Shooting Raw

[mendopix]

One of the huge benefits of this site is it kind of keeps you alive. It reminds me of the best part of going to school. It invigorates your mind and keeps you fresh.

Anywho, thanks to CPF, I started messing around with Raw images. I always thought they were too cumbersome. Now, I'm thinking I need to make more leaps. Raw files in Photoshop are WAY more malleable before you even get into editing them.

Anyone that hasn't shot Raw. I highly recommend it.

learn something new every day

z

[Abel]

Zohar.. .thats great news.

I am SO spoiled by shooting RAW. The tweaks in your raw editor are lossless which is a major plus!

glad to hear youre enjoying shooting raw thus far

[mendopix]

Yeah, I'm starting to make a list of all the things I want to go back and reshoot. Crazy, but right.

[ocgirl]

I, too, have delved into RAW and like it. I can't believe the difference! I do have to say, it's time consuming... but - it's worth it!

Question: Do most of you do ALL of your editing/enhancements in RAW first?? Or, do you perform 'minor' enhancements in RAW first, then finish editing after you've converted the file to a .jpg?

Hope that makes sense.

[mendopix]

Originally Posted by ocgirl

I, too, have delved into RAW and like it. I can't believe the difference! I do have to say, it's time consuming... but - it's worth it!

Question: Do most of you do ALL of your editing/enhancements in RAW first?? Or, do you perform 'minor' enhancements in RAW first, then finish editing after you've converted the file to a .jpg?

Hope that makes sense.

I just started playing with the format. I found, with the blueberry shot I took, that I was really dialing in the exposure, color balance, contrast, sharpness, curves before I got into the main menue in Photoshop.

These are all things I normally do in photoshop after I open a JPEG file. I find the Raw "editor" gives me way more control and latitude.

I've historically used Photoshop as a sort of print lab to improve image quality. Now, all that will be done in Raw when I'm shooting Raw.

[FerrisPhoto]

Sounds like you are ready for LightRoom. Welcome to the Raw world, so to speak...

[mendopix]

I'll Check out Lightroom. Just got CS3, so my toy budget is a little low, but a wedding or two will fix that.

thanks for the tip.

z

[isaiahbrink]

I have to agree with Abel, I'm spoiled shooting RAW now, and I won't shoot anything else now.

[Abel]

I edit my raw files as much as possible in the ACR converter but then will also do some stuff in regular CS3 that I cant do in ACR, adjustment layers, layer masks, resizing, vingetting etc

[mendopix]

I'm with Abel. That makes total sense. It's closer to working in a darkroom, which, in a masochistic sort of way, I miss.

[Abel]

Originally Posted by mendopix

It's closer to working in a darkroom, which, in a masochistic sort of way, I miss.

lol @ Zohar... very well put

[00silvergt]

I shoot Raw + Jpeg just so I don't need to use DPP, but ever since I got Lightroom and Infranview, I really don't need the JPEG, but out of habit and security I leave it in that setting.

[imported_JeromeL]

yeah, once you get your workflow technique down for RAW files you'll find it becomes less and less cumbersome. I find myself in LR more that PS these days, I do most of my editing in RAW and then send anything I can't do or need to clean up to PS. It's wonderful. Check out the DAM book if you need ideas on how to manage all the files you'd like to reshoot so they're easily accessible and organized.