A friend of mine recently asked me to post some of my RAW images. At first I thought, that’s like asking me to give a speech in a bikini. Well – that might be exaggerating - but I process my images before I post them to ensure each reflects the image as I saw it in the field. I also want to make the image the very best it can be. These things are like pageant contestants. They need their hair, makeup, and evening gown before they show up.
 

If you are wondering what I mean when I use the term RAW, I am referring to the file format I use in camera. Your camera will allow you to choose between RAW and JPEG formats. RAW images contain more information than JPEGS which allows you to get the most out of each image. While I don’t recommend “shoot first and ask questions later”, with RAW, you can recover image issues much better than JPEG files. RAW files are higher quality, have a broader range of tones, allow for shadow and highlight adjustments, and allow for white balance adjustments. We’ll talk more about white balance later.
 

RAW files are larger than JPEGs so if you use this, be prepared to burn through more memory than you would on JPEG settings.

I grabbed some of my RAW images to show the difference between the RAW and processed captures. Each of these had varying degrees of adjustments needed.

Photo 1: is of the American River, El Manto access, shot on Valentine’s Day morning. I ran outside in the dark to see if there were any clouds. It didn’t look like there would be anything great but this location is only about 10 minutes from my house so I figured what the heck. I’m glad I went because it was a pretty stunning sunrise – although this color lasted for roughly 3 minutes! If you are serious about photography, it pays to get familiar with locations near your home and visit over and over again, at different times of the year and day. That way, when the light is just right, you already have options to choose from.

• While out shooting, I failed to notice that my Graduated Neutral Density filter holder was vignetting my frame. Whoopsie! That was the first correction I made. Next time I’ll make sure my focal length is longer than 16 mm so this can be cropped in the field.
   

• I cleaned up dust spots. It doesn’t seem to matter what I do, I always find at least 1 dust spot in my landscape skies. Dust is my not my friend.
   

• I toned down the highlights at the horizon because I thought they were a bit bright.
   

• I pulled up the shadows in the river then dodged the rapids so the white stood out a bit more.
   

• There was no color changes or saturation added. It really was this colorful that morning. This is why I don’t mind getting up a couple hours before sunrise.
   

Photo 2: was shot about 4 years ago and I forgot I had it in my files. I ran across it and thought it would be a fine example. I love complimentary colors in photos. They always catch my eye. The RAW capture colors are bit dull though. So what did I do?
 

• I cleaned up the extraneous tentacles (that’s what those are called, right?) because they weren’t really adding anything to the photo and I couldn’t exactly get in the tank and move them out of the way while shooting. When you can groom a scene, do it, when you can’t, accept that Photoshop is your friend.
   

• I boosted the contrast by increasing the highlights and the shadows. I kind of makes it “pop”.
   

• I added a touch of saturation to make the colors stand out (since that is what caught my eye in the first place).
   

• I added a touch of sharpening using the clarity function.
   

• I could stand around and shoot jellyfish for hours if I didn’t think another aquarium visitor wouldn’t punch me for blocking the view.
   

Photo 3: is a Crimson Columbine I shot in Lassen National Park last summer. It amazes me that nature produces these fantastic little living sculptures. I was probably about 6 inches off the ground when I shot this. Flowers force you to work on their terms but it usually pays off. I love to shoot my flower macros during the day when the light is too harsh for landscapes. I just carry a diffuser and reflector to create more pleasant light.
 

• I cleaned up the stem edges and petals to remove extraneous distractions.
   

• I increased the contrast of the flower a bit.
   

• I added a bit more saturation on the green background.
   

• I added a touch of sharpening using the clarity function.
   

• I pulled up the shadows just a touch.
   

Photo 4: is from a trip I took to Lake Powell back in May of 2008. At that time, the lake levels were quite low but it was filling back up at a rate of 1 inch per day so things I was lucky enough to see are now under water. I chose to include this photo because the lighting was a bit tricky so I thought it would be a good example of how Lightroom can be used to recover shadow detail when nature says “take that!”
 

• I cleaned up those darn dust spots.
   

• I pulled up the shadows then noticed the lower left corner had 2 people in it. They weren’t adding to the photo so I cropped them out.
   

• I added contrast so the streaks on the canyon walls would stand out a bit more.
   

• I added a bit of blue to the color cast to the entire image to improve the look of the sky and pull down the red in the canyon walls.
   

• I did a small amount of dodging and burning on the rock on the right side of the frame.
   

That’s it! I really didn’t spend too much time on any of these and I think the processed images are an improvement to the RAW capture that was worth the time invested. So – the next time you are shooting, try shooting RAW and think about what you can do in the field to reduce your editing time and what you could do in post process to make the image the very best it can be. Happy shooting!