Why Shoot in Raw?

Many beginner photographers choose JPEG over RAW because of its perceived complexity. This decision shouldn’t be seen as unfavorable but represents their individual aesthetic preference.

Ducournau’s film is provocative in its self-conscious, Gallic way, part of an arthouse bloodbath tradition similar to Claire Denis’ Trouble Every Day; however, its narrative remains flat.

What is raw?

Raw is an adjective that describes something that remains in its natural, unprocessed state, such as food that hasn’t been cooked, for example, raw vegetables or fruits. It also applies to people or objects that remain unchanged without further processing, like raw materials or emotions.

RAW photos in photography refer to images that the camera hasn’t altered in any way; this contrasts with JPEG photos, which may already be adjusted when leaving the camera, such as sharpening or brightening them. RAW files function similarly to digital negatives and allow greater control over later editing decisions for images you shoot RAW photos of.

Why should I shoot in raw?

Modern cameras typically give photographers the choice between shooting in RAW or JPEG format, or both formats simultaneously, and combinations thereof. Shooting RAW may take more time in post-production; however, its non-destructive nature provides you with many more editing possibilities thanks to all the data stored by its sensor – from color depth and brightness settings through lens settings and more! Thanks to Raw’s massive data storage capabilities, you can make any number of edits without fearing quality loss.

Raw is also advantageous because it enables you to capture more colors than JPEG files due to their restricted color space – typically sRGB for computer monitors – while raw images may use either sRGB or CMYK, much larger color spaces offering much greater creative options. This can be particularly advantageous when shooting fashion or landscape scenes where lighting conditions vary significantly from shot to shot, providing ample color space for every location you capture.

RAW files feature a higher dynamic range than JPEGs, providing more detail at both extremes of brightness and darkness in photographs. This can be particularly beneficial if you are dealing with over or underexposed shots, as more data will be available for corrective post-processing.

RAW files can be large, which could pose an issue when on a shoot and trying to manage memory card storage space. Furthermore, editing them takes more time and requires knowledge of various software packages; if RAW isn’t for you, then perhaps other formats would be more suitable.

How do I shoot in raw?

Shooting RAW allows you to capture more image data, which can then be edited post-capture to more closely reflect what was captured. For instance, if your subject or sky appears too bright in an image taken in JPEG mode, raw provides greater flexibility for correcting these issues by editing exposure, highlights, whites, shadows, and contrast settings to get it looking right.

Shooting in raw also offers another advantage of shooting: quickly recovering backlit images. While JPEG files would make this difficult to achieve, with raw files, you simply lower highlights and raise shadows to bring an idea back into focus.

As new photographers begin shooting photos with raw file formats such as RAW or DNG format files, many novice photographers prefer using in-camera JPEGs due to fear. This is understandable as this format requires that images be opened in a raw editor before they can be uploaded onto social media or taken into a print shop for printing.

Once you get used to shooting raw, you will find it less complex and its benefits immense. If you want to take your photography to the next level, now may be the time to experiment!

Those new to photography should take time to familiarize themselves with their camera, understand its essential operation, and practice shooting in their backyard. I suggest The Photographer’s Guide by Bryan Peterson as an invaluable source of fundamental photography information, and start practicing as soon as possible!

Once you become comfortable with the workflow, begin taking photos at local events or during vacations and then progress onto more challenging shots – soon, you will become an experienced professional photographer!

How do I edit in raw?

RAW files are like digital film negatives – they contain all the data that would go into creating a result but aren’t ready yet. As seen below, colors don’t stand out, and contrast is low.

Editing is key in creating realistic and appealing images, with sliders available for brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows, vibrance, saturation, and temperature adjustments. Your goal should be to produce pictures that look good to yourself and others.

When shooting RAW, remember that processing will require more time and hard drive space than JPEG images, which could make JPEG images the more practical choice if editing is limited by time or storage constraints.

RAW files give photographers more creative freedom when editing photos than JPEG photos, which are processed and adjusted automatically by their camera before saving them as files. RAW images offer much greater freedom when editing photographs allowing greater artistic expression when editing your pictures.

RAW files require more work to process, but they give a superior image quality in return. Plus, JPEG copies can always be easily shared across social media! Suppose you’re new to working with RAW files. In that case, I recommend beginning by practicing on some of your photos or searching YouTube tutorials on specific edits to gain experience and understand which sliders need adjusting for particular effects – then, when comfortable, switch over and start shooting RAW exclusively! It will make a tremendous impact on results.