I don't know what took me so long? I think it was because I've been using Photoshop Elements for so long ... and could never get it to open my RAW files. So, I convinced myself that jpeg was good enough. And, in a lot of cases it is good enough. So, I stopped shooting in jpeg + RAW, and just shot in jpeg.

Recently, I joined UHH, and began following the daily updates, etc. I absolutely love this forum, because I am learning so much, and I am starting to contribute in whatever way I can. I am a hobbyist ... and an enthusiast wannabe. I think? that's the order?

Anyway, I recently purchased Luminar 2018 for $49, YES $49 (when using discount code DANBAILEY at checkout) and fell in love with it. Today, I happened to take a couple of images from a year or so ago (that were jpeg images I had edited), and brought the RAW versions of those images into Luminar (for the first time) to see how I might be able to improve on the jpeg versions I had done.

OMG ... I could not believe it! I did this because a number of you (so sorry, wish I could remember your names?) kept saying to shoot and process RAW, and that it was easier and faster to process RAW files ... which I didn't believe. But ... I do now. I am a convert, and will be forever grateful to this forum for that. As I write, today I have been taking some of my favorite images that I had captured a RAW file of as well, and am re-editing them, with fantastic results.

Now, there are two variables here. One is RAW vs. jpeg. The other is Photoshop Elements 14 vs. Luminar. So, perhaps I could be improving my jpeg images even further by re-processing them in Luminar ... but at this point I don't even care anymore. Luminar and RAW is my new process! One other thing I have learned is although I've become pretty efficient with Photoshop Elements 14, I can edit so much faster in Luminar! Saving time to me is a very precious thing.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with this forum! I am forever grateful.

I don't know what took me so long? I think it was because I've been using Photoshop Elements for so long ... and could never get it to open my RAW files. So, I convinced myself that jpeg was good enough. And, in a lot of cases it is good enough. So, I stopped shooting in jpeg + RAW, and just shot in jpeg.

Recently, I joined UHH, and began following the daily updates, etc. I absolutely love this forum, because I am learning so much, and I am starting to contribute in whatever way I can. I am a hobbyist ... and an enthusiast wannabe. I think? that's the order?

Anyway, I recently purchased Luminar 2018 for $49, YES $49 (when using discount code DANBAILEY at checkout) and fell in love with it. Today, I happened to take a couple of images from a year or so ago (that were jpeg images I had edited), and brought the RAW versions of those images into Luminar (for the first time) to see how I might be able to improve on the jpeg versions I had done.

OMG ... I could not believe it! I did this because a number of you (so sorry, wish I could remember your names?) kept saying to shoot and process RAW, and that it was easier and faster to process RAW files ... which I didn't believe. But ... I do now. I am a convert, and will be forever grateful to this forum for that. As I write, today I have been taking some of my favorite images that I had captured a RAW file of as well, and am re-editing them, with fantastic results.

Now, there are two variables here. One is RAW vs. jpeg. The other is Photoshop Elements 14 vs. Luminar. So, perhaps I could be improving my jpeg images even further by re-processing them in Luminar ... but at this point I don't even care anymore. Luminar and RAW is my new process! One other thing I have learned is although I've become pretty efficient with Photoshop Elements 14, I can edit so much faster in Luminar! Saving time to me is a very precious thing.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with this forum! I am forever grateful.

I don't know what took me so long? I think it was because I've been using Photoshop Elements for so long ... and could never get it to open my RAW files. So, I convinced myself that jpeg was good enough. And, in a lot of cases it is good enough. So, I stopped shooting in jpeg + RAW, and just shot in jpeg.

Recently, I joined UHH, and began following the daily updates, etc. I absolutely love this forum, because I am learning so much, and I am starting to contribute in whatever way I can. I am a hobbyist ... and an enthusiast wannabe. I think? that's the order?

Anyway, I recently purchased Luminar 2018 for $49, YES $49 (when using discount code DANBAILEY at checkout) and fell in love with it. Today, I happened to take a couple of images from a year or so ago (that were jpeg images I had edited), and brought the RAW versions of those images into Luminar (for the first time) to see how I might be able to improve on the jpeg versions I had done.

OMG ... I could not believe it! I did this because a number of you (so sorry, wish I could remember your names?) kept saying to shoot and process RAW, and that it was easier and faster to process RAW files ... which I didn't believe. But ... I do now. I am a convert, and will be forever grateful to this forum for that. As I write, today I have been taking some of my favorite images that I had captured a RAW file of as well, and am re-editing them, with fantastic results.

Now, there are two variables here. One is RAW vs. jpeg. The other is Photoshop Elements 14 vs. Luminar. So, perhaps I could be improving my jpeg images even further by re-processing them in Luminar ... but at this point I don't even care anymore. Luminar and RAW is my new process! One other thing I have learned is although I've become pretty efficient with Photoshop Elements 14, I can edit so much faster in Luminar! Saving time to me is a very precious thing.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with this forum! I am forever grateful.