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Jeff_Roush
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StevenP
what happens when you try to enlarge a small resolution photo. If you
begin with the 10 x 10 ft quilt and want to make it a 50 x 50 ft. you
can imagine what will happen. Of course, you cannot "stretch" a quilt,
but if you could, you would see the inner squares distorting and
losing detail. This is what happens to the pixels in a low resolution
photo when you try to enlarge it. Programs such as Genuine Fractals
TRY to compensate for this by "resampling". All this does is try to
copy data in each pixel and reproduce it at a larger size. It can do a
decent job up to a point. But eventually, the photo will still become
"pixelated". Always shoot at your camera's highest resolution and
quality. Memory cards are cheap. You can always downsize, but you
cannot always upsize the amount you need. Personally, I only shoot in
RAW, but that is another discussion unto itself... i.e., the RAW vs.
Jpeg war!
Steve Parrott
seminars of both Gary Fong and David Ziser. They are millionaire
wedding photographers, (though Fong has "retired), and they both
advocate shooting in Jpeg. However, any finished products I have seen
from them are 99% of the time storybook albums, in which a Jpeg would
be fine. I think they also do it for post processing speed. But then I
also subscribe to professional photo magazines such as Rangefinder and
Professional Photographer and nearly without exception, anyone shooting
digital shoots in RAW. So to me, it comes down to what works best for
YOU.
Raw is, to an extent, a digital negative. I immediately take my RAW
files and put them on CD before I so much as open the folder. I want
those "negatives" in the original, purest form for any future need.
When I have these files on CD, I am totally free to do whatever I want
with the files on the computer, as I know that no matter what I may do,
I always can get back to square one with the original if needed.
I use Phase One Capture One RAW conversion software. The ability to
adjust exposure, white balance, tone, and reduce noise, is so far
beyond the limited ability to what can be done with a Jpeg in
Photoshop, that to me it is just a no brainer to use RAW.
Some say RAW is just a crutch for people who know nothing about
photography and can't ever get a photo correct in the camera in the
beginning. I actually agree with that to an extent, but I also think
there are plenty of others who are good photographers and work hard to
get the original photo as correct as possible in camera. RAW just gives
a little bit of extra "security". I'm betting even the greatest
photographers who ever lived lost plenty of shots that they could have
saved if digital and RAW technology existed. No one is perfect. RAW is
just another aspect of digital technology. To turn your back on it
makes no sense to me. But that is my opinion... your milage may vary!
As far as saving to Tiff, I do not think there are any cameras made now
that save to Tiff any more. I know they did before the RAW format
became common. But now the choice is either RAW or various JPEG
compressions. As Jeff posted earlier, however, saving as a Tiff in
Photoshop for editing is certainly desirable to avoid continued JPEG
deterioration of the file.
Well, there is my take on it, anyone else?
Steve
Jeff_Roush
decisions about file types and which ones he uses. The main thing to
remember about RAW files is first of all what he mentioned about it
being a facsimile of the digital negative. Secondly, this RAW format
is the closest duplication of information you can get from your
sensor. Thirdly, most RAW file formats are archival, meaing you can't
mistakenly to a "file-save" and write over it; thus loosing it
permanently.
The habit he has developed about immediately producing and saving a CD
of his raw files is an excellent idea also, computer hard drives are
NOT archival and crashes do happen.
So, all that being said here's my take on it.
1)I shoot everything on RAW; if it's not worth saving is it worth
shooting?
2)When I do shoot jpg I'm certain there will never be any other
application of images other than personal use, i.e web, email, small
prints for a scrapbook.
3)I also always make an initial determination about retouching before
I shoot. If I feel there will be some retouching I will shoot RAW
regardless of the end use. Why? Even personal use photographs might
be printed.. and even if it's for my mother for her refridgerator I
want it to be as perfect as I can make it .... after all, isn't that
what we do as pros?