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nadjasybill — Why I Now Always Shoot in Raw
Published: 2013-10-08 22:58:54 +0000 UTC; Views: 1540; Favourites: 10; Downloads: 0
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(Don't worry, pictures included 
The aim of this tutorial is to explain why shooting in raw can be beneficial to you as a photographer and gives some basic information on how to process raw files.
IntroductionI've been dabbling in photography for over seven years now and I'm ashamed to say that I didn't start shooting in raw until earlier this year. The reason? I only had a single 2GB memory card and JPG files took up a lot less space. A JPG file takes up roughly around 7MB, while a RAW file of the same photo would be around 23MB. That's a huge difference, but it's really worth it! Today, a 16GB SD Memory card costs around ten bucks, so I bought two and now I always shoot in raw.
What is camera raw?A raw file is basically what the name describes: a raw image file. Raw, meaning unprocessed, unblemished. When you take a photo, your camera saves a lot of information about the white balance, exposure, colours etc. of that image. When you save your image as a jpg, your camera processes all of this information and cuts it down to exactly the settings you put in, which cuts off all the excess information. Camera raw, on the other hand allows you to keep all of the information intact, meaning if you, say, accidentally overexposed your photo (it was too bright) you can get some of the lost information back. You could try darkening some parts of a jpg with photoshop, but what is completely white will stay completely white and that information is gone for good.
What is this information nonsense I keep talking about? I think it's better if I just showed you an example.
This is a picture (saved as a jpg) I took on my trip to Bulgaria when I wasn't paying attention to my exposure meter . See that sky? Completely overexposed. When I tried to get some more colour into the sky in photoshop, this is what happened:
The most I could get out of it was a little blue at the top and darker colours at the bottom. See that white area in the sky still? All of that is lost information that I can't get back from my jpg file.
Luckily, I also saved this photo as a raw file and was able to regain some of that lost info. (Mind you, this is an extreme case of overexposure so not 100% could be salvaged) Here is what the raw file allowed me to do:
I saved it! I saved it!
All of this was done just by adjusting the raw settings. I decreased the exposure, increased the fill light, increased the blacks and made it more vibrant, just by fiddling around with a couple of sliders.
Here's the result after some further tweaking in photoshop. I adjusted the curves and added a vignette.
Here's a side-by-side comparison for you:
It's not my best work, but it's definitely an improvement from the original overexposed image.
Things You Need for Using and Processing Raw files
- A camera capable of saving in raw file format
- A memory card big enough to store your raw files
- Software that allows you to view and edit your raw files e.g. Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop. Usually raw editing software would come with your camera on a CD, for example Canon's Digital Photo Professional. There are also free options available online for download.
Dexter, what does this button do?Sorry, kids, couldn't resist the Dexter's lab reference. So, this section will show you what the different sliders do.
Oh no! I made too many changes and I don't know how to go back!Not to worry. Changes made are completely non-destructive. Your original is still there. All you have to do is this click on that little icon near the top right corner and reset it to camera raw default.*
*IMPORTANT EDIT: It has come to my attention that it should not be reset to camera raw defaults because this can remove any of your saved profiles! Thank you ephemeral-artifacts for pointing that out! Instead, click on the option "Camera Raw Defaults" in the same menu in the photo below!
If you need some more convincing, here's a pros & cons section:
Pros
- You can salvage over or underexposed images
- You can make adjustments without damaging the original file
- You can bring out a lot more detail than you would with a jpg file
- More control over the final image
- Makes you feel like a magician
Cons
- Very large file size
- Special raw-editing software is required
Clearly the pros outweigh the cons. This is definitely worth going for if you're looking to take your photography to the next level!
Many DSLR cameras have the option to save in raw as well as jpg simultaneously. This means you'll have a double copy of your photos: one in jpg format and one in raw. Before editing I skim through the jpg files to quickly view and sort out my favourites and then I use the raw files for the editing. Jpg files do not require any special software for viewing, so this saves me a lot of time in the sorting process.
Conclusion
So there you have it, my explanation of why I prefer raw to jpg. I do hope this was helpful to you in some way. If anything was unclear, don't hesitate to send me a message!
Did you enjoy this tutorial? Was it helpful? Your feedback would be much appreciated as I intend to write more of these. Thank you
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Resources & Further Reading
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Comments: 24
I would avoid recommending using the "reset camera raw defaults" button to revert your changes in an image as this will put all settings from the converter back to factory. If you have saved a profile to be your default raw settings, these will be wiped. I would recommend you use the "camera raw defaults" further up the list in the pull down menu, this will put the image settings back to camera default, which will be your custom raw settings if that is the case.
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Thank you for that tip! I will change it in the tutorial! Sorry for the very late reply. I've been on hiatus for a while.
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This is one of the best descriptions of RAW I've read in quite a while! Thank you again
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I'm so gad that you feel that way
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very helpful, I just started to use raw, I get confused about saving the image after I edit it, I use PS elements
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I'm glad! Have you been experimenting?
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yes but not with much success, but I will keep trying, thanks again
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This explains a lot. This is wonderful. I'm an amateur photographer, but some of the photos I take require post processing and I really suck at editing photos in photoshop. Like, I would just look at my computer and stare at the icons for a minute or two. But your tutorial really helps a lot. Thank you for this. It is simple and very easy to understand. I hope you do more tutorials like this. :">
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lmao well said, I suck at the post processing as well, and really I was laughing while reading your comment, I was in PS before going on line and I stared at IT for a minute and said screw it, closed it and came online.
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Haha! Absolutely! It takes absolutely god given talent for you to be good at photoshop!
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I'm glad to help and I'm glad that it was easy to understand! Thanks for the feedback!
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A good concise tutorial on the beginnings of raw management! hopefully will encourage many to try working in raw 
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Thanks! I hope so too!
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Super informative, read it all! I'm no photographer but man this is a fresh, simple tutorial. Thank you!
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Thanks for your feedback! I'm glad!
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Sadly I haven't been able too yet... I have a Nikon, and I looked all through the settings and couldn't find it.
Even if my camera doesn't have the setting I don't really mind, I'm happy with it. (It's probably good if it doesn't because then I'd drive my poor family insane with all my pictures xD )
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Do you have an SLR or a point and shoot?
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I have a point and shoot, still working up the money for an SLR.
Houston I think we found the problem.... OTL I feel like a noob now.
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It's a stick figure on his hands and knees, like he's horribly embarrassed.
A little like I am now.
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