1. A quick introduction to shooting digital images in RAW

2.  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.  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.  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 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 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.  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.  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.  Adobe: Photoshop/Elements/Lightroom Adobe RAW to DNG Converter  Software from you camera manufacture (like Nikon’s ViewNX or ViewNX2)  GIMP with UFRaw  Many other programs offer RAW abilities or conversion.

10.  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. These are just a few of the options when editing RAW.

13.  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.