Why You Should Shoot In The Raw

Well, you may be surprised but I love Christmas, and I still have our Christmas tree up. Today I finally got around to taking some photos, one of which was of a red ball I particularly like. I had to use flash, so as you can see in the top photo there was some reflection on the ball, and I didn’t get quite as much depth of filed as I wanted.

However, because I shot in the raw I was able to work on the image to get it exactly the way I wanted it. Using Adobe PhotoShop
I was able to take the raw image and make corrections without destroying any of the quality of the photograph. This is an example why you want to shoot your photos in the raw, if you can.

It also demonstrates why having a detachable flash unit is very handy. I was able to reduce the flash by 3 f-stops as well when I took the picture. Using a DSLR camera with flash will give you a lot more flexibility than your typical point-and-shoot camera; however, it will be far more expensive to purchase.

The top photo is the one shot in the raw, the one on the bottom is the result after working on it. As you can see I was able to remove the reflections from the flash, and I was able to get the color more true to the actual color of this ornament. While it took a little time, you can see it was worth the effort.

If you don’t have Adobe PhotoShop
I would really recommend that you get it; it will help you create better and more interesting photos as you develop your photography skills.

Remember, keep taking lots and lots of photographs of your kids. You will be glad you did!