RAW help

[Lensmeister]

hey all,

I spent the entire day yesterday shooting raw photos at Richmond Park. Now I have some good shots, BUT I have had, in the past, nightmares in prosessing. :gah:

I have PS CS3 so can anyone point me in the direction of a idiots guide to doing RAW processing from RAW - jpg? :thumbsup:

Thanks in advance.

[Fenman]

http://thedigitalphotographyconnection.com/

Go to "photoshop" scroll down to video RAW Workflow. It is the newer RAW converter but much the same as in CS3. I am a CS3 and Lightroom user - Lightroom well worth considering rather than updating to CS4.

I usually work by sorting white balance first - then a quick play with exposure - possibly then work my way down the various possibilities. I am on my laptop so will have to open up CS3 with a RAW image to remind myself of that version of RAW converter as the latest version is in Lightroom.

I look forward to seeing pictures of Richmond Park - Cross Country days and "courting" ground as was at school at Tiffins in Kingston back in the 1950's.

[Lensmeister]

Thanks.

I have to pop out for a while but when I get home I will have a look.

[PhotoJet]

I tried answering this yesterday, but alas... server changes halted me!

I see you shoot a Canon. If you want to use one of the very best RAW conversion softwares ever, you should go to Canon's website and download their FREE conversion software "Canon Photo Professional." It is far easier to use that photoshop or even Lightroom, and since it was created the express purpose of converting Canon RAW, it's just the thing for you!
I also use Lightroom, but that is for my Fuji RAW photos. I can tell you right now that if Canon made their conversion software so it accepted other RAW formats, I'd never have needed to buy Lightroom.
So give it a go & see what you think!

[ann]

along the same lines as jeanette, i am in the "camp" of using the manufactures software (unless it is fuji , and they should be ashamed of themselves) as no one knows their "numbers" better than they. PS is ok, but is back engineered. I use PS for a working Platform for other plug ins .

With that said, don't let RAW overwhelm you, it really isn't that difficult. Check out Scott Kelby, he has a web site that might help you.

Also check this http://www.msjphotography.com/
Michael has lots of small videos on a wide variety of subjects. Every thurs. he does something new

[Fenman]

OK - yes the Canon RAW converter is good for converting straight to .jpegs but I still prefer to go the Lightroom route as I use it to catalog the images and any changes will be non destructive and do not take up any more space. The export function allows you to size your image and quality of .jpeg to suit whatever you wish it to be used for. For example set 800 pixel longest size and sharpen for web to suit this forum for uploading.

The printing templates and the ability to design them to suit one's needs and printer control using profiles are excellent - I would recommend downloading a trial and have a play.

[Fox Paw]

I use the Canon software to tweak the images while in RAW and then convert them to tifs. Then I process them with Paint Shop Pro.

PSP will now convert RAW images but unless I'm missing something, you can't make any changes while still in RAW--it converts them immediately to a tif. I don't use it.

[ann]

Regardless of which software I only tweak, then change to Tiff and go from there if i feel i need to do anything else. The only time i use jpeg files, for my class viewing (computer is old and slow and hates Tiff files) and to post here.

[Fox Paw]

This thread inspired me to download the updates to my Canon software. Glad I did. There are several tools that weren't there when I first installed it, a year and a half ago, and they look helpful.

[PhotoJet]

This thread inspired me to download the updates to my Canon software. Glad I did. There are several tools that weren't there when I first installed it, a year and a half ago, and they look helpful.

Oh yeah! I love it that you can now change the highlight & shadow contrast along with overall contrast! :)

I agree with you, Ann, about Fuji's software. They are the reason I now have Lightroom. :irked: The Fuji stuff is horrible!

Fenman... Canon's software does not have to be 'destructive' to the original RAW file. You can retain the original RAW file quite easily in addition to creating a file in either jpg or tiff.

[Fox Paw]

"Oh yeah! I love it that you can now change the highlight & shadow contrast along with overall contrast!"

Me too. The distortion and other new tools remain a bit of a mystery so far, but maybe I'll puzzle them through.

[KMann]

Lensmeister - this is a good tutorial for adjusting exposure in RAW photos and PsCs3. http://www.photoshopsupport.com/photoshop-cs3/adobe-camera-raw-exposure-adjustments/index.html

You might like to check out tutorials for Lightroom. You will find that they are similar.