al13

I have finished my second Lightroom class at the Vanderbilt University Art Department. My question refers to our instructor’s comments concerning Raw versus JPEG. During both recent classes he has strongly stated that we should be shooting in JPEG not Raw. He said he shoots over 95 percent of his photos in JPEG. He said he rarely PP’s his photos and if needed he can do that in JPEG using Lightroom or Photoshop and get the same results. He is a University photographer, news photographer, mid 40’s, etc. He seems to know Lightroom and how to properly set up the catalog portion but I am having problems with his JPEG philosophy.

I will continue to shoot in raw but would appreciate any insight as to why an alleged professional would teach us to shoot in JPEG. Almost forgot to add that he also teaches a basic digital class and tells those students to shoot JPEG only as the files are smaller and require less PP. I have stated in open class that several friends who were professional photographers and still have photo web sites advised me to shoot in Raw and the reasons behind their advice. He answered he doesn’t understand why people continue to offer that type of advice.

I have decided to keep my mouth shut and try to finish the class I paid bucks for. Am I missing something?

Thanks

deer2ker Loc: Nashville, TN

Why would he be teaching Lightroom if he is so opposed to PP? Strange.

al13

I agree but thought maybe I’m missing something. He did teach us how to properly set up our catalog system as I had purchased several Lightroom books and he is following what the books suggest. I am trying to be opened minded but it seems to go against everything I have read on this site.

Bushpilot Loc: Minnesota

I shoot mainly Raw but, also on occasion JPEG, and use Lightroom primarily for editing. I really like how you can bring out detail in shadow areas in an image with Lightroom.
Just from observations on this usage alone I can say for certain that the results are better with a Raw or TIFF image, than a JPEG.

Linary Loc: UK

Your tutor is a news photographer. Photojournalists often favour jpegs over raw, a lot to do with speed and convenience.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

The ONLY time I shoot jpg is if I am going to send immediate images (proofs) to someone or if I am putting quick shots on Facebook or something like that. Otherwise I work RAW/NEF. My cameras all shoot RAW + JPG so if necessary I have raw on one card and jpg on the other. (note: generally when I do this, I have a 64gb card in Slot 1 (RAW) and a 32gb card in Slot 2 (JPG).

When working in Lightroom, RAW/NEF gives you much more latitude (canvas?) to make adjustments. There is only so much you can do with jpg due to the fact that the camera preprocesses the images.
If this guy is teaching processing in Lightroom in a college or university, he needs to be fired or moved to another position. YES, professionals and amateurs do use jpg but it is a "quick and dirty" product where the camera does most of the work. NOW, since you are "early" in the course, maybe he is starting you out with jpg and going to "advance" you to RAW. I wouldn't teach that way as I would want my students to begin at the most rudimentary part of post processing. JPG is fine for "quick and dirty" and I use them for submitting to news publications (most are out of business now due to the internet and 24 hour tv news services) or sending proofs ad things like that, but I would almost never (never say never) use jpg as my ONLY source.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I agree with the comment I shoot RAW more information to work within PP

bamfordr Loc: Campbell CA

Isn’t it troubling that the instructor does not recognize and compensate for his specific experience and “bias”. Unless the course is Lightroom for photojournalism.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

This comment might have caught the root of the instructor's comments. There's also a strict set of rules on journalism that frown on post processing. There are a few more that may be involved:

1. Little to no additional processing, depending on the image quality straight out of the camera.
2. Much smaller files which impacts your speed for processing / viewing and the amount of storage needed for images, primary and back-ups.
3. For processing of images, the work effort is much less intensive for a JPEG.

Your instructor might also be trying to keep the field "level" and focused on the basics of LR. The work effort on a RAW file is much more and might not be the intended scope of the course. You might review the course materials and confirm it covers the full features of LR and / or whether it states a focus on use for photojournalists.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

To answer your last question first, the answer is "yes". The people here are overwhelmingly people who happen to view photography as art, who view Ansell Adams as the pinnacle of achievement. Listening to them, you get a somewhat biased view of the world. Their orientation is entirely legitimate, but not the only way to practice photography.

Your instructor is a professional - you do a disservice to him by using the word "allegedly". He represents a separate sector of photography, a sector that is just as legitimate as those who look to Ansell Adams. Your instructor, and hundreds of people like him, are paid to deliver images every day showing us what they actually saw today {not what they wished had seen}. To do this, they need to spend considerable time in the field followed by limited time to do PP, and limited leeway in what they are allowed to change in PP. I can't find it right now, but there was a story online about how Getty will get an image from the Olympics out in two minutes - beginning with a JPEG image; I am quite sure most news organizations follow that kind of process, and that is what this professional is accustomed to. He undoubtedly knows how to use the tools of his trade, and he will teach that material to you; what you do afterwards is entirely your choice.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Hi, keeping your mouth shut and finishing the class is the smart way to go (I've done the opposite before and it was a mistake). You can always write a letter to the college after you finish the class letting them know what you thought of the instructor. As your instructor came from a news media background he is simply teaching what he knows and he is obviously biased toward what he knows, rather than being open to all of the possibilities. I teach LR at a junior college but never have I told anyone what they should do: I offer up all the possibilities and facts and then let them decide what works best for them and their photography goals. Shoot to match what your personal goals are, not what his personal goals are. There are many possibilities in photography and it is sad to hear that an instructor is so close-minded. Take what you can from the class and move on.

al13

Thanks to all, will continue shooting in raw for now.

tdekany Loc: Oregon

It is just preference. Some people like canons, some prefer nikons. Doesn’t matter jpeg or raw, canon or Nikon, dslr or mirrorless, the key to a great capture is subject matter, light and composition.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The instructor is misinformed, like many jpeg-only proponents. His background indicates that at least some of his work relied on getting absolutely perfect exposure - University photographer seems to suggest portraits under controlled lighting and there is little benefit to shooting raw, and photo journalism, where even modest post processing is usually forbidden. In fact, some news organizations will not accept anything other than a jpeg straight out of the camera.

Vanderbuilt should vet their instructors better. He should be teaching all of Lightroom, not just the parts he likes. Not teaching the raw conversion part is like teaching someone to drive in an empty parking lot on early Sunday mornings, but never entering the street or traffic.

chrisg-optical Loc: New York, NY

Yes he is teaching from the viewpoint of a news/journalism photographer so he biased towards the jpg only philosophy. If the course is meant for that genre than he is doing his job, but if he is teaching a general course in Lr then i think he is doing his students a disservice. RAW is the way to go!