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Shooting RAW for PS editing?
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May 7, 2013 03:27:59   #
gnd Loc: DownUnder
 
Excuse my ignorance but can someone please tell me whether it is necessary to shoot in RAW in order to edit the shot later on in Photoshop? I presume it is necessary for HDR and maybe blending?
Shooting everything in RAW seems very time consuming to me though I presume the quality is much better.
Thanks.
gnd

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May 7, 2013 03:29:57   #
JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK
 
NOW you know why unless it is a wedding I only ever shoot JPEG

Even weddings I shoot raw AND jpegs and only edit any of the raw that may not be right in jpeg format

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May 7, 2013 03:36:52   #
Wahawk Loc: NE IA
 
It is NOT required to shoot "raw" in order to edit. It is also possible to process HDR, etc using JPG files.

Just make sure that your camera is set to save in the 'best' (least compressed) style of JPG. Then when editing, always edit the original and save the end result using the "SAVE AS" option in order to preserve the original high quality JPG in case further edits are needed.

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May 7, 2013 14:02:32   #
GHK Loc: The Vale of Eden
 
[quote=gnd]Excuse my ignorance but can someone please tell me whether it is necessary to shoot in RAW in order to edit the shot later on in Photoshop?

DEFINITELY NOT.
Raw has only been avilable as a download fomat for a comparatively short time; early digital cameras only offered JPEG and/or TIFF. Before that, digital images were obtained by scanning.
Photoshop has been available since 1989 and does the lot.
GHK

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May 7, 2013 14:05:15   #
jimni2001 Loc: Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA
 
You don't even need to shoot raw to edit in Adobe Camera Raw. It will edit .jpeg as well.

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May 7, 2013 14:58:52   #
GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City
 
jimni2001 wrote:
You don't even need to shoot raw to edit in Adobe Camera Raw. It will edit .jpeg as well.


...and does a damn fine job of it.

I get photos submitted to me all the time to use in publications, etc. Almost all of them need tweaking. Color balance, brightness, contrast, sharpness and more...all there.

I have Photoshop set up to open jpegs through Adobe Camera Raw as a default.

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May 8, 2013 06:44:48   #
1066 Loc: England
 
gnd wrote:
Excuse my ignorance but can someone please tell me whether it is necessary to shoot in RAW in order to edit the shot later on in Photoshop? I presume it is necessary for HDR and maybe blending?
Shooting everything in RAW seems very time consuming to me though I presume the quality is much better.
Thanks.
gnd

I've posted this before but all you need to do is simply right click on the jpeg image in Adobe Mini Bridge and scroll down to "Open in Camera Raw". it will then allow you to edit the jpeg image. I hope this helps.

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May 8, 2013 11:06:37   #
bersharbp Loc: Texas
 
Raw stores much more information; I wouldn't keep your photos long in RAW but it can be useful to take sensitive and important photos in RAW, edit, then keep them in JPG. For the most part I shoot in JPG and leave them there.

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May 8, 2013 12:26:04   #
speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho
 
mmhhh,.. I never shot a jpeg in my life.

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May 8, 2013 12:38:27   #
bersharbp Loc: Texas
 
I rarely shoo JPEG either; I do shoot jpg though

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May 8, 2013 12:38:29   #
bersharbp Loc: Texas
 
I rarely shoo JPEG either; I do shoot jpg though

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May 8, 2013 13:04:54   #
Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA
 
No, you do not need to shot in RAW in order to edit in PS, nor is it required for HDR processing. Actually, shooting in RAW is never a "requirement". However, there are certainly times when shooting in RAW can be to your advantage. When I take photos of the grandkid's birthday party I will usually setup to shoot jpegs and let 'er rip. in that case, I don't plan on doing much post processing; just get a good exposure, print them out, and stick them in the kid's photo album. On the other hand, if I am shooting to add images to my catalog of for sale photos, and I plan to do a lot of fine tuning to exposure, contrast, color balance, saturation, dodging and burning, etc., then RAW is my format of choice. It gives me the most data to work with, and the most flexibility and control for producing the final image I have in mind.

So, short answer is no, you don't ever need to shoot in RAW, but it is worth your time to learn when shooting RAW will best fit your final intentions.

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May 8, 2013 13:11:39   #
Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business
 
speters wrote:
mmhhh,.. I never shot a jpeg in my life.


Only time I use Jpeg is my cell phone and before I started using a dslr.

As for time it takes to post process, I think once you have your workflow down, it doesn't take any more time than it would if you were to start out with a Jpeg.

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May 8, 2013 13:41:30   #
PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach
 
The RAW file is better in every measure of photography compared to the compressed JPEG. RAW features all the data from the sensor, and any compressed format throws away much of this data.

The basic importation of RAW into Photoshop (CS5 and later) brings up an importer utility which allows great control over the RAW image, including things like highlight recovery, shadow fill light, color temperature and hue controls, vibrance as well as color saturation, and so forth. Often, all the work you need to do ends at the point of importation, and the image, better than anything a JPEG can deliver.

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May 8, 2013 19:11:37   #
BrettOssman Loc: near Tampa, Florida
 
I always shoot RAW, so I have the control over the processing that would be done in-camera, just in case the camera doesn't quite get it to my liking. It happens. The RAW workflow is VERY fast, especially in Camera RAW.

Could I tweak some of the in-camera processing in Camera RAW, sure, but once the camera's done it in JPG, I do lose some detail. It's called "lossy".

I also save as a PSD in Photoshop with extensive use of layers, so I can go back and easily change anything I did. Like RAW, PSD is not "lossy" either. From what I understand, repeated editing of a JPG can eventually ruin the photo. Not sure how much it would take.

I make a JPG when I'm ready to send it somewhere.

Just my two cents worth. :D

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