Raw vs JPG for event type photography: I know most of us shoot RAW when we want the very best photograph but I’m wondering what y’all do for events that will be 500-1000 photos taken.

Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

I know most of us shoot RAW when we want the very best photograph but I’m wondering what y’all do for events that will be 500-1000 photos taken. I have been getting into race day photography (Running) where your basically documenting the event and the crazy faces you can catch at the finish line. The last two I shot RAW but I’m really considering switching to JPG for these just to save time processing. What do y’all shoot similar things in?

picsman Loc: Scotland

I shoot between 2-4K photos of amateur sports in RAW. When travelling home I import them to capture one using auto adjustments and a style. So once home I take the ssd external disc to my iMac and cull the imports then convert to jpg. This takes time but I think capture one gives me a very fast processing system.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I used to do a lot of event photography. Raw only, 500-800 shots. But it all depends on the response time you need. I could go home after the event and do the processing. It didn't take any more time for me to do raw processing than it would have to do processing on jpgs. If you need instant response, posting photos during the event, then you have to rethink that.

The greatest time load was keywording the photos to include names of people in them.

Silverrails

Resqu2 wrote:

I know most of us shoot RAW when we want the very best photograph but I’m wondering what y’all do for events that will be 500-1000 photos taken. I have been getting into race day photography (Running) where your basically documenting the event and the crazy faces you can catch at the finish line. The last two I shot RAW but I’m really considering switching to JPG for these just to save time processing. What do y’all shoot similar things in?

As a 3 year, now considered myself to be a
"Advanced Beginner", I have never shot in RAW due to my lack of P.P. knowledge, JPEG has been satisfactory for me thus far.

khorinek

I used to shoot all RAW for everything I did. As I got busier (I now shoot 10-13 events a week) I couldn't keep up with editing 1,500-2,000 photos per week. I will admit, it is hard to juggle all that and throw in deadlines on top of it all. If I have a busy day/week, and I am comfortable with the venue or location of the shoot, I will shoot jpg just to save time. I know of colleagues that are very busy with their photography business and have hired someone to edit their RAW photos for them. That's very trusting.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Resqu2 wrote:

I know most of us shoot RAW when we want the very best photograph but I’m wondering what y’all do for events that will be 500-1000 photos taken. I have been getting into race day photography (Running) where your basically documenting the event and the crazy faces you can catch at the finish line. The last two I shot RAW but I’m really considering switching to JPG for these just to save time processing. What do y’all shoot similar things in?

Are they paying you to edit the images, whether RAW or JPEG? My experience as a runner is I receive clearly straight from the camera JPEGs.

As a photographer for a few races for a local charity, I've done the shooting and editing for the benefit of the organization. A tool like LR automates the application of edits across a large volume of RAW files. But, if I wasn't doing that work as an in-kind contribution to the charity, I'd shoot in JPEG and just provide the JPEGs.

Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

DirtFarmer wrote:

I used to do a lot of event photography. Raw only, 500-800 shots. But it all depends on the response time you need. I could go home after the event and do the processing. It didn't take any more time for me to do raw processing than it would have to do processing on jpgs. If you need instant response, posting photos during the event, then you have to rethink that.

The greatest time load was keywording the photos to include names of people in them.

I don’t post during the event as there is really no time that’s not being used for shooting, especially races as you go from finish line shots for each runner to the awards shots that everyone wants so they can post back to their social media. I have never done any keywording as I wouldn’t know most of the people anyway. I may do this next race in RAW and see if I can speed up the processing some. I use Lightroom CC on my IPad Pro for these type events but may switch to the regular LR on my desktop and see if that helps any.

OwlHarbor Loc: Pacific North West USA

I shoot in both RAW and JPEG. With memory cards much cheaper its not an issue.

Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

CHG_CANON wrote:

Are they paying you to edit the images, whether RAW or JPEG? My experience as a runner is I receive clearly straight from the camera JPEGs.

As a photographer for a few races for a local charity, I've done the shooting and editing for the benefit of the organization. A tool like LR automates the application of edits across a large volume of RAW files. But, if I wasn't doing that work as an in-kind contribution to the charity, I'd shoot in JPEG and just provide the JPEGs.

I do the races as a contribution to the organization but I want to provide the best possible images as doing this always leads to lots more paid word. My last morning race I did I got two more paid jobs the same day and several more lined up. It’s good advertising so far.

I’m also a runner and like you I have only gotten pics that look like non edited JPG’s and I try to not do that and provide edited images. When I say edited I don’t mean hours on each image but where the light is about the same I can spend a little time on the first one and just paste the same setting to most all the other images.

Bison Bud

OwlHarbor wrote:

I shoot in both RAW and JPEG. With memory cards much cheaper its not an issue.

I agree on shooting RAW+JPEG in camera. You can then basically use the JPEGS unless you get something that really needs further editing. In that case, the RAW file will make it worth shooting both in camera.

Resqu2 Loc: SW Va

Bison Bud wrote:

I agree on shooting RAW+JPEG in camera. You can then basically use the JPEGS unless you get something that really needs further editing. In that case, the RAW file will make it worth shooting both in camera.

I didn’t really consider this option. That’s why I love this place! I need to pick up a CF card for my other slot and just shoot both. I know I can on just one card but I need an excuse to pick up a card for that slot anyway.

ELNikkor

I shoot RAW on 1 card, jpeg on the other. (D750) I rarely need the RAW.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I used to shoot events for one of the local pubs. Probably 200 per evening. I shot all in RAW and automated most of the processing. Usually one or two required special processing, but it worked rather well. I'd transfer the images from card to computer and then start the processing and go to bed. By morning, all images were ready to post to their Facebook page.
--Bob

Resqu2 wrote:

I know most of us shoot RAW when we want the very best photograph but I’m wondering what y’all do for events that will be 500-1000 photos taken. I have been getting into race day photography (Running) where your basically documenting the event and the crazy faces you can catch at the finish line. The last two I shot RAW but I’m really considering switching to JPG for these just to save time processing. What do y’all shoot similar things in?

DionYSeus919 Loc: Fort Bragg, NC

I always shoot both. In my business I sometimes move a lot which as you know means WB can become an issue. I was taught from two different schools. The first (for video) taught me to try to edit in the camera. The second (still) taught me to shoot large and crop. I kind of combine the two techniques in both disciplines. I use the jpg if it is good and rely on the RAW to correct those little issues that make a good shot great. Hope that helps.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Resqu2 wrote:

I know most of us shoot RAW when we want the very best photograph but I’m wondering what y’all do for events that will be 500-1000 photos taken. I have been getting into race day photography (Running) where your basically documenting the event and the crazy faces you can catch at the finish line. The last two I shot RAW but I’m really considering switching to JPG for these just to save time processing. What do y’all shoot similar things in?

If you want to quickly process your RAW images do an "auto" develop on all images, then review and tweak as needed. This would be very quick and yet still give you the leeway to work with certain images that might need more processing.