RAW file format

[ChrisinNJ]

Everyone shoots RAW. People that shoot JPG are shooting RAW and letting the camera do the conversion. To me, it would be like sending your film to the lab and only asking them to give you the prints back because you don't want the negatives. It's so cheap and easy to do it right that I don't understand why anyone that cared about their pictures wouldn't shoot RAW.

Mark, thank you for your explanation. Your photos are very inspirational to me. Seeing your photos makes me want to take better pictures!

 

[wenrob]

K-12 qualifies, teachers, as far as I know most extended education. I'm not sure what you use as proof.

 

[boBQuincy]

I am taking classes at my local township art center, is that enough? My twins are in elementary school...does that work??

If I already have photoshop cs3, can I process the RAW images that way? I have only begun to explore PS features...

If you have PS CS3 you don't need anything else. Just open a RAW file with CS3 and it will start Adobe Camera RAW converter.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

If you have PS CS3 you don't need anything else. Just open a RAW file with CS3 and it will start Adobe Camera RAW converter.

Thank you! I took some pictures if flowers today in RAW. I will open them in PS tomorrow.......I am off to my adobe flash animation class right now!

Thanks for all the help & responses!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Mark, thank you for your explanation. Your photos are very inspirational to me. Seeing your photos makes me want to take better pictures!

Thanks. I have the same problem. Seeing my photos also makes me want to take better pictures!

 

[jann1033]

Thanks. I have the same problem. Seeing my photos also makes me want to take better pictures!

so quick with the comeback

 

[YesDear]

While Mark as always does a great explanation, I explain the difference between RAW and JPG this way.

When you take pictures in JPG your camera becomes the Walmart you take the pictures to to be processed. The computer in your camera processes them the way it wants it. With Raw you are given the image and the processing is done by you!

I have shot in Raw for about 3yrs now. I traditionally shoot in RAW and JPG. Memory cards are so cheap right now. I think I have 1 8gb, 3 4gb and two 2gb and a 1gb card.

I agree with a comment made on another thread that people will buy a DSLR and think their P&S takes better pictures. You then find out they set the camera on auto and small JPG to get the most pictures out of the card.

 

[boBQuincy]

Thanks. I have the same problem. Seeing my photos also makes me want to take better pictures!

I completely agree, a lot of my reason for enjoying photography for so many years is to continuously do better. Sometimes I even do!

Mandatory RAW content: RAW allows much more freedom to explore what is in the image than JPG does. Even if you don't plan to use the RAW files for now, shoot in RAW and keep them for later . The converters keep getting better and I have recently made better images from some RAW files from 2001 than I could have with the converters from back then. I wish I had shot everything in RAW since I got my dSLR in 2001!

 

[DizzyV6P]

My friend introduced me to Bibble Lite a year ago and I haven't touched Photoshop since then. It's only $70 and is a great Raw convertor w/ a lot of options to touch things up.

www.bibblelabs.com

I've found their "auto" settings called "Perfectly Clear" is perfect for adding that "Pop" that some of my past photos was lacking.

If you want to save money, Canon's come w/ DPP software that is a decent raw convertor

I haven't tried the new Lightroom yet (I have the 1.0 version), but after playing with both, I stuck with Bibble Lite and never looked back. Try both since there are free 30 days for both software.

 

[wenrob]

Well, RAW plus jpg just in case I couldn't figure it out. I downloaded a trial of Lightroom to play with. These were shot a high noon but it was that or her not letting me take any pics.
Already I can see the advantage because I wouldn't have tried to save the highlights in my usual editing because then I would have totally blown her out.(or did I anyway?) I think I may have chosen the wrong white balance and I wasn't sure how to play with the color. Any thoughts are welcome. Oh and her 'pupils' look weird because that's actually a reflection of me and the grass in her eyes.
I keep feeling like the pics need more color? I've read here abouts we could choose Vivid, Saturation etc, where would I find this? Like I said any help would be great!

This is jpg that accompanied the RAW:

Here is the edited RAW:

Here is that plus a smidge of color boost and sharpening (plus a little blemish work per our deal to let me shoot her )

 

[YesDear]

Just play with lightroom and try the different settings you can get. As with all programs, like photoshop, etc. make a copy of the original image then adjust the the copy. That way you always have the original. Save as a copy works as well but I have forgotten which image I was working on and hit save without realizing what I had done.

You will be amazed at the different results you can get.

 

[DueyDooDah]

I'm no expert with coloring but here are a few tips:

1) Work the correction settings from top to bottom at first. They are set up in the order Adobe feels is the best workflow. Once you get good at it (or at least comfortable), you can use the order that makes sense.

2) Stay in the Basic panel for awhile, until you get the feel of it. Once you're ready to experiment further, move to the next panel down (Tone cureve), then the next, and so forth.

2) Over correct on each setting then return to what looks good. Example, if you try moving the saturation slider, move it way too far to the right then slide it back slowly until it looks the best to you. Just enough so things look realistic. Anything to the right will be wierd looking - anything to the left and you loose the "pop".

3) Use vibrance if there are people in the picture. It keeps the skin tones from changing too much. Use saturation to give a real color pop to you photos. Use both carefully.

4) Clarity only works with certain photos - those with alot of midtones. It can add a great deal of contrast and make items that are dull, exciting. Use it with caution as a photo printed with too much clarity looks unreal.

5) Leave the adjustment brush alone for now (even though it's at the top. Bad Adobe). Although this is one of the best features of LR2, it takes a bit of getting used to. Get the basics down first.

6) Remember, there is no "correct" setting. The final product is what you feel is the best you can get. If you find your adjustments make a great photo, come back to it in six months and play with it again. It'll be even better.

7) Enjoy Lightroom. You are lucky to have discovered it before other clunky tools.

 

[DueyDooDah]

...As with all programs, like photoshop, etc. make a copy of the original image then adjust the the copy. That way you always have the original. Save as a copy works as well but I have forgotten which image I was working on and hit save without realizing what I had done...

This is unnecessary. LR does not touch the original, ever.

 

[wenrob]

Thank you so much for the great advice. I did discover the hue/sat sliders after I posted this so played w/them a bit on the next pic. I use clarity in PSP quite a bit but just the lightest touch. I have plenty of very badly edited pics that someday I may go back and redo even though I try to move on, lol. I have a feeling I'll be playing w/this non stop for the next thirty days, provided my kids will let me take their pics!

 

[ukcatfan]

Just play with lightroom and try the different settings you can get. As with all programs, like photoshop, etc. make a copy of the original image then adjust the the copy. That way you always have the original. Save as a copy works as well but I have forgotten which image I was working on and hit save without realizing what I had done.

You will be amazed at the different results you can get.

This is unnecessary. LR does not touch the original, ever.

To elaborate, it is not necessary for any RAW file. The RAW processing programs never make any changes to the original file. Most will add a sidecar file with the saved modifications. RAW is just like a digital negative. You should make a backup of all of your files though for safe keeping from events like hard drive crashes.

 

[wenrob]

I'm a serial backer upper!

 

[jann1033]

just some pointers that i have read/ seen in demos...

don't go over 17 with the saturation, use the sliders for individual color saturation rather than the general saturation..

.interesting about the clarity since i have read a few places the opposite ( ie that it makes very subtle adjustments for example 30 wouldn't look a ton different than 70)) but haven't printed any out yet so can't say first hand

if you use the punch preset it basically does just that, boosts the sat and clarity so try it and see how you like it. you can use it as a starting point and adjust from there

to fix the black and white points, in the exposure sliders, hold the alt key while you adjust the slider( exposure or black), take it till the photo goes black or white then back off a tad. once the exposure is right use the brightness to adjust from there if need be.

for the longest time i couldn't find the undo history but it's way on the bottom left scroll in develop module, under the presets

 

[jann1033]

I completely agree, a lot of my reason for enjoying photography for so many years is to continuously do better. Sometimes I even do!

Mandatory RAW content: RAW allows much more freedom to explore what is in the image than JPG does. Even if you don't plan to use the RAW files for now, shoot in RAW and keep them for later . The converters keep getting better and I have recently made better images from some RAW files from 2001 than I could have with the converters from back then. I wish I had shot everything in RAW since I got my dSLR in 2001!

me too ( although not 2001, 2005(?)) i was just looking over old photos to delete( since my external hard drive is full) and the trashed ones are mostly jpgs , mainly due to my old nemesis blown out highlights which i could have probably fixed with raw. although thankfully i am finally getting more digital savvy and don't have as many, guessing they aren't totally blown or i couldn't fix them in raw either so highlights leaning toward blown out might be more correct.

 

[wenrob]

to fix the black and white points, in the exposure sliders, hold the alt key while you adjust the slider( exposure or black), take it till the photo goes black or white then back off a tad. once the exposure is right use the brightness to adjust from there if need be.

Can you explain this a bit more? The ones I did last night (after the ones above)I moved the black slider until the blue highlights (from the histogram) were gone and the exposure until the reds were gone or evened out.

Thanks for the great tips! I couldn't find the undo button to save my life, that was a pain!

 

[DueyDooDah]

...The ones I did last night (after the ones above)I moved the black slider until the blue highlights (from the histogram) were gone and the exposure until the reds were gone or evened out...

This is one thing that new users have trouble with. Be careful not to move the sliders until everything is gone and leave it at that. Yoy do not necessarrily need to remove all highlights or all shadows. If they do not add anything to the photo, you may actually be detracting from other parts of the photo.

E.g., a sun reflection off of a chrome fender on a bike will most likely have blown highlights. You don't necessarily need to try and Recover the data there. It could have adverse effects if you do.