What should you do while image is raw?

Is white balance the only must do while your image is still in raw format or are there other things better done in raw before doing stuff in tiff?

Well just for clarification, you can't do anything to the raw. All you do is set parameters for how the raw will be converted into an image as raw itself is not an image. To answer your question though, do as much as you can in your raw editor. Personally 99% of my images never leave the raw editor before they get printed or converted for upload.

HankScorpio wrote in post #10595400
Well just for clarification, you can't do anything to the raw. All you do is set parameters for how the raw will be converted into an image as raw itself is not an image. To answer your question though, do as much as you can in your raw editor. Personally 99% of my images never leave the raw editor before they get printed or converted for upload.

I'm finding the same using ACR5.7 in CS4

I can process 99% of my images in a raw editor without them ever needing to see photoshop. RAW is RAW, you just set the parameters that you want the image processed with for print/viewing. RAW is for "developing" the image rather than letting the camera tell you how it thinks the image should be developed.

Thanks for the replies. Lets just redirect this a bit.

If you are going to use photoshop or a plug in what should you make sure you do while the image is still in raw format.

griptape so what do you consider the developing stage? can you be more specific?

domat wrote in post #10595511
If you are going to use photoshop or a plug in what should you make sure you do while the image is still in raw format.

That depends on what you plan to do to the image but again, do everything you can. Make sure the exposure is dead on, add any colour toning, get the contrast and clarity right. Don't sharpen though as that should be your last step.

domat wrote in post #10595511
Thanks for the replies. Lets just redirect this a bit.

If you are going to use photoshop or a plug in what should you make sure you do while the image is still in raw format.

griptape so what do you consider the developing stage? can you be more specific?

The one thing that cannot be done with a rendered (jpg, tif, psd) image is the recovery of partially clipped highlights. If they haven't been recovered in the RAW converter, they are gone forever.

There is also one thing that can be done much better at the RAW level and that is WB. In a rendered image the WB can be tweaked very well as long as the color shift is not too great, but it will always be better in RAW. And if you are talking about a major shift, like an outdoors shot mistakenly done with tungsten WB, only at the RAW level.

Other than those two, if you convert to 16 bit tif or psd, not jpg, there is theoretically no difference between the RAW converter and a good pixel editor.

In addition to what Elie says, I've read that it's important to get your blacks "right" with your Raw processor -- that, similar to highlights, you want to make sure you get your darker tones above what could be clipped. But I don't have the technical expertise to give details.

Another thing that you may need to look at is bright, saturated colors. The camera can catch colors that are in a wider "gamut" than you might use, especially if you use the sRGB working space in your external editor, and if you are working with an image with those types of colors I'd suggest using your Raw converter with a wider working gamut to tone those colors down to where they will "play nice" in your desired editor.

domat wrote in post #10595511
If you are going to use photoshop...

Are you going to use Photoshop (and ACR)? If so, the Basic tab is just that... the basic adjustments you'll want to address. And it's set up in a logical order so you normally follow it from top to bottom (with exceptions). You don't have to adjust everything, of course, or anything if the photo is perfect. But the order of adjustments should help train you to make your raw adjustments with a structured, logical strategy.

domat wrote in post #10595511
Thanks for the replies. Lets just redirect this a bit.

If you are going to use photoshop or a plug in what should you make sure you do while the image is still in raw format.

Adjust WB/tint, tone curve, vibrance/saturation, different color's luminance and saturation if desired, clarity, fill light. this all i do with lightroom 3. it is pointless to convert raw files using default settings because that is just one idea of image conversion settings.

Thanks for the info guys.