The battle between RAW and JPEG will not end anytime soon. Photographers have clashing opinions on which is better – to shoot in RAW or in JPEG. If you were to ask me, I’d say RAW! I used to shoot in jpeg given how simple it is to use and understand but when I gave RAW a try I was impressed and never went back to jpeg.
If you are undecided on what format to choose, let me share with you some of my thoughts on why you should choose RAW over JPEG. Let’s start with a short description of the two formats.
RAW Defined
RAW is a file format (not an image format) where the exact data gathered by the sensor is preserved when taking pictures. The file remains unprocessed, uncompressed and literally RAW as in fresh with no loss of information. A special program is necessary in order to view this format. And since the data that your sensor captures is exactly the same data that you will get, higher quality images will be stored.
JPEG Defined
JPEG is an image format that is common among many different types of cameras – from point and shoot to DSLR cameras. The image that your sensor captures is automatically processed by the camera so a significant loss of information including image quality is expected and noticeable.
Why Choose RAW
When shooting in RAW, the image is not processed by the camera which means you have more control on what the final picture will look like. Here are some of the reasons you should choose RAW over JPEG.
- Higher quality images for better prints
For wedding photographers like wedding photographer hertfordshire and others who usually receive request for printed or hard copies, shooting in RAW can give your sharper and livelier pictures that are nice to add in albums or post on walls. You can be assured of sharper, clearer images when you shoot in RAW.
- Easy to correct images
When you shoot in raw, the image captured is not processed by the camera and is processed by you later during post production. The raw images are easier to correct or edit and the image quality is nearly the same. There is no significant reduction of image quality. One reason for this is the high level of brightness in RAW which allows you to adjust settings without affecting the image.
- Reset and Start over
During post production wherein you adjust an image, you are not directly editing the original file but creating another version to be saved. This means that whenever you make mistakes during the post production, you can always reset or go back to the original and start over. The original file is not affected or overlapped by new versions.
- Space won’t be a problem
Some photographers complain that RAW takes up so much space in their memory card so they opt for the jpeg setting wherein the saved files have considerably lower smaller file size. If you think about it, memory cards nowadays are cheap and you can even buy a 4GB memory card for as low as $15. If you really want to satisfy your client, give them the best pictures that are worth keeping for a lifetime.
Yes you can indeed store more files when you shoot in jpeg but shooting in raw can give you the best images that you can possibly have. Shooting in RAW can also help you hone your photo editing skills since you have more control with the final output. You can be as good as wedding photographer essex in editing pictures. Just make sure you don’t save all images in one drive and that you have backups so as to avoid any possible computer issues.
Keep in mind that impressing a client is important. We need to deliver the best services so they will most likely hire us again or recommend us to others. Set time to understand and learn how to shoot in RAW so you can provide your client the sharpest and most brilliant pictures they can possibly have.