In Photos dot Org

GIMP 2.4 is out

The new release of GIMP 2.4 is finally out! Sven announced it on the Gimp User mailing list this morning. It seems like forever since 2.2 was released but he has promised that 2.6 won’t be as long in the making.

The roadmap for GIMP 2.6 will be discussed over the next weeks on the gimp-developer mailing-list. We can only tell you so much now: It is going to rock and it shouldn’t take as long to get it done as it took to finish GIMP 2.4. If you want to join the effort, your help is much appreciated.

GIMP.org is fairly slow now but the release notes have the low down on changes since 2.2. Some of the biggest user visible changes include red eye removal, healing tool and a better alignment tool. Plugins and scripts now live in the same place, the “Filters” menu. I’m using the rc3 release in Ubuntu Linux 7.10 and it’s been rock solid for the past few days. I’m sure Ubuntu will update their .deb package in the next few days.

After you update, get the GIMP Lomo plugin I posted yesterday. It’s 2.4 ready! 🙂

Trust on the street

Trust on the street

Have you ever thought about how you’re manipulated by the brands?

Trust Boots.

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	10mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/800s

GIMP Lomo Plugin

This is a slighly modified version of an old GIMP Lomo plugin I’ve used for ages that will now work with the new GIMP 2.4 release thanks to some advice I remembered reading on the GIMP User mailing list. The original plugin is by Francois Le Lay but hasn’t been updated since 2005. It’s a basic script but it’s very effective. Just be warned, if you resize your image, make sure you right click on the Vignette layer and click “Layer to image size” before the resize. Otherwise odd things happen!

Download

Download gimplomo.scm.

Install

Installation is easy. Simply copy gimplomo.scm into your .gimp-2.4/scripts/ folder and restart the GIMP. It will appear as Image->Filters->Light and Shadow->Lomo.

Example Images

Below are two before and after examples of what the Lomo plugin does to images. I have also posted fake lomo photos in the past which should give a really good idea of what it’s capable of.

Before and After Lomo images

Why the change to Script-fu?

Script-fu in GIMP 2.4 requires that variables be defined before using them which has broken a lot of Script-fu scripts unfortunately. In theory it’s a great change because it tightens up on sloppy programming but it hurts the end user!

Parked Motorbikes

Parked Motorbikes

Two motorbikes parked on the South Mall attracted my attention especially as a strong sun reflected off the clean chrome.

Yes, I know there’s a weird diagonal, yes it is distracting. Yes, it is intentional. Enjoy!

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	10mm
ISO	200
Shutter speed	1/200s

10 minutes left in Halifax & Late Late Show Extra competition

Just in case you have the perfect image to submit to the Halifax & Late Late Show Extra competition the closing date is today, in about 10 minutes. That’s right. 6pm is the deadline. First prize is €10,000. Is that worth 10 minutes of your time? I’m going to enter if I can find a suitable image!

St. Anne’s Church Tower

St. Anne’s Church

The Shandon bell tower of St. Anne’s Church is one of the most recognisable sights around Cork. Here it is viewed from the end of Academy Street by Patrick’s Street.

Aperture	ƒ/5.6
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	106mm
ISO	400
Shutter speed	1/250s

Through the long grass

Through the long grass

Hard wind worn grass grows by the beach at Wine Strand in Co. Kerry. I think this is perfect in black and white.
The blue sky was amazing but the light and shadow of the grass stands out against the uniform background.

I shot my first sports stuff in ages yesterday. A few of us from Mallow Camera Club made it to the Cobh Ramblers game against Dundalk and had free reign to walk around the perimeter of the football pitch.
I was almost hit a few times by the ball, including one time near the goal when I was zooming in on the action, with the camera in burst mode. I spotted the ball heading my way in the frame and stepped to the side a lit second before the ball landed where I was standing. Phew. Got the pic too 🙂
More about the day’s shooting during the week!

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	10mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/160s

Rain blows over Slea Head

Rain blows over Slea Head

Rain descended on us moments after I took this shot as it sped across the bay and over Slea Head from the south!

This was taken above Couminole Beach.

Aperture	ƒ/5
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	18mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/500s

Yellow Walking Man

Yellow Walking Man

An arrow points the way for walkers near Wine Strand on the Dingle Peninsula. Across the water is Ballydavid or Baile na nGall.

Beautiful clear skies, lovely calm water. Ideal weather.

Aperture	ƒ/13
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	20mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/160s

Photoshopped in real life

If you don’t read xkcd you’re missing out 🙂

Dingle

Dingle

The town of Dingle, or “An Daingean” as it’s officially known as now. The name change has upset many local people who mourn the loss of their identity and fear that the brand recognition of the name Dingle will be lost on (mostly American) tourists who flock here through out the summer.

The 2005 Placenames Order changed the name and it’s an utterly silly law. Yes the town is in an Gaeltacht, the Irish speaking part of the country. Yes, more people (hopefully?) speak Irish in those parts than in others, but a region does not survive on it’s own without interaction with non-Irish speaking people. I’m all in favour of An Gaeilge but this law is wrong.
Luckily, locals have stencilled the word “Dingle” back onto most signage but they missed a few signs here and there.

Aperture	ƒ/11
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	40mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/320s

The waves at Couminole

The waves at Couminole

Waves about to crash down on the nearby rocks at Couminole Beach on Slea Head, Co. Kerry.

Originally this was in colour but it lacked punch. Converting it to black and white and slightly overexposing the blue channel created this dramatic scene.

Aperture	ƒ/5.6
Camera	Canon EOS 20D
Focal length	125mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/320s