Should You Shoot RAW?

If you’ve ever wanted to experiment with your image editing tools in greater depth, shooting some images in RAW format may be the best choice for this task. This isn’t something that most people will do as a standard practice as these files take up much more space since they are uncompressed. However, there are instances where RAW files can yield greater flexibility 100905 and artistic expansion than working with standard JPEG images. Some refer to RAW files as digital negatives because, while they aren’t considered the last image, all the data you need is contained in the file to create the last image and make adjustments to make the desired result.

One of the most common benefits of shooting RAW files is the flexibility one has in adjusting exposure and white balance in the image. You can adjust hue, saturation and other elements with greater latitude. In addition, shooting RAW files allows you to avoid the adjustments the camera makes to the image such as noise reduction, sharpening and file compression.

There are also a few drawbacks to consider. RAW file formats are proprietary based upon the camera manufacturer and come with manufacturer-specific software that converts the RAW files into standard RGB files (meaning that these files aren’t easily read by various software programs). These files also take longer to write since they can be anywhere from 2-5 times the size of the JPEG equal, so this results in being able to shoot fewer photos in fast succession. RAW files also need more steps in the editing process.

Shooting in RAW format is yet another way to explore and expand your photographic editing skills. Just remember to return to your standard settings when your session is through or else your digital media card will fill before you know it! And if you’re looking for high quality, high capacity media cards, we have a variety here:

http://www.promaster.com/memory

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