VCheriyan

Is there a software to correct photos taken in raw besides Adobe?. My other question is I am going to be taking up photography to do weddings. Any suggestions on what kind of camera, lenses and flash I should buy.
Any suggestions would be extrealy helpful

Randyb1969 Loc: Armpit of California

I know my Canon came with software that could edit RAW. I'm pretty sure if your camera shoots RAW, it will come with software to handle it. Also check out the new Corel Paintshop Photo Pro X3. It's on sale at Newegg.com and is free after mail in rebate until the 29th. I should start getting royalties from Newegg and Corel.

VCheriyan

Hi Randy, Thanks for the info. I checked out Newegg.com for the Corel Paintshop Photo Pro but it does not say Free after mail in rebate

Randyb1969 Loc: Armpit of California

I just double checked and it still shows it for me. Maybe you're looking at the Ultimate edition. That one is less to start($35), but no rebate. Although that is still a pretty good deal.

vchaffin

I have seen this RAW on my camera....what exactly does that mean?

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

Excuse me I do not mean to be harsh but if you have to ask what RAW is you are no more qualified to be a wedding photographer than you are qualified to lead Seal Team six in a commando raid. You want to learn to do weddings then GO TO SCHOOL. AT THE VERY LEAST SIGN up for the New York Institute of Photography correspondence course.They have a whole unit on wedding photography, and by the time you are done you will know what raw is and what cameras (as in plural or more than one body) and other equipment you will need. If you cover a wedding and your camera breaks or an accident occurs and you dont have a back up body the wedding party is SCREWED and you will get sued and have a bad reputation. This is the most important day in a couples life and since there is no second chances the photographer has to be competent. This is someones wedding, it should not be trusted to someone who doesnt know what he/she is doing. This is not a learning expierence for you to make a few bucks. There is a reason it is called PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY. Just because I own a car doesn't make me a professional NASCAR driver, just because I own a toolbox full of craftsman tools doesnt make me a professional auto mechanic and just because I have a camera doesn't mean I am a professional photographer. Sorry to be so harsh but it really pisses me off that the guys and gals who put in the time to be trained properly, invested in the proper equipment, and whose livelhood depends on wedding photography are being undercut by every tom dick and uncle floyd with a cannon digital rebel one lens and no clue. You want to learn wedding photography? call around to any professional photographer that does weddings see if he is hiring for an assistant. tThats the best hands on training you can get. If they arent hiring offer to work for free. You still will be getting a first rate education on wedding photography for free. No I am not a wedding photographer. My dad was a professional photojournalist who did weddings on the side. but since he graduated from brooks institute of photography he knew what he was doing. I saw what crap he had to put up with and wanted no part of it.

vchaffin

whoa, calm down. no one said anything about being a wedding photographer.... geez

trishrose Loc: Kountze,TX

sinatra-wow, in the whole week and half i've been on this site, i haven't heard you be soo mean.I don't think any newbie, including myself, since i'm not trained from a school, advertises as a professional photographer When you're asked to shoot a wedding, surely we admit we're not professionals and i will do the very best i can, and things can certainly go wrong, even for a trained professional, but if a couple is willing to use you, knowing your experience up front, then one should go for it. That's the way you learn!
As far as under bidding on a job, surely you wouyldn't think the intrained one should make as much as the trained photographer, not until he learns what its all about. But just because someone goes to school for something, doesn't make them a pro, there's got to be some natural talent within one to do most jobs.
As far as professionals that's scared they're getting undercut-surely thier work speaks for itself/ Someone who has a few thousand dollars to pay and willing to do it, will definitely research to find the best--but on the other hand, just because one doesn't have alot of cash to throw down on a pro, doesn't mean they shouldn't have the opportunity for photos also. Don't think that pro thats been schooled and has 40,000 in the finest equipment is going to talk to the couple with a couple hundred dollars. Just saying, everyone has to start somewhere, and there's alot out there that has a little natural talent-so go ahead do what your thing--if the pros are worried, then they mucst not be as great as thier tools. This is not meant to be harsh or rude, its just my truth. I cant stand when people claim others are stepping on thier toes and taking money out of thier pockets. This world is over populated, so there's plenty to go around.

trishrose Loc: Kountze,TX

Gosh, I'm on a roll now, but here's another scenario of "steping on the pros toes"
I started making cakes about six months ago just for fun and family, i like anything artistic. Posted a couple on facebook-tooonnns of comments , then orders. I will be the first to say, I dont know what i'm doing, learning with everyone i make. So naturally, i see the flaws in my cakes, so I don't want to charge like a pro would. But now since I ve got orders coming in, ther's already talk abour undercutting the bakeries and taking money out of thier pockets. Come on now! I dont know, maybe once you're a pro, you become like politicians, CEO's, pro althletes, aove everyone and therefore deserve the fortunes. Just maybe, eveyones trying to get too darn rich in this country. Instead of worrying about undercutting, maybe there should be some revising on prices to allow ones work to be share by all.One work is worth what another is willing to pay fo it.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Canon and I believe Nikon bundle RAW editing software with their cameras. I'm a little taken back that you want to shoot weddings but don't know what equipment to use. I shoot professionally with close to 40 years of photography experience and invested 8k+ for the bare minimum needed to do the job right including two camera bodies (A Canon 5D MarkII primary and a Canon 50D backup).
I'm sorry for being blunt maybe Im not reading into this correctly. I wish you all the luck in the world but if you go into a wedding shoot unprepared and and don't produce professional quality to your customer at best you'll ruin your reputation at worst you could get sued.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Sinatraman you beat me to the punch. My post is Above although not quit as harsh it meant the same thing. I shoot Weddings from time to time but only out of necessity or a friends special request or as a second shooter with another photographer I know to help her out. It's some of the most stressful shooting I do and by no means my most rewarding.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Hey Trish - nice response. I shoot professionally or a better description would be Semi-Pro since I don't do it full time and except for a well run High School class had no other training than me doing a ton of shooting and experimenting and reading up on the subject. I'm self taught for the most part with 40 years experience. I love the art and that is what really count's. I did put my 2 cents in regarding the original post but want to stress that there has to be some understanding to the startup photographers out there the implications of a botched photography contract verbal or written. Happy shooting to all you lens babies out there.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Get that all the time in this business - Many Pro Photogs are rather radical and elitists in my book and most are not worth the money they demand... not making many friends with this post am I. In closing and so everyone has a grip on the time involved in quality photography when a photographer spends 4 hours on a shoot he/she if knowledgeable could easily spend 40 hours in post production to produce a professional product for their customer. So don't bag too much on the pro's there are some really good knowledgeable ones that post regularly on this blog. Cheers

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Quote: "My other question is I am going to be taking up photography to do weddings"

trishrose Loc: Kountze,TX

Daniel, also to you "well said". It's not the education, its your talent and how much more you want to learn. Yes weddings are very difficult, but i have shot a few and i absolutely love shooting them. Not a pro, but people see my photos and want me to shoot, so I definitely accept, for the pleasure and the experience.(They know my experience level) But before every one that I do, I study shots and tutorials and so forth to try to make it better and keep up with what todays people are wanting.So t everyone starting something new--shoot shoot shoot, study study study!