Photo programme for the computer

[kestrelg]

I would like a photo programme for the computer where I could add or remove subjects.
For instance I have no photos of me and my father together and I am now 6 years older than he was when he died. My idea is to put us in the same frame, another idea is to put pictures of me at various ages.
It may sound daft but is it possible and can anyone recommend a programme

[Buenchico]

When people post here seeking photo-manipulation software I normally direct them to Serif PhotoPlus 6. It's completely free and fairly easy to use:
http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/Phot oPlus/default.asp

However I'm not sure whether it will meet your requirements. (i.e. I don't know whether it permits you to cut objects from one image and paste them into another. It's still worth downloading though, because it will provide you with an easy-to-use program for simple manipulation of your images).

For your specific requirements, you might need a programme which uses 'layers'. These tend be less intuitive than programs like Photoplus 6. (i.e. you need to read some tutorials to work out what to do) . However they offer far greater flexibility. The best commercial software is Photoshop. The 'professional' versions, such as 'CS4', cost hundreds of pounds. (I'm lucky enough to have an older professional version of Photoshop on my PC. It's my favourite program). The 'amateur' versions (e.g. 'Elements 7') are cheaper but don't offer that much more than the better free software, such as the Serif program above:
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/family /?promoid=BPDEK

Fortunately there's a free 'layer-based' program available, GIMP, which rivals the potential of Photoshop CS4. It takes a bit of getting used to but it's certainly worth downloading:
http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/stable.html
(NB: Download the manual as well - all 21.5Mb of it! - and do a bit of reading before using the program).

Chris

[ChuckFickens]

gimp is a fantastic bit of software considering it's totally free and would be my recommendation and would certainly allow you to do what you want.

but don't expect it to be easy to do if you really want it to look good.

[kestrelg]

Many many thanks to Buenchico (Chris) for a very detailed and excellent answer also to Chuck for a simplistic but nevertheless informative answer. I really appreciate your responses and you have demonstrated what a great site this is.

[fo3nix]

It's more difficult to get this stuff to look good and reasonable than you might think.

I would suggest you get some quotes from local places that do this kind of thing (Yellow pages should reveal some businesses).