a Matte Effect
How To Create a Retro Effect
How To Create an HDR Image
How To Cut Out Hair
How To Change the Color of Clothing
How To Change the Color of Eyes
How To Fix an Overexposed Image
How To Whiten Teeth
How To Create a Custom Vignette
3 Photo Manipulation Projects | Compositing
How To Create a Double Exposure
How To Create a Glow Effect
How To Create a Majestic Animal
How color affects your photos and why you must master color now before editing
Guide
Intro
Color of Light
Color Management
Color Calibration
Pro Tips
Conclusion
Thank You Video
Bonus Lesson: Learn More Skills from Us

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in GIMP Photo Editing: Free Photo Editor, Photoshop Alternative with these activities:
GIMP Bible
Provide a comprehensive reference to GIMP's features and tools.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Acquire the GIMP Bible.
  • Read the chapters relevant to the course modules.
  • Experiment with the techniques described in the book.
Review Color Theory Fundamentals
Reinforce understanding of color theory concepts before diving into GIMP's color adjustment tools.
Browse courses on Color Theory
Show steps
  • Review notes on color theory principles.
  • Complete online quizzes on color models and color relationships.
  • Practice identifying colors and their properties in images.
Practice Selection Techniques
Improve proficiency with GIMP's selection tools for precise image editing.
Show steps
  • Download practice images with various selection challenges.
  • Use different selection tools to isolate objects in the images.
  • Refine selections using feathering and masking techniques.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create a Before/After Photo Series
Demonstrate your photo editing skills by creating a series of before and after photos.
Show steps
  • Select a set of photos that need improvement.
  • Edit each photo using GIMP to enhance its quality.
  • Create a side-by-side comparison of the before and after versions.
  • Write a brief explanation of the edits made to each photo.
Sky Replacement Project
Apply sky replacement techniques to enhance landscape photos.
Show steps
  • Find photos with dull or uninteresting skies.
  • Select new skies that complement the landscape.
  • Replace the original sky with the new sky using GIMP's tools.
  • Adjust the colors and tones to blend the sky seamlessly.
Create a Photo Editing Portfolio
Showcase your GIMP skills by creating a portfolio of edited images.
Show steps
  • Select a variety of photos to edit.
  • Edit the photos using the techniques learned in the course.
  • Write a brief description of the editing process for each photo.
  • Compile the edited photos and descriptions into a portfolio.
The Artist's Guide to GIMP
Explore GIMP's artistic capabilities beyond basic photo editing.
View The Artist's Guide to GIMP, 2nd Edition on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of The Artist's Guide to GIMP.
  • Read the chapters on digital painting and illustration.
  • Experiment with the techniques described in the book to create original artwork.

Career center

Learners who complete GIMP Photo Editing: Free Photo Editor, Photoshop Alternative will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Photo Editor
Photo editors are responsible for enhancing and manipulating digital images. They use software to adjust color, brightness, contrast, and sharpness, remove blemishes, and create composite images. This course helps anyone become confident using GIMP to edit their photos, and is therefore invaluable for aspiring photo editors. The course teaches essential photo editing tools in GIMP. With lessons on retouching portraits, adjusting color and tone, fixing exposure, and exporting photos for various purposes gives you a solid foundation in image manipulation. In particular, diving into adjustment layers in GIMP, understanding the levels and curves tool, dodging and burning, and sharpening can help photo editors refine their skills.
See salaries and explore the career path for Photo Editor
Portrait Photographer
Portrait photographers specialize in capturing images of individuals or groups of people. The better you are with editing, the better you will be as a portrait photographer. This course is designed to help any photographer become confident using GIMP to edit their photos, teaching essential photo editing tools, retouching portraits, adjusting color and tone, and fixing exposure. By understanding how color affects photos, this course will prepare you to edit portraits to the best of your abilities.
See salaries and explore the career path for Portrait Photographer
Freelance Photographer
Freelance photographers work independently, offering their services to clients on a per-project basis. It is imperative for freelance photographers to be able to edit and retouch their photos to deliver high-quality results. This course is designed to help any photographer become confident using GIMP to edit their photos professionally. The course covers all the essential photo editing tools in GIMP, including retouching portraits, adjusting color and tone, fixing exposure, and creating special effects. The course includes real-world editing projects such as replacing skies and changing the color of clothing.
See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Photographer
Digital Artist
Digital artists create artwork using digital tools and software. They need a strong understanding of composition, color theory, and design principles, as well as proficiency in digital painting and photo manipulation software. This course provides a practical introduction to GIMP, a powerful and free alternative to Photoshop, enabling digital artists to enhance their skills. The course covers a comprehensive range of photo editing tools, including color adjustments, retouching, and creating photo composites. The photo manipulation projects are especially relevant, teaching you how to create double exposures, glow effects, and majestic animal composites.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Artist
Product Photographer
Product photographers specialize in capturing images of products for marketing and e-commerce purposes. This course can be immensely helpful for product photographers, especially those who want to save money on expensive software like PhotoShop. By understanding layers in GIMP, using adjustment layers, and editing RAW files with GIMP, you can bring your product photography to the next level. Learning the levels tool and curves in GIMP are also extremely beneficial in product photography.
See salaries and explore the career path for Product Photographer
Real Estate Photographer
Real estate photographers specialize in capturing images of properties for sale or rent. Given the importance of visual appeal in real estate marketing, this course can be highly beneficial in enhancing property photos. The course covers essential photo editing tools in GIMP, enabling real estate photographers to adjust color and tone, fix exposure issues, and create visually appealing images. Lessons on replacing skies and creating HDR images are particularly useful for showcasing properties in the best possible light.
See salaries and explore the career path for Real Estate Photographer
Content Creator
Content creators produce engaging material for various media channels, including blog posts, videos, and social media. This course is well-suited for content creators who wish to improve the aesthetic quality and visual appeal of their photos. The course teaches all the essential photo editing tools in GIMP, allowing content creators to quickly and efficiently fix and improve their photos. The course covers how to retouch portraits, adjust color and tone, and create custom effects, which helps content creators produce eye-catching visuals that attract and retain audiences.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Landscape Photographer
Landscape photographers specialize in capturing images of natural landscapes. Because the quality of images is critical, this course will be beneficial to landscape photographers, as it provides essential skills in photo editing. This course helps any photographer become confident using GIMP to edit their photos professionally. Focusing on tools within GIMP, the course teaches about levels, curves, dodge and burn, and the foreground select tool.
See salaries and explore the career path for Landscape Photographer
Studio Photographer
Studio photographers work in a controlled environment to capture high-quality images of people, products, or events. This course may be useful for studio photographers that want to learn about photo editing and retouching. The course teaches the essential editing tools in GIMP such as levels, curves, dodge and burn, sharpening, and layer masks. The course includes a number of pro editing tips that studio photographers may find useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Studio Photographer
Graphic designer
Graphic designers create visual concepts to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers. They may work on logos, websites, marketing materials, and other visual elements. This course may be helpful for graphic designers needing to manipulate photos. This GIMP course helps build competency by showing you how to adjust color and tone, fix exposure, and export photos for online sharing. Furthermore, the course details how to create various effects such as matte, retro, and HDR images. By mastering these skills, graphic designers can enhance their designs and create compelling visual content.
See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer
Social Media Manager
Social media managers are responsible for creating, scheduling, and analyzing content across various social media platforms. Visual content is a critical component of successful social media campaigns. This course may be helpful to learn how to edit photos for social media. The course covers the essential photo editing tools in GIMP, enabling social media managers to enhance their photos for increased engagement and reach. The course teaches you how to crop, rotate, and resize photos in GIMP. You will also learn how to adjust the color and tone of your photos. All of this can translate to better content for digital platforms.
See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Manager
Marketing Coordinator
Marketing coordinators support marketing teams in developing and executing marketing campaigns. This course may be helpful for marketing coordinators who wish to learn how to edit photos for marketing materials. The course covers the essential photo editing tools in GIMP, which helps to enhance photos for various marketing initiatives. The course teaches you how to adjust the color and tone of your photos in GIMP, how to fix overexposed images, and how to create a custom vignette. This can result in materials that draw consumers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Coordinator
Illustrator
Illustrators create original artwork for a variety of media, including books, magazines, and websites. This course may be useful if you are an illustrator who wants to create or edit images for your illustrations. The course teaches you how to create out-of-this-world photo composites and photo manipulations. It also teaches you how to create a double exposure and a glow effect. By the conclusion of the course, you will have learned pro editing tips such as how to use the levels tool and curves.
See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator
Web Designer
Web designers plan, create, and code internet sites and web pages, many of which may include imagery. This course may be useful for web designers who wish to learn about photo editing and retouching. The course provides a comprehensive overview of photo editing tools in GIMP, which is comparable to Photoshop. The course reviews how to crop, rotate, and resize photos. In addition, the course teaches you how to export your photos for online sharing, which is important for web design.
See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer
Photojournalist
Photojournalists capture images to tell stories and document current events for news organizations. While their primary focus is on capturing authentic moments, a basic understanding of photo editing can be helpful for optimizing images for publication. This course may be useful for photojournalists for learning how to enhance the visual appeal of their photos. Covering essential photo editing tools in GIMP, the course may assist photojournalists with adjusting color and tone, fixing exposure, and cropping images for optimal impact.
See salaries and explore the career path for Photojournalist

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in GIMP Photo Editing: Free Photo Editor, Photoshop Alternative.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
The GIMP Bible comprehensive guide to using GIMP, covering everything from basic image editing to advanced techniques. It serves as a valuable reference for users of all skill levels. provides in-depth explanations of GIMP's tools and features, making it an excellent resource for expanding your knowledge beyond the course material. It is particularly useful for understanding the nuances of GIMP's interface and workflow.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check
Cover image
The Artist's Guide to GIMP, 2nd Edition
Save
Focuses on using GIMP for artistic purposes, such as creating digital paintings and illustrations. It goes beyond basic photo editing and explores GIMP's capabilities as a creative tool. The Artist's Guide to GIMP is beneficial for students interested in using GIMP for more than just photo retouching. It provides inspiration and techniques for creating original artwork.
The Artist's Guide to GIMP, 2nd Edition
Paperback
Check
The Artist's Guide to GIMP, 2nd Edition
Kindle Edition
Check

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Effort
5.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructors
Chris Parker
Phil Ebiner
Video School
Language
English
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