Gimp, Picturenaut, and Windows 8 and saving to a jpg

[Kathy Burzynski]

Ok Gimp, Picturenaut are saving the photos in non jpg files and the 365, Picmonkey or other programs don't recognize them. Why can't I have a jpg as an option? Has anyone else experienced this and what can be done? I want to do HDR layers, or other special features but I'm not able to save the photos with the correct extensions.

Any ideas?

[Spirrow]

hmm... When I save on both these programs it gives me the option to choose a file type. What does the dialog box look like when you click "save as"?

[AutomaticSlim]

Gimp defaults to the native .xcf format I think, but you should have any number of options in a drop-down box towards the bottom of the "save as" dialogue. What version of Gimp do you have, and what's the file extension of the photos you have saved? As regards Picturenaut, their web site says explicitly that there's a jpeg save option. What you can't do with any software is to save an HDR as a jpeg because of the bit depth - it has to be tonemapped (ie. converted to an LDR) first.

[e.gad]

Did you try the Export option in Gimp? That should give you the option to save as jpg

[Trevor Baird]

if you are using gimp 2.0 you don't save to convert you must export so click export name your file and add the .jpg at the end

[Kathy Burzynski]

@spirrowshoot @loztsoul @egad @automaticslim @spirrowshoot
Thank you so much - I tried the export in Gimp and that worked! Woo Hoo.
I didn't the other one yet but I am so glad I could use Gimp.
Now I have to try to learn how to use this complicated program.
I don't have Photoshop at this time

[Trevor Baird]

@myhrhelper gimp is very awesome and to be honest I prefer it...the older version of gimp did the save so when I upgraded to 2.0 it took me a bit to figure out to always export to jpg :) glad to help!

[Kathy Burzynski]

@loztsoul Thank you! My first project on Gimp is my Get Pushed challenge to create a Planet photo. I don't have Photoshop and I didn't want to fail the challenge. I did a trial run with an old pic - just to see if it works & it does :)

Now I need to figure out how to do the HDR layering on it. My camera does good HDR right in the camera but I want to try it using the bracketing setting.

[Mick Porter]

In Picturenaut, it will generate an HDR image that cannot be saved as JPEG because its bit depth is greater than a JPEG allows for - a JPEG by its very nature is LDR.

Once you have created the HDR in Picturenaut just apply one of the tone-mapping options and you'll then have an image that can be saved as a JPEG.

Another free HDR program you may want to consider trying is Luminance HDR. I use both of them, depending on the look I'm after.

[John W. Cundiff]

@myhrhelper I tried HDR the old fashioned way with Picturenaut. I was not given the jpg option. I also want to know why?

[Kathy Burzynski]

@chapjohn I think what Mick just said is helpful. I went to Luminance and kept hitting next in the steps then I got to a section where you can select the operator at the top and click on tone mapping at the bottom. I can then save the image as a jpg. I think that Picturenaut probably works similar. I will go back & try that one again later. @pizzaboy Thank you Mick that was extremely helpful. I was able to figure out what to do in Luminance.

[Mick Porter]

@myhrhelper Glad you got it figured out :)