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beginnerīs question on RAW

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  • #31
    For me, shooting RAW is a pain but what keeps me doing it (besides the ability to recover blown highlights, as mentioned earlier) are two things:

    -- With 12 to 16-bit images you have more leeway to adjust levels without causing areas of smooth colour variation (especially the sky) breaking up into visible bands due to separate adjustments being made in different parts of the spectrum.

    -- You can change the white balance. This is not usually an issue in aviation photography, but there were times when I was shooting planes at sunset and my camera's automatic white balance tried to neutralise the warm colours. Shooting RAW gives you the opportunity to bring them back.

    As regards Brian's question about colour space, my advice is different - shoot and edit in Adobe RGB because it has a bigger colour range than sRGB and some publishers insist on it, so shooting in sRGB might lose you a publishing opportunity. If you convert from sRGB to ARGB you won't gain colour information that isn't there and it might look like you are trying to pull the wool over the publisher's eyes.

    For JP purposes all you have to do is convert to sRGB as the last step before uploading.


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    • #32
      Originally posted by kukkudrill View Post
      For JP purposes all you have to do is convert to sRGB as the last step before uploading.
      So first shoot in Adobe Colours, then process the RAW files, then convert to JPG + sRGB?

      Can this be done in Photoshop Elements 5.0 and CS 3?
      (can't check it here on this pc)

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      • #33
        That's right. Make sure your default colour space in Photoshop is Adobe RGB otherwise it will change the colour space on conversion from RAW.

        I use Elements 5.0 and it can do colour space conversions. I don't know about CS3.


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        • #34
          Originally posted by kukkudrill View Post
          That's right. Make sure your default colour space in Photoshop is Adobe RGB otherwise it will change the colour space on conversion from RAW.

          I use Elements 5.0 and it can do colour space conversions.
          And how do I do this? I use Elements 5.0 too.

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          • #35
            There's a command to change the colour profile in one of the menus on the left. If you click on it you will see two options, apply Adobe RGB profile and apply sRGB profile, one of which will be greyed out depending on the image.

            Sorry I can't be more specific about where this command is located but my editing PC is packed away at the moment and I don't remember the menus from memory


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            • #36
              One word on the huge GB cards that I've unfortunately learned from experience. I have a number of 2g and 4g cards instead of one big card. I had a card go bad on me a few years back on a news assignment, and while I lost everything, I at least had a second card to go to. I also had a card go through the wash while in Japan (Amazingly, it still works) but had it gone bad, I had aditional cards in my bag.

              I like to have the multiple cards, in case a card gets lost, damaged or corrupted, you only loose the data on that smaller card, instead of everything from a trip or a day or two of spotting on that one card.

              Just personal preference.

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              • #37
                Originally posted by Code20photog View Post
                One word on the huge GB cards that I've unfortunately learned from experience. I have a number of 2g and 4g cards instead of one big card. I had a card go bad on me a few years back on a news assignment, and while I lost everything, I at least had a second card to go to. I also had a card go through the wash while in Japan (Amazingly, it still works) but had it gone bad, I had aditional cards in my bag.

                I like to have the multiple cards, in case a card gets lost, damaged or corrupted, you only loose the data on that smaller card, instead of everything from a trip or a day or two of spotting on that one card.

                Just personal preference.

                Very good plan that. I use 2 and 4 Gb cards rather than one big one for that very reason.
                If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

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                • #38
                  Raw v JPG

                  I do shot in JPG. Typically I will shot action/sports events in a JPG fromat
                  For high quality sites like JetPhotos I will shoot in RAW for the following reasons:

                  RAW data is unprocessed data that you can easily manipulate with several RAW photo editors. A JPG is a processed format -- once the photo is processed to a jpg format it (as far as I know) can not be undone - like writing with a permanate marker.

                  RAW is often thought of as a digitial negative because of its flexibility. Remember the data is unprocessed. With RAW, unlike jpg, you are not loosing valuable data. RAW also allows you a higher bit capability.The only draw back to a RAW file is size and with memory at fire sale prices thats not much of a draw back. Although a RAW file is large (and even larger when shooting in 14bit) the quality and write speed of your card and camera are important. I have shot in both 12 & 14 bit modes and only once or twice did I experience a delay when burst shooting in 14 bit mode.

                  Many of the RAW editors available allow the same work flows that you would typically do to a JPG file before uploading to JP. I learned of the 'Jeb' work flow and found that I could apply the same methodology in a RAW editor. Another nice feature (especially with the RAW editor I use) are the free plugins. These plugins are a good starting point and the final product may only require a few additional adjustments from there. Another nice feature when working with RAW is you can save your work in a TIFF format (uncompressed) and continue processing your image in photoshop and than back to your RAW editor -- all without compression.

                  All in all, I have learned how and equally imprtant when to use each format. My last thought would be to by plenty of memory, take plenty of photos and experience RAW photography. For christ sakes its digital -- no lab procesing fees. Pick an editor and enjoy. Practice makes perfect!

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                  • #39
                    Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
                    Very good plan that. I use 2 and 4 Gb cards rather than one big one for that very reason.
                    But I was given a 16GB card for my birthday, I couldn't refuse the present

                    But like you, I have multiple cards (512MB , 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB)

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