Photoshop Express 8 and editing

TaraLou · Mar 24, 2014

Please can someone advise me. I will try really hard to keep it simple as It confuses me lol.

I use PSE 8.

I have a Sony 330 and am using the RAW converter that came on the cd with it

For the first time when using my camera, I took photos in RAW/Jpeg option, as I have been told that editing in RAW is easier in some case.

So I load the picture onto my laptop.

I now have a RAW file and a Jpeg, which I can see and use for the purpose of checking out what I might need to change, I only do minor edits like crop, and colour change.

This is what I have been doing. Checking the Jpeg from camera to see what needs doing, I then open up the RAW. In that I can change various things, like brightness.
I tend to go straight into the PSE option as I will need that anyway so I click the PSE icon that I linked to the converter.

That the east part.

So now I crop and maybe black and white the photo.
I have finished to edit, so open up save as, I then noticed the options for saving can be change, in this case I want it as a Jpeg.
So I click it, I can chose where to store the photo, I choose in My Pictures.

When I have saved it, I then see I have the Jpeg I edited/saved, and a TIFF.
If I then move the Jpeg to the folder the RAW came from I have to rename it as there already a Jpeg. So I add an E to it so I know it edited already.
I now have the following RAW, Jpeg from camera upload, Jpeg a I edited, and still in My Pictures, the TIFF.

I need to know what I need to keep.

Obviously I want the edited Jpeg as that will be for the friend on a disc
I would keep the RAW, in case I ever want to edit again and maybe differently next time.

Do I need the camera made Jpeg and/or the TIFF image?
Should I keep the camera Jpeg still as reference with the RAW?
What is the TIFF, what does that mean?

I know this is confusing, it baffling me after 3 weeks, and I have all these photos.

I was taught another way to edit which involved open PSE then getting the file from PC that way, then using that editing suite first, but that baffled me too, as fairly new to that editing and it was wasting time so gone through the long way so to speak.

Anyone familiar with this and can help would be fab.

Thanks in advance

Tara

Big Mike · Mar 25, 2014

Hi Tara.

Unless you have a specific need for for a quick JPEG, I would suggest that you do not shoot RAW+JPEG. Stick to shooting just RAW.

You should be able to open the Raw file with Photoshop Elements. This should open up a sub-program called Adobe Camera Raw, it will allow you to make the same adjustments as the software that came with your camera. Once you have made the 'raw adjustments' you can hit OK and the software will process the raw file and open it in Photoshop Elements. You can then make all sorts of edits and adjustments.

You can then save the file as a jpeg (or other format). You should be able to use the same name because this should be the only JPEG of that image. I would personally put them into a sub folder.

As for your situation, you could get rid of the camera-jpegs (as I mentioned, it might be easier to not create them in the first place). I'm not sure where your TIFF files are coming from, I'd guess that the Sony software is creating and saving the TIFF when you open & edit your RAW files. When you switch to Elements, it is opening the TIFF file in Elements, which you then save as jpeg. Once you have the finished jpeg, you could also delete that TIFF file. All you really need are your original Raw files and your finished JPEG files....unless you are going to come back and do further editing on the image.

My recommendation would be to look into getting Adobe Lightroom. It will make all of this so much easier.
With Lightroom, you 'import' your Raw files and then do practically all your editing right in Lightroom. When (and only when) you want a JPEG for printing or uploading, you 'export' and it makes copies for you.
It's also very good for cataloguing all of your photos.

TaraLou · Mar 25, 2014

Thank you Mike,

My friend did show me the way that you just told me, but as I was getting non the wiser I just carried on where I was.

The reason I did it RAW/Jpeg was to trial it and see, the benefit I got from that was when looking on my pictures I just browsed the camera jpeg, deleting dodgy pics there and then, leaving me with the one to check over again, I felt it made it easier as I could just look at it and decide, rather than load it up.
The last lot of pics I did I just shot RAW, and have yet to go through these, I will then see what I find easier, but knowing I just need to delete the TIFF and the unedited JPeg is great.

Thank you again for your help

NjStacker22 · Mar 25, 2014

TaraLou said:
Thank you Mike,

My friend did show me the way that you just told me, but as I was getting non the wiser I just carried on where I was.

The reason I did it RAW/Jpeg was to trial it and see, the benefit I got from that was when looking on my pictures I just browsed the camera jpeg, deleting dodgy pics there and then, leaving me with the one to check over again, I felt it made it easier as I could just look at it and decide, rather than load it up.
The last lot of pics I did I just shot RAW, and have yet to go through these, I will then see what I find easier, but knowing I just need to delete the TIFF and the unedited JPeg is great.

Thank you again for your help

I'm not sure what operating system you are using but there are ways to view your RAW files as thumbnails so there will be no need for opening up the image to see what it is. If you are using windows 7, check this.

How do I view RAW pictures in Windows 7? - Microsoft Windows Help

If not, a quick google search will get you what you want. I remember having this problem a few years ago and couldn't stand opening them up individually. I don't remember what I did to fix this (sorry!) but as soon as I pull them from my SD card; they are all in thumbnail view.

KmH · Mar 25, 2014

The rear LCD on the camera cannot show the Raw file.

When Raw is the only file type selected on the camera a JPEG Basic (thumbnail) is embedded in the Raw file for display on the camera's rear LCD.

TaraLou · Apr 3, 2014

Thank you.

I did do some RAW only and I was getting in a bind with what to do, however since I posted I have started to edit the RAW only ones, and to be honest it was quicker in many ways.
I found that I did not spend ages looking at pics to see which turned out best and going back and forth with looking.
I opened each up and edited as I went, although some I left and went back to as I took so many of the same child.

I may just use RAW in future unless i really need to view photos quickly.

Again thank you