cmcaroffino Loc: Sebring, FL

A question for you RAW shooters. I have always shot JPEG but have recently began experimenting with RAW. I find myself kind of lost and wondering what to do first in processing a RAW file. Would like to hear from some of you about your process. Do you use presets or start from scratch and what do you adjust first or use a combination of both?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Once you have software that will work with raw files, processing is the same. Make the picture look the way you want it to look. I use Lightroom, and I just go down the right column, adjusting what I want to adjust. One exception is the lens correction. I go toward the bottom of the column and check that box first.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Hmm, I have two work flows, get very close in camera and I just open with Paint Shop Pro, hit adjust, go from there, not happy, think it needs a bit more I use DPP from Canon to convert the RAW to Tif, in DPP adjust color, brightness, sharpen, remove noise, curves to try if I feel necessary, then the Tif goes to PSP, have tried a third , with good results, open the RAW file in PSP edit tab,
In general what the file needs is what I do, Bob.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

What software do you have? What camera are you shooting? What research have you done?

There's plenty of information on the internet. Probably better and more professionally packaged than Q&A on UHH. The processing is much the same regardless of the tool. Here's a quick google (30 seconds) for high-level instructions using Adobe Photoshop Elements: http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/using/processing-camera-raw-image-files.html

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

The trouble with 'check lists' is that not every image needs everything doing to it.
I would start with a bad image !!!! then play with each step in order to see what and how each works. There is lots of advice, but it all depends upon the way YOU see what you want to boost or get rid of.

If you take a lot of images of similar things - and they all need 3 or 4 things tweeked just to correct - to your personal preferences - then a pre set can batch process the lot, more quickly than you can individually. Say for example you take school photographs under strip lighting or Tungsten, or the background needs more lightening.

If you do not need to batch process then you need to understand what does what and which is the better order in which to do it. (many articles state sharpen last for example. However why waste time 'fixing' a blurry image and then discovering that it will not sharpen satisfactorily)

Some presets will give you a 'look' or 'effect'. Again is that something that you want every image to show...? You can in many programmes make your own presets that correct certain failings of your lens or camera. Some presets are useful. But there is a 'trade' in buying so called fixes that you may only need once in a blue moon.

Like everything - practice will develop your own work flow.

Remember that Raw is the best starting point....how you finish may require different programmes too.

Have fun

PaulBa Loc: Cardiff, Wales

Maybe not a direct answer to your question but a couple of years ago a free copy of Lightroom 5 was supplied with my new camera, up until then I only shot in JPEG.

I watched the Anthony Marganti Lightroom 5 training videos on YouTube which I found more than adequate to get started.

YouTube is a great source of training for, hopefully, whatever software package you are using.

Suited me but may not be best for all, just a suggestion.

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

Changes to files in raw converters are not sequential. They are not committed to the image file until you export. So if you add sharpening, then lower clarity, and adjust black level, in that order - you can reverse that order or even mix it up and the results will be the same. You may find that adjusting white and color balance, exposure, white and black clipping points, then shadow/highlight, clarity, and then the other adjustments may result in less going back over adjustments that you have already made. But nothing is committed until export.

The choice for using presets or not lies in the image and your intent. Presets are just a collection of settings that you (or someone else) has used before and saved, to apply to another similar image to avoid doing repetitive things over and over from scratch.

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

At first it seems like more work to use a RAW than a JPEG but the results are so worth it. After much experimentation and after the learning curve of Lightroom, I discovered that I was doing the same things to every picture to start with so I created a preset with my settings to be applied on import. From there it took very few tweaks to get my desired result. Only you can decide what your user preset should be.

cmcaroffino Loc: Sebring, FL

This for the tip and the link. Very helpful.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Jerry gave you a good description for using LR. The only thing I would add is to make a virtual copy (also called proof copy) and do your editing on that. This means you will be able to keep the original RAW image in case you want to go back and do something different with it later. Especially important because you are just starting with the editing programs. You will learn as you go, and later on you might look back at an earlier edit and say "I can do better than that"!

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Usually the first thing I do when opening the file, is a crop if its needed, I then adjust my Black and White points, check if image needs some local adjustments (if, do them), usually add a little clarity, reduce detail and noise and finally do some sharpening for output! Painless and simple!

picsman Loc: Scotland

Because I take hundreds of amateur sports pics I use batch processing with similar adjustments. So I may review the batch before processing and find sub batches that require a different adjustment, usually due to light changes, and make adjustments accordingly. Sometimes I also set up presets for the sub batches. In fact I have too many presets and need to delete and restart the process.

For non sports pics I have an approach tailored for that individual pic. So mainly exposure, wb, contrast, highlights and shadows, fringing and noise if required. Then if feeling more artistic I look at the other options in DxO and then Nik for all sorts of other possibilities.

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

I use Zoner Photo Studio 18 for editing my photographs, when an image is loaded there are three options one is "Manage", the next is "Develop" and third is "Edit"
In Manage Tab you can select the photograph you wish to Develop.
Develop Tab is where the image is developed, when you are satisfied with you work you "Export" the result into an Export file, the original is not affected so you go can use it again.
From the Export location you can open it in the "Edit" tab here you fine tune the image to achieve the final result, from here you then save the image.
Why not try it out from here: https://free.zoner.com/

(Download)