RAW workflow question

[o hey tyler]

That's the thing, I always seem to to have a real mix after a day out. It's usually all over the map, and I cringe at the thought of applying a treatment to a particular image if it doesn't call for it, or worse, if it calls for a treatment in the opposite direction. No, each one of my images are like my children - all with their own personalities, wants and needs.

Cheers

You can go through and process images on an individual level much faster in LR than you can PS. LR also automatically organizes your files, and applies any dating, numerical reference, or name you give them during import or export.

Just because Ernie was saying that you could process a bunch of studio shots in 5 minutes doesn't mean that it's the only application for the program. Like yourself, I process each of my (wedding) images individually and to their own taste. I would absolutely hate doing so in CS6 because its such a large program for a relatively simple task.

Lightroom is more geared for photographers and tools that photographers use. PS is geared more towards digital artists And people that need to edit pixels regularly IMO.

I would suggest you download a trial of Lightroom. It's not tough at all to use once you get your feet wet.

 

[480sparky]

..........480sparky: Thanks. Any idea why it would say Adobe RGB?

Your camera is set for that gamut.

 

[Trigger]

..........480sparky: Thanks. Any idea why it would say Adobe RGB?

Your camera is set for that gamut.

Nope, like I said earlier, my camera is set to sRGB; unless there's a separate setting for the RAW file, but I can't find that.

 

[480sparky]

Nope, like I said earlier, my camera is set to sRGB; unless there's a separate setting for the RAW file, but I can't find that.

Maybe there's a software setting that is set to automatically convert it during loading.

 

[Trigger]

When I inspect an out-of-camera JPG (Properties > Details) the "Color Representation" says sRGB, but in a JPG created from a RAW file, Color Representation says "Uncailbrated". Another JPG-from-RAW one I inspected is just blank under that heading.

Pounds head on desk.

Save me from running back into the safe, familiar realm of JPG.

 

[snowbear]

When I inspect an out-of-camera JPG (Properties > Details) the "Color Representation" says sRGB, but in a JPG created from a RAW file, Color Representation says "Uncailbrated". Another JPG-from-RAW one I inspected is just blank under that heading.

Pounds head on desk.

Save me from running back into the safe, familiar realm of JPG.

This isn't gospel, but how I understand it works:

Since raw is not really an actual image, but the values of the pixels, camera settings, and EXIF data, it does't have a gamut. The JPEGs will inherit the gamut from whatever software converts the raw images, so if the converter/editor is not set for a default gamut, I'd say none would be assigned. The OOC JPEGs have the gamut the camera is set to, since the camera is creating the JPEG.

 

[Trigger]

Since raw is not really an actual image, but the values of the pixels, camera settings, and EXIF data, it does't have a gamut. The JPEGs will inherit the gamut from whatever software converts the raw images, so if the converter/editor is not set for a default gamut, I'd say none would be assigned. The OOC JPEGs have the gamut the camera is set to, since the camera is creating the JPEG.

I just tried saving the RAW from within PS (where the color space is sRGB), and yet still no Color Representation shows up in Properties > Details. If this simply doesn't matter, ok, but I'd hate for the image to take on the "dead" look of an adobeRGB.

 

[bs0604]

I am a relative novice at all this but I import from my camera to LR4 for the catalog function and then on to CS6 for editing. I see no one suggested importing from the camera in .dng format. I have a Nikon d800 and have trouble importing NEF files to LR4 but if I convert them to .dng on the import there is no problem. I also recently read The DAM book cover to cover. As a novice I did not get a lot out of it but I do recall the author mentioned several times to import RAW files as .dng. But I don't see any of you mentioning this?

 

[joshua_]

Excellent resource thread for me. Thanks to all of you who are giving information.

 

[thomas30]

Light-room is the best software to do adjustments in RAW files.

 

[Helen B]

One other thing I just noticed: When I open a RAW file in PS Camera RAW, at the bottom it displays some image info, and one of the tidbits of info says that it's Adobe RGB; 8 bit. Why is this? I have my camera set to sRGB, and aren't RAW files 12 or 14 bit?

That is not image info, it is the ACR export settings - the stuff in blue under the image pane. Click on it and you can change them.

 

[Helen B]

One of the useful ACR export options might be worth mentioning - Open As Smart Object. Instead of opening the image as a normal PS layer, it opens as a raw object. This makes it faster to work with multiple raw conversions in one image, because the 'smart object' can be reopened and re-worked.

You can open as a smart object in at least two ways: it is a workflow option in the export dialog (the link-like blue info under the image in ACR) or as a Shift-click - when you press the shift key Open changes to Open As Smart Object.

 

[ann]

Since raw is not really an actual image, but the values of the pixels, camera settings, and EXIF data, it does't have a gamut. The JPEGs will inherit the gamut from whatever software converts the raw images, so if the converter/editor is not set for a default gamut, I'd say none would be assigned. The OOC JPEGs have the gamut the camera is set to, since the camera is creating the JPEG.

I just tried saving the RAW from within PS (where the color space is sRGB), and yet still no Color Representation shows up in Properties > Details. If this simply doesn't matter, ok, but I'd hate for the image to take on the "dead" look of an adobeRGB.

THe "dead" look is a product of the monitor which is in sRGB color space and you can't see the difference until the image is printed.

 

[Helen B]

Re DNG: it isn't as universal as you might imagine. DxO, which is a very good raw converter, isn't compatible with Adobe-generated DNG files. That is a bit of a drawback to DNG import via LR for some of us, because the lens corrections in DxO are sometimes second to none.

 

[CA_]

Holy detailed replies batman! This thread is going in my bookmarks! OP, for a more organic shooter, Overread's 1) is a fantastic method. If you're wanting to take a walk on the more illustrative side, then 2) is by far the best. I tend to make images as neutral as possible (except WB) and then I build contrast in post with dodge / burn and use a 50% grey fill for carving.

Either way, when I open the raw in CS6, I click option + open and then open that way. What this does is leaves my image as a smart image (so I can go back and adjust the raw at any time, and still pull the image into the work environment. I always work as non-destructively as possible, too.

Good luck!