Camera Raw
One of the big topics of conversation over the last few years has been the subject of 'Raw' files and 'digital negatives'.
During this time the capture format has gone from being an option for high-end work only to a key part of most professionals' work flows.
we looked at the first few steps involved in optimizing a digital capture, be it Raw based or TIFF or JPEG.
Here we will delve further into Raw processing and pay particular attention to the other editing and enhancement options that are possible when altering your photos directly in Adobe Camera Raw or as an embedded Raw file within Photo shop CS4.
Keep in mind that for many of the techniques there is no longer the need to convert your file from its native Raw format in order to continue editing the picture in Photo shop.
This way of working ensures that not only are your images always derived from the primary capture data and not a second generation derivative, but that you maintain the flexibility of the Raw format for altering characteristics such as white balance, tonality,color space and sharpness non-destructively.
All digital cameras capture in Raw but only Digital SLRs and the medium- to high-end 'Prosumer cameras off er the user the option of saving the images in this Raw format.
Selecting the Raw format in the camera instead of JPEG or TIFF stops the camera from processing the color data collected from the sensor.
Digital cameras typically process the data collected by the sensor by applying the white balance, sharpening and contrast settings set by the user in the camera's menus.
Th e camera then compresses the bit depth of the color data from 12 to 8 bits per channel before saving the file as a JP EG or TIFF file.
Selecting the Raw format prevents this image processing taking place.
Th e Raw data is what the sensor 'saw' before the camera processed the image, and many photographers have started to refer to this file as the 'digital negative'.
The term 'digital negative' is also used by Adobe for their archival format (.
dng) for Raw files.
During this time the capture format has gone from being an option for high-end work only to a key part of most professionals' work flows.
we looked at the first few steps involved in optimizing a digital capture, be it Raw based or TIFF or JPEG.
Here we will delve further into Raw processing and pay particular attention to the other editing and enhancement options that are possible when altering your photos directly in Adobe Camera Raw or as an embedded Raw file within Photo shop CS4.
Keep in mind that for many of the techniques there is no longer the need to convert your file from its native Raw format in order to continue editing the picture in Photo shop.
This way of working ensures that not only are your images always derived from the primary capture data and not a second generation derivative, but that you maintain the flexibility of the Raw format for altering characteristics such as white balance, tonality,color space and sharpness non-destructively.
All digital cameras capture in Raw but only Digital SLRs and the medium- to high-end 'Prosumer cameras off er the user the option of saving the images in this Raw format.
Selecting the Raw format in the camera instead of JPEG or TIFF stops the camera from processing the color data collected from the sensor.
Digital cameras typically process the data collected by the sensor by applying the white balance, sharpening and contrast settings set by the user in the camera's menus.
Th e camera then compresses the bit depth of the color data from 12 to 8 bits per channel before saving the file as a JP EG or TIFF file.
Selecting the Raw format prevents this image processing taking place.
Th e Raw data is what the sensor 'saw' before the camera processed the image, and many photographers have started to refer to this file as the 'digital negative'.
The term 'digital negative' is also used by Adobe for their archival format (.
dng) for Raw files.
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