For weddings: raw or jpeg?

[toverman]

There's another thread on the forum about this question, but I'd like to ask specifically about weddings. Do you shoot all in RAW or all in JPEG? Do you shoot RAW for the "money" shots during the ceremony that will most likely sell and be enlarged for prints? Do you switch to JPEGs when you're shooting a tons of candid pics during the reception?

I've been shooting everything else (engagements, bridals, etc.) in RAW. Will probably stick to RAW, although it means more processing afterward and fewer shots per memory card.

Thoughts?

[ngoduyviet]

I shoot RAW myself, figures storage solutions are cheaper every day now. Although, I know quite a few people who shoot JPEG only so it's really depends on your style & work-flow and what you are comfortable with.

I found with RAW, you can push certain things in post process a little further than JPEG, which is already a lossless/compressed format, and I love it my mentor still shoots JPEG, at medium resolution setting at that.

[dhphoto]

I shoot all RAW cause I want uncompressed-optimal quality images from the start. I always carry plenty of memory and use an Epson P2000 to back-up cards or dump if needed. my normal PP workflow is download from Adobe Lightroom coverting to DNG, filter through images discarding obvious throw aways (pick or reject) and make minor exposure adjustments, extensive PP in Photoshop CS3 (if needed), then export to overwrite DNG (to lock-in adjustments), then export final images to new folder as JPEG.

[HeatherLou]

I shoot everything in RAW, even my nephew's birthday party :) I love the freedom it give you to play. If I know I want to show something really really fast, and its a short shoot (like a model or senior) I will shoot RAW+jpg so that I can get to them faster to show on the laptop, or to send in Hello.

[bondarnes]

My workflow for all types of sessions including weddings is this. I shoot RAW and small jpeg at the same time. I burn the CF cards to DVDs. I put the DVDs in my computer and drag the jpegs into a folder for editing and whatever. For a wedding, these images go online. When selections have been made and orders are all in, I go back to the DVDs and pull off the RAW images of only those selected for sale. These we process through ACR and fulfill our orders. In my mind the RAW images on the DVDs are the same as my film negatives were. The jpegs are the same as the proofs from the lab. Pretty good, but some may need some work. If the color or exposure was off on a proof you didn't try to fix the proof (jpeg), you pulled the negative (RAW file) and sent it back to the lab (computer) to be corrected.

[OTRphoto]

Originally Posted by Heatherlou

I shoot everything in RAW, even my nephew's birthday party :) I love the freedom it give you to play.

Me too! Even if it's just the dogs in the backyard. lol

Weddings I shoot in all RAW just because of the possibility to turn that oops shot into something great!

[bondarnes]

Originally Posted by mjae69

Weddings I shoot in all RAW just because of the possibility to turn that oops shot into something great!

The last wedding we had, the second shooter switched to jpeg for the reception. There were two or three images I wanted to use, but the exposure and color were off and I couldn't fix the jpeg file to match the other images. I think I would have been able to salvage them if he had given me RAW files.

[bcskeens]

I always shoot weddings raw. I like the way you do it Don that sound like a good system.

[lscottpht]

I shoot in raw unless I start running low on space, then I switch to jpegs. When I shot Bella weddings, it was strictly jpegs. I got used to shooting in jpeg mode with them, so I'm pretty comfortable doing either one. But, I still prefer shooting raw as much as possible.

[AndrewCCM]

For me, Raw for everything...Including pictures of my DP cans when calibrating lenses.

With today's tools, RAW workflow is as easy (if not easier) than JPG IMHO.

[toverman]

Thanks for the tips! I started shooting everything in RAW after my last wedding job (all JPEGs) and like the flexibility and higher resolution files. I'm going RAW for the next one.