A quick introduction to shooting digital i mages i n RAW

1. A quick introduction to shooting digital images in RAW

2. RAW is a setting in your camera • Most advanced cameras can shoot in RAW • Some cameras can shoot in RAW + JPEG • Most cameras offer the ability to convert a RAW images into JPEG’s directly in the camera. • To shoot in RAW you must set your camera to shoot in RAW before you take the photo. • You cannot convert a non RAW file to a RAW file and achieve the abilities of RAW.

3. So, What is RAW? • RAW is often referred to as digital negative. • RAW is the data your camera captured from the sensor when you take a photo. • You can think of a RAW image similar to undeveloped film. The information to create an image is there but it is not usable yet. • RAW images are not processed much if at all. • RAW data is usually not compressed which means the data make take up a little more space.

4. What is JPEG? • A JPEG image is a finalized image. • The data from the camera’s sensor has been processed into a pixel image. • A JPEG image is compressed. • A JPEG file is a complete and is ready for distribution or use.

5. RAW vs. JPEG • RAW larger files – JPEG Compressed Files • RAW retains more detail in highlight and shadows. • RAW contains more color detail for more accurate colors. • RAW requires processing – JPEG is ready to go • RAW allows camera settings like white balance to be changed during processing. • RAW offers larger flexibility in editing photos.

6. Which is better? • Which is better really comes down to what you want out of the picture you are taking. • Use JPEG if you just want to record an event. • Use JPEG if you don’t want to spend a lot of time editing photos. • Use JPEG if you need to save space. • Use RAW if you want to add artistic interpretation. • Use RAW if the image contains difficult exposures. • Use RAW if you want more control of what the photo looks like. • Noise is easier to remove in RAW images.

7. What RAW is not • RAW is sensor data not pixels so no pixel editing techniques may be used. This includes: • Layers • Collages • Text/Shapes • Boarders • RAW images must be developed and exported to a pixel image such as TIFF or JPEG before using the above techniques.

8. Using RAW • To view RAW images you need software that can interpreted your camera’s RAW format. Most camera maker uses their own proprietary format to store the RAW data • Adobe’s DNG format is quickly gaining popularity as a RAW format. • At first RAW may look unpolished and flat.

9. Programs For Editing RAW • Adobe: Photoshop/Elements/LightroomAdobe RAW to DNG Converter • Software from you camera manufacture (like Nikon’s ViewNXor ViewNX2) • GIMP with UFRaw • Many other programs offer RAW abilities or conversion.

10. Editing RAW • Lets take for example a photo you took that had over and under exposed areas. • Your camera may not correctly identify the white balance and detail is blow in the over and under exposed areas. • Editing RAW often yields better results than editing JPEG files. • Look at the following example.

12. RAW Options These are just a few of the options when editing RAW.

13. Future of RAW • RAW has become the favorite format for many professional photographers and is gaining popularity among the general public. • As its popularity increases the demands for editing RAW increases and the boundaries between RAW development and pixel editing is becoming blurred. • RAW processing programs are getting better and better with how they handle RAW images. • Many companies and clients are requiring their photographers use RAW for achieving originals.