Why shoot in raw




















Always check that the software you are using to open and edit RAW files is designed by the same manufacturer as your digital camera, i. If you have a newer digital camera, you may need to wait a bit for software companies to update their software so you can open RAW files using their platform. Many camera manufacturers are starting to offer an option to shoot in DNG format, and soon this open-source format will likely be the go-to for all manufacturers moving forward, making it that much easier for you to access your RAW files.

Two options. Two sets of pros and cons. JPEGs are your BFF if you are taking photos casually or on the fly say, at a family gathering or a party with friends. JPEGs give you the flexibility to take a lot of images quickly and share them right away, no extra processing time required.

You may even opt for JPEGs if you are shooting a ton of images in a fast-paced environment like a sports game or a fashion show, and you feel confident enough to know your exposure, letting your camera do the rest of the work for you. The RAW format is ideal if you are shooting with the intent of editing the images later. Shots where you are trying to capture a lot of detail or color, and images where you want to tweak light and shadow, should be shot in RAW.

Go for RAW if you are shooting photos for your photography portfolio that you want to spend a lot of time on, adjusting the white balance, color, and tone until they are just right.

RAW may also be ideal for high-fashion, commercial, and creative work where you want the images to have a uniform vision or style that pops with the help of tools in Photoshop or Lightroom. As a photographer, you need a format that will work with your overall goal as a creator. Focus on how you plan to use your shots and choose a format that fits your needs.

Dip into either format as needed and shoot smart so you end up with great shots, every time. For inspiration and guidance, check out the online photography portfolios of your favorite photographers to see how they shoot and format their work, from travel and film to food and black and white. Building an online portfolio website is easy with the right website builder. Look for an online portfolio with fresh, modern templates , to show off your amazing shots, and a built-in online store , in case you want to sell prints.

A good website builder will make it easy for you to adjust features on your site with just a few clicks, no coding required, so you can upload beautiful images in RAW or JPEG in a matter of minutes.

Ready to build an online portfolio for your amazing photographs? Start your free trial with Format today! Shooting in the right format that fits your workflow and budget will make your online photography portfolio that much stronger—get ready to impress clients with killer images! Want more photography tips? Log in Get Started. Format Team January 23, Lower Dynamic Range In photography, dynamic range is the difference between the lightest and darkest tones in an image. Higher Dynamic Range Worried about overexposed or underexposed images?

A Larger File Size Collecting all the data your camera can see takes up a significant amount of space. Match Your Format with Your Needs As a photographer, you need a format that will work with your overall goal as a creator. Get the best of Format Magazine delivered to your inbox. November 11, features. October 18, resources. October 11, resources. October 11, galleries. September 30, resources. September 30, features. Some of that is color data, which is done by reducing the number of available colors there are still a lot of colors available in JPEGs though.

In addition, the camera will add some processing to the picture. The camera manufacturers know that you want your pictures coming out of the camera looking sharp and colorful. Therefore, they will add some effects, like sharpness, contrast, and saturation to them at the same time that the JPEG file is being created.

In most cameras, you can go into the menu and change the file format to something called RAW. Right away, you can see an issue with this, in that these files are not easily shareable.

In addition, these files are huge, typically times the size of JPEGs. So why does nearly everyone recommend shooting RAW then? Because they are simply superior files. That means you keep all the color data, and you preserve everything you can in the way of highlight and shadow detail. That means you are in control of the process. You can add whatever level of sharpness, contrast, and saturation and other controls you want.

Sure, these files are bigger, but they are way better. So RAW files are the way to go, right? I mean, you are preserving all that color data and highlight and shadow detail. And you are in full control of the processing of your picture. But what about if you are not going to process your photos at all? Or what if you need to send the photo from your camera right away? Why not take both? But if you like to edit a lot, or if you plan on adjusting the contrast and color to extreme degrees, then this loss of data could mean trouble.

Sometimes you might see banding in skies as you edit. This might be a scene with a lot of dynamic range, or a scene where color reproduction is critical, and you want the ability to perform precise adjustments.

The JPEG compression algorithm is lossy. That is, when an image is JPEG-compressed, data is discarded, and the image is permanently degraded. Apply enough JPEG compression and the degradation will become visible.

If you want to enlarge your image a lot, JPEG artifacts could be a problem. Because raw files are not compressed, you never have to worry about this.

Keep in mind that raw is not a magic bullet that will immediately make your images look better. Raw files will not be sharper, or have more detail or more saturated colors than a JPEG. In fact, right out of the camera, they may be softer and lack the punch of a JPEG. Also, if you ever like shooting at low pixel counts, say for web delivery, note that on most cameras raw files can only be shot at the maximum pixel count of your camera.



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