photoshop RAW question

i have been using Lightroom for a while now and really like it but the other day i tried the photoshop and the adobe RAW, which i thought was great

but can i just confirm, that i have understood correctly

with lightroom, you edit the RAW and can go back and change any settings when ever you like and re-edit the RAW file

with photoshop RAW, once you edit the raw file and hit "open image" and it opens in photoshop, you cannot go back and re-edit the RAW again ?

unless you start over again ofcourse

I think you answered your own question as long as you hav'nt saved the changes to the raw file you can go back and edit again.

what i mean is that if i make some edits in lightroom and then come back the next day and want to carry on makign some more edits on the same raw file, i can

but with photoshop RAW, you cant.. once you open it in photoshop after making your edits to the RAW file , you cant get back in to the adobe RAW to edit it some more

unless there is a way that i am missing ??

Your correct.

Try holding the Alt key next time your in ACR (Adobe Camera RAW). It will open a copy so you'll still have the original RAW file.

Actually NO.

You can open a RAW file into Photoshop from either Adobe Camera RAW or Lightroom as a Smart Object. When the press the SHIFT key in Adobe Camera Raw, the Open Image button changes to the Open Object button allowing the image(s) currently being edited in ACR to be opened in Photoshop as Smart Objects.

The principal feature of a Smart Object is that you can go back to the RAW file while it is open in Photoshop and refine/change your edits and the changes are automatically updated in the file still open in Photoshop.

Simply double-clicking the Smart Object icon on the file thumbnail reopens the RAW file in either Lightroom or ACR for further editing.

Another feature of Smart Objects is that it allows you to create adjustments in Photoshop that cannot normally be done as adjustment layers. In the example below I added a Shadow/Highlight and a Unsharp Mask adjustment and they take on the characteristics of Adjustment layers. Now by double-clicking the icons in the lower-right of each layer thumbnail I can readjust the settings of the adjustments.

dynamitetony wrote in post #9237297
i have been using Lightroom for a while now and really like it but the other day i tried the photoshop and the adobe RAW, which i thought was great

but can i just confirm, that i have understood correctly

with lightroom, you edit the RAW and can go back and change any settings when ever you like and re-edit the RAW file

with photoshop RAW, once you edit the raw file and hit "open image" and it opens in photoshop, you cannot go back and re-edit the RAW again ?

unless you start over again of course

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

Rohape wrote in post #9237334
Your correct.

Try holding the Alt key next time your in ACR (Adobe Camera RAW). It will open a copy so you'll still have the original RAW file.

You still have the original RAW whether you hold Alt or not. If you open the RAW in ACR it will open to the point where you left off before moving over to the main body of PS, or you can elect to have it open with the ACR defaults and start over from the beginning.

thanks pixelmagic

that was a very informative and helpful post

You're welcome.

I forgot to add that you can save the Smart Object file as a layered TIFF or PSD file and when you subsequently reopen it in Photoshop you still will be able to edit/adjust the RAW file.

And if at any stage you decide you want to revert your RAW files to the way they were straight out of the camera, open Adobe Bridge, select the file(s) in the filmstrip, right-click and select Develop Settings > Clear Settings.

dynamitetony wrote in post #9237553
thanks pixelmagic

that was a very informative and helpful post

Rohape wrote in post #9237334
Your correct.

Try holding the Alt key next time your in ACR (Adobe Camera RAW). It will open a copy so you'll still have the original RAW file.

I don't even know what this means. RAW data is read only.

tim wrote in post #9240880
I don't even know what this means. RAW data is read only.

In the ACR console when you hold the "Alt" key (the button next to the windows icon and the space bar), "Open Image" changes to "Open Copy".

Rohape wrote in post #9241698
In the ACR console when you hold the "Alt" key (the button next to the windows icon and the space bar), "Open Image" changes to "Open Copy".

Interesting. That might open an image in photoshop with those settings, but not save it to the raw metadata.

tim wrote in post #9243098
Interesting. That might open an image in photoshop with those settings, but not save it to the raw metadata.

I wouldn't think it would since it reads "Copy", so it would create a working copy. Similar to LightRoom if your settings automatically create a .tiff copy of the image with the changes.

Rohape wrote in post #9243454
I wouldn't think it would since it reads "Copy", so it would create a working copy. Similar to LightRoom if your settings automatically create a .tiff copy of the image with the changes.

I just tested my theory, and it looks like I was correct.

The RAW file (as mentioned) is read only - it's a corresponding XML file (acually saved as a a .xmp file) that contains any settings you make to the raw file. Just delete that file if you want to re-open then RAW without previous selections. Of course opening as copy doesn't save that xml file. The RAW file will never change.

Also - under Workflow options (if you click the link right under the image preview in ACR) you can set options as to how photoshop will actually open the image - one of these options is to always open as smart objects.

tim wrote in post #9243466
I just tested my theory, and it looks like I was correct.

Okay, I don't think anyone was disagreeing with you.