Many years ago I used to do three exposures on one film negative using red, green and blue filters to give the waves or waterfall a rainbow effect. Digital has made it so much easier and Gimp does it perfectly! I took three pictures of the waves on the shore, with camera on a tripod. By using the decompose and compose filters I got this effect. This is my first tutorial and I hope everyone likes it.



01) I took three separate pictures with the camera on a tripod.
02) File -> Open and select first image.
03) File -> Open as Layer and select second image
04) File -> Open as Layer and select third image.
05) Rename the layers as Pict1, Pict2 and Pict 3. (Any order you choose)
06) Select Pict1 layer.
07) Filters -> Colors -> Decompose. Select RGB and check Decompose to Layers.
08) Delete the green and blue layers of new (grayscale) image, keeping the red layer.
09) Repeat for Pict2 layer keeping the green layer.
10) Repeat for Pict3 layer keeping the blue layer.
11) Drag the blue layer from the layers window and drop it on the red window.
12) Close the blue layer image.
13) Repeat steps 11 & 12 with the green layer.
14) On the grayscale image (red layer image) select Filters -> Colors -> Compose.
15) Choose "red" for red, "green copy" for green and "blue copy" for blue.
16) The new image should be normal everywhere nothing has moved and rainbow where things have moved.

Here is an avatar I use on another site that I did the same way.



Please let me know what you think.

Greg

It's a good effect, but iv'e got to say it's not very realistic. Then again, that's not the point, now is it?

I am looking for my waterfall pictures as they came out beautifully.

Greg

there's a nice waterfall to try, whoever wants it. i'm going to try it myself now.


EDIT: Nevermind, i just reread the tutorial.

Using the same technique on clouds. The effect is a little more noticeable.



Greg

I LOVE the way the effect looks on the clouds.

One more! This time using a patio torch. The flame is the only thing moving, hence the colors.

Greg

Now the torch one is outstanding. I like it better than the waves

I had to follow up with the surgeon who turned me into a robot (just my back) and the office next to
his has a beautiful fountain. I took a ton of fountain pix and am doing the same thing with the fountain.

I really love the Gimp and this site!!!

Greg

If anyone is interested, the three color process with film (the way I did it pre-digital) is called the Harris Shutter technique.
Harris used another version of this process to capture multiple frames of motion on one negative. We do that much simpler
now with the layers. I found some good references by searching for "Harris Shutter".

Greg

If you used this before vectoring an image, I'm sure everyone here could come up with some professional looking results!

This is great, seriously.

Really nice effect!
Not very realistic :w:

If I Take some photos I'll try this tutorial.
And show effects.

Nice.

cool ^^