Getting Started..., Training/Tools I'm using to get started with space image processin Options

[davidleaphart]

Hi Folks,

Taking the plunge! I'm very interested in pursuing the extraordinary area of space image processing. There is so much data and we all are in a good position to make it available to everyone after doing some work to correct any flaws and/or enhancements.

I'm coming from an astrophysics background along with a professional art career. I'm an intermediate Photoshop user and new to GIMP. I developed a curriculum to get myself elevated in these tools with the goal of coming at the data with a solid knowledge of the tools. I figured Photoshop and GIMP were the best places to start and investigate other tools and advanced techniques as time moves along.

These are my plans and I'm in no way endorsing any of these! These are simply the classes and books I've chosen and they are working well for me.

My tools are Photoshop CS2 V9.0.2 and GIMP V2.10.4.

For Photoshop, I have three references. The Photoshop CS2 User Guide (Adobe), Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers (Evening), and Real World Adobe Photoshop CS2 (Fraser/Blatner). My course of interactive training comes from TotalTraining. It is the Total Training for Adobe Photoshop CS2. They have numerous Photoshop classes and are very inexpensive. The course is very complete and can be used to even achieve a Photoshop certification. As I go along, I use my references and my own copy of CS2.

For GIMP, I have not looked for a course yet. (Total Training has none.) This training will follow Photoshop. I do have two references. The GIMP User Guide (GIMP) and Book of GIMP (LeCarme). From what I've seen so far, these are very good.

While training, I'm researching (thanks to Unmanned Spaceflight.com as a good source for leads) the data stores. Right now, I'm accumulating links and looking. The other is to read as much as possible to see what others like us are doing. There are many articles with the work from this group of folks! Good stuff.

Hope this may help in some way.

David