Shots Photography

Stop Parking Domain Names
Powered by WhyPark.com
 

Digital Photography: The RAW vs JPG Debate


If you use a digital camera (I use a Canon EOS Digital Rebel/300D myself) and that camera is an SLR, then it most likely can record images in RAW format. In general, you should record your images at the highest resolution possible. If you only have a small memory card and are worried that you can only record a few RAW images on it, then it's time to buy a bigger card! [They don't cost much these days]. You can always shrink an image after it's taken but you can't enlarge a small one without introducing artifacts. At the very least, you should have your camera record images in Hires JPG format but RAW format is even better.

Any kind of JPG written to your camera's memory card will be processed in some way. JPGs, by their very nature, lose information in an image. If you repeatedly save a JPG, you'll lose more and more detail in it and see more artifacts appearing. Also, if you've set your camera up to do some image manipulation (e.g. contast/brightness adjustments), these will also be applied before your camera writes the image out to the memory card. In such cases, you could end up with images that have burned out highlights or shadows that are so deep that they contain no detail. Such areas of an image may be irreparable even with the likes of Adobe PhotoShop.

RAW images, on the other hand, are simply that - raw. What the camera sees is dumped (without any image manipulation whatsoever) onto the memory card. RAW images also tend to contain more information and detail and have larger file sizes than similar resolution JPGs. The problem with RAW files is that they've not been the easiest to work with; for example, Windows Explorer cannot show RAW files as thumbnail images so, unless you've renamed your image files with meaningful names, you won't know what the images are when you come back to them a couple of months later.

This is where software such as RAWShooter Essentials [http://www.pixmantec.com/index2.html] (RSE) comes in. This software lets digital photographers of all abilities import, view, edit and convert large batches of RAW files (to TIF files). RSE is currently free - it won't be for too long - so grab a copy now. Having used it (i have no association with the company who produce it), I can say it makes working with RAW files a doddle; much easier than using the software that came with my Canon EOS Digital Rebel.

With your converted RAW files, you have full control over what manipulations will be carried out to produce the final image, using packages such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Elements or Paint Shop Pro. The better RAW conversion packages also include basic contrast, brightness and color management controls, so you may not even need a separate image manipulation package. Some even provide tools for compensating for over- or under-exposed images.

By shooting RAW images, you give yourself complete control over color and exposure and it's you, rather than the camera, that decides what adjustments are applied to reproduce the tones and contrast of the original scene. It also lets you maximize the quality of your final image for whatever output you want, whether that's on a monitor, as an inkjet print or sent to one of the digital photo labs for printing.

Various RAW conversion software is available (I've already mentioned RAWShooter Essentials) to allow you to process digital images to the highest quality possible. "Capture One" and "Breezebrowser" are both highly regarded, although you have to pay for these. A demo version of Capture One is available so you can try before you buy.

Probably like yourself, I shot all my photos in hires JPG mode until I got switched on to recording my images in RAW mode. Yes, I had to buy a larger capacity memory card, but even 1Gb cards are pretty cheap these days, and with image files being about 6Mb a piece, that still lets me record well over 200 images on the card - that's equivalent to over 6 rolls of 35mm film (at 36 frames per roll)!

So, if you're not already recording in RAW mode, make the switch today and take full creative control of your photographs.

Just after I'd finished this article, I was looking around the websites of some professional photographers who use digital cameras to see if what they had to say on the topic of RAW Vs JPG. What I learned surprised me. Quite a number of them shoot in JPG mode rather than RAW. The reason is time. Professionals expect to get "the image" in camera using compositional techniques, filters and a knowledge of their subject and they simply don't have the time to manipulate images to achieve a desired result. Any such time would cost them money by taking time away from being out there taking photos and earning a living.

The amateur photographer is in a more luxurious position. Our livelihoods don't depend on our results and, if a photo isn't quite up to spec. we have the time to tweak it and bring out its hidden attractions, rather than junking it and moving on the the next photo. The lesson to be learned is that we should always try to get the best picture possible on the day with the camera rather than becoming lazy and assuming sloppy pictures can always be corrected, cropped and manipulated when we get home. Post-processing of photos should be about making good pictures even better rather than so-so or bad pictures just acceptable.

Gary Nugent is a software engineer by profession and has been in the business for over 20 years. Photography has been a hobby for an even longer period of time and he's now even more passionate about it since making the switch to using a digital SLR camera.

Gary is also passionate about astronomy and publishes the "Photon" PDF astronomy ezine along with writing the acclaimed LunarPhase Pro and JupSat Pro astronomy software packages (available through his Night Sky Observer website).

Great Landscape Photography: http://www.great-landscape-photography.com
Night Sky Observer: http://www.nightskyobserver.com

This Site Is For Sale

MORE ARTICLES:


Putting Up A Photography Studio
Photographers can do photo shoots indoors or on location. Those who want this done in a controlled environment can do this in a studio. This is because the lighting can be adjusted if it is too dim or too bright to be able to get the perfect shot.

Videographers Could Learn A Thing From Photography
Wedding photographers and videographers are often the center of a love/hate relationship. Perhaps it's their shooting mentality, ego, or business interests. As a videographer I find this unfortunate because photography is a very powerful medium that can be used for video production. Some of my best work resulted from a combination of photographs and video. In fact, I don't even need to be a great photographer to still come up with a great edit. Let me explain ...

Personalized Wedding Favors
Personalized wedding favors are among the most popular of gift selections made by brides and grooms to show appreciation to the guests sharing in their wedding day. Traditional ceremonies have made wedding favors a part of the celebration since the sixteenth century.

Top 5 Wedding Favors and Why
WHAT ARE THE TOP FIVE WEDDING FAVORS AND WHY?At most weddings, the bride and groom will offer some type of small memento as a note of appreciation to family and friends, more commonly known as wedding favors. As you will discover in this article, the type of favors are widely varied but there are some that are considered better choices than others.

Unique Photographic Opportunity: Location Photography and Lighting with Joe McNally & Jerry Courvoisier Milan, Italy, September 30 - October 5, 2007
Join location lighting master Joe McNally and digital workflow guru Jerry Courvoisier for a memorable workshop in Milan, Italy September 30 through October 5, 2007. With Joe's guidance, participants explore the use of natural and artificial light, reflectors, strobes, and tungsten to light interiors, exteriors, large and small spaces, street scenes, and people in a wide range of situations and locales. Joe discusses lighting issues that arise in the field when using small on-camera speedlights, as well as the challenges of more elaborate productions. Other topics include gaining access to locations, methods for covering magazine assignments, the CEO portrait, corporate annual reports, and blending a variety of techniques and approaches.

Infrared Digital Photography - Sneaky Sneaky
It seems as the the larger the town you live in, the more the crime rate increases. This should let you to have some fun with digital photography and infrared digital photography since you have the chance to capture some cool photos of crooks being arrested. You would also have the satisfaction of knowing that you played a small role in helping the law enforcement capture some of the many law breaking citizens of our society. You'd help in taking a few of them off the streets at a time, and ensure that our lives and the lives of our children would be in less danger.

Makeup Artist Tricks of the Trade - Skincare Advice and Makeup for Your Wedding or Special Event
Skincare - in preparation to your wedding this should be an essential part of your planning its just as important as choosing the right venue or dress, as all eyes will be on you and your bridal party so you want to look and feel great!There are so many products out there that we are bombarded with choice. A salon is usually a good place to start as you can talk to someone who has specifically trained in skincare and will use a high quality range of products.

Wedding Shower Gift Idea
Wedding shower is a time for the bride, close family, and friends to get together before the wedding. It is a happy event but can sometimes become very emotional between close friends since as was said, it is the last time for female friends to enjoy each other's company before one of them gets married. Wedding shower is usually hosted by the close friend or the sister of the bride. During this time, all eyes are on the bride. This is her day, prior to the most special day of the wedding.

Creative Wedding Cards
You invitation is a reflection on the type of wedding its going to be weather it be formal, informal or themed this will be transparent in the invitation. The invitation is the only essential stationary required everything else is optional.

Digital Photography For The Dummy
Even with the advent of digital technology and the sudden appearance of every kind, every shape and size of digital cameras in hobby shops, department stores and other shops in the metro, not everyone is a pro when it comes to operating this little gadget. In fact, even the most tech-tough can stumble every now and then.

Photography Has No Gender
Women photographers are fortunate. Unlike other titles, photographer has no gender.

Chicago Wedding Receptions
There are two major events that you have to plan on your wedding day: an unforgettable wedding ceremony and a fun-filled wedding reception. No matter how important the wedding ceremony is, there is also a need to provide full attention to your wedding reception in order for a perfect wedding memory.

Seeking Wedding Misadventure Stories for Upcoming Book "Wedding's Greatest Misadventures"
Submit bizarre, comical, or disastrous wedding story for publication in the forthcoming book Wedding's Greatest Misadventures.

Putting Together The Father?s Wedding Speech
While many people think the hardest wedding task for any father is to walk his daughter down the aisle, many fathers often struggle even more with writing the wedding speech they have to give at the wedding reception. Traditionally the father of the bride will be the first to offer his speech, because it was often the bride?s parents that paid for the wedding. While wedding costs today are not usually paid for completely by the bride?s parents, most receptions plan for the father of the bride to speak first. So, how does the father put together his wedding speech?

Hudson Valley Ceremonies Presents New Wedding Officiant Services
Hudson Valley Ceremonies provides officiant services for weddings, commitment ceremonies, unities, elopements and renewal of vows. Services can be civil, non-denominational or inter-faith. Packages to fit any type of wedding ceremony and budget is available.

Powered by WhyPark.com | Site Map | Home