[simpbow]

A question for some of yous more experienced guys, in Rawtherapee it lists Harmonic 1-4 on shows the guide, but am totally lost so i thought id pick someones brain on this, cheers Simpbow.

[silkstone]

I think it's based on the 'Golden Ratio' which is about 1:1.61, but 'Harmonic' isn't a term I've come across in photography before.

I Googled around and found this, which has some interesting comments later in the thread.

rawtherapee.com :: View topic - Harmonic Means

[simpbow]

Cheers Silky thanx for that, I'll check that out later. just interested, have you used this piece of software?

[silkstone]

I did try it some time ago, and it seemed very promising but rather slow - maybe the later versions are faster. I've settled on Bibble Pro, and I haven't looked at alternatives for a while. Are you using it on Windows or Linux?

[simpbow]

Windows, this computers a bit slow just like me, but for a free piece of kit i don't think its to bad for what it has to offer.

[silkstone]

If you're into free or Open Source / GNU software, you may like to check out the latest version of The GIMP. The interface is a bit odd if you're used to PS-type software, but it can be configured quite easily. It's also very powerful and full-featured, once you find your way through the menu system.

There is no browser built into The GIMP. In Windows, I'd recommend the Faststone Viewer - that's also free. You can set this up to launch a selected thumbnail in any application you choose, just by pressing 'E' (for Edit).

If you want, you can also use UFRaw as a front end to The GIMP for RAW processing, though last time I tried this I wasn't too keen on it.

[simpbow]

Cheers Silky, keep that in mind, not really into free stuff when editing as you need something decent but thought this wasn't to bad for what it offered & would keep it as another alternative to use along with Capture One Four.

[silkstone]

The GIMP is Open Source Software (OSS) and therefore free, but actually it has features missing from applications such as Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop Elements.

I'm not trying to push it too hard (honestly ) but it's a mistake to think of OSS as inferior just because it's free. The same applies to OpenOffice. One advantage of Open Source applications (apart from the price!) is that their fate is not dependent on corporate shenanigans - nobody can buy them out and discontinue them, and they'll be around for as long as people want them. Also, bugs tend to be fixed quickly, and anyone who's interested can participate in their development.

Although it's unlikely, Adobe may disappear sometime or be bought out by a predator who wants you to buy their stuff instead - just like Adobe themselves did with Pixmantec, and with Aldous many years ago. The GIMP is forever.

P.S. Don't confuse genuine OSS with applications that someone writes and gives away free. With OSS the source code is in the pubic domain, and literally thousands of people throughout the world may be contributing to its development.

[simpbow]

Cheers for that Silky, didnt know that.