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01.01.09

Workflow: RAW vs JPEG

Words by Andrew Williams

WORKFLOW

A workflow is simply a series of steps to take your images from camera to output. The basic are shown in the diagram below. The overall process applies whether your camera is set to shoot in JPEG or Raw, but don’t forget that Raw files need an extra processing step before you can start editing.

RAW or JPEG

Deciding which format you use is fundamental so it’s important to make the right choice. We always advise using Raw (or both where possible). The decision is between JPEG and Raw file formats and all DSLR offer this choice.

The JPEG standard file format has been around since 1994 and is very widely used to store photographic images. At the time computer disk space was expensive and the JPEG format was designed to create small files without excessive loss of quality.

As a JPEG file is created within your camera the image data is compressed, permanently removing areas of very similar colour and replacing them with a single colour. The quality setting on your camera controls the amount of compression. The greater the compression used; the poorer the image quality. For a high resolution image from any modern DSLR the loss in quality on the highest setting is hard to detect.

As large memory cards and disk drives are now much more affordable, there is little reason to use anything other than the highest quality settings.

By contrast a Raw file contains all data captured by your camera. The file is at least 12-bit (sometimes 14-bit) rather than the 8-bit of a JPEG so that means it records many times more levels from black to white. This additional data allows for smoother tone transitions and better image quality. Unlike a JPEG, which is useable straight out of the camera, a Raw file has to be processed in software before it can be used.

Raw files are not a defined standard; each camera manufacturer has its own version. You can use the software supplied with your camera or third-party products like Elements 6.0 to convert, or process, these files. Elements can read most Raw files and is regularly updated with new camera models.

When processing a Raw file the original remains untouched, changes are recorded separately. The extra information in a Raw file allows you to adjust the exposure by plus or minus one or two stops or lets you correct white-balance all without any loss of quality during processing. A little like re-shooting without being there.

CONVERTING RAW FILES

Changing Raw files into something your image-editing software can understand is the first step.

Process the Raw file

Right click on the thumbnail and select Full Edit from the list. Elements 6.0 identifies that it’s a Raw file and brings up Adobe Camera Raw to process it. This is the same software built into the full version of Photoshop CS3.

Adjust white-balance

Raw lets you alter white-balance on the computer. You can use presets such as cloudy or tungsten or move the sliders to give the right result.

Adjust exposure

Use the Exposure slider to correct under or overexposure. The slider covers a range of plus or minus four stops, but it’s best to confine yourself to two stops or the quality suffers. The Histogram shows the distribution of brightness levels as you move the slider. Holding down Alt as you move the slider shows overexposed areas.

Once the basic exposure is correct you can use the other sliders to selectively fine-tune things; see the Digital know-how panel.

Adjust colour

Sharpen the edges in the images using the Clarity control; this is very effective when other adjustments may have softened them. Note that this isn’t the same as the Unsharp Mask. To add saturation, particularly for skin tones, use the Vibrance slider; I use this in preference to the Saturation slider.

Open the image

Clicking the Open button opens the image in the Elements Edit module. Here you can use any of the editing tools and save the file in the format you want, typically as a Photoshop or TIFF file. The original Raw file is untouched so you can process it again using different settings to create a different version of the same image.

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