help with uploading raw images...

[JeffieLove]

What file extension do you save them as after editing?

What site do you upload them on?



I normally just shoot in jpeg, but decided I wanted to play around with RAW to help me get used to editing...

So I took a pic in RAW, edited it, saved it as a .tif because from what I have heard, jpegs mess them up a little or something... so you can't upload .tif's to photobucket... and the image saved as a .tif is too big for flickr...

So... back to the initial questions...

 

[Natural_Disaster]

I cant even get them from my camera to my computer.......

 

[JeffieLove]

I know on my computer, I had to go to the Canon website and download an update for windows photo gallery that allowed me to view raw files...

When I am only uploading the raw files, windows photo gallery doesn't come up, but I can still open them in PSE8...

 

[Josh66]

Export as JPG for posting online.

 

[matfoster]

save as a TIF if you wish to edit the image further in another programme. export finally as a JPEG for the web. the RAW is your master file. you archive them. somewhere safe.

 

[matfoster]

a benefit of RAW is the file retains all the information encoded into it when it was made in the camera. you can play around with a RAW and decide to export for example as a vivid color profile TIF, color temperature of 6500k, sharpness 40%, crop factor 5:7 etc. but the RAW file retains all inherent attributes. you can open it up again and restore it instantly back to how it was, straight out the camera. it doesn't get degraded by adjustments.

 

[KmH]

I cant even get them from my camera to my computer.......

You can load them using Nikon Transfer and you can look at them with View NX. Both came with your camera.

 

[JeffieLove]

so when I click on "save as" it's okay to hit jpeg?

that was how I did it... I saved as a tif so I still have the original raw file...

 

[Josh66]

so when I click on "save as" it's okay to hit jpeg?

that was how I did it... I saved as a tif so I still have the original raw file...

As long as you always have the RAW, everything is good.

 

[Overread]

Even when you edit the RAW file you don't actually change anything to the file itself - the RAW editing software makes a separate file that stores the changes you made to the RAW and loads that when you load the RAW next time. So the RAW still remains totally unchanged.

When it comes to saving I tend to save a PSD (photoshops own file format) though a Tiff does mostly the same. I save the Tiff as a master edited version of the image - fullsize and with all the layers still showing. Then resize and save a JPEG version for the net.
That way you have the RAW as your archived shot - the RAW edits file that sits with your RAW so that you can go back to the last round of editing you did to the RAW - the master edited version of the shot in the Tiff/PSD - and finally the smaller version sized for the web

 

[JeffieLove]

Wow that sounds like a lot. Lol

 

[KmH]

It isn't a lot if your image editing workstation has a couple TB of HD.

 

[JeffieLove]

omgosh keith - is that yours???

holy jeebus!

All I have is my laptop - and that's all I want! lol... WOW!

 

[Dominantly]

If you use Lightroom, there is no need for you to go back and mess with multiple file formats. You download the raws into LR, edit them, they show on screen with your edits done, when you need to post them online you just use the export feature with your settings already entered, and you can upload to external sites from there. I export them straight to my SmugMug.
If I want to re-edit, I just go back and do so and LR will change every thing for you.

 

[KmH]

Laptop monitors are notorious for being a poor tool for image editing because of the way laptop monitors work, and the difficulties in calibrating them.