What to do with RAW files?

Seekwence · Jul 18, 2010

This may have been asked/answered before, but a quick search didn't bring up much of anything helpful (relating to my question). So if already explained, please refer me to the right place.

So being a total noob and all, I am interested in knowing what you do with those RAW files after processing. Do you really keep multiple backups of those large files...just in case?

fokker · Jul 18, 2010

Think of it this way - external hard drives are cheap

LaFoto · Jul 18, 2010

Yes. I do.
I have "Originals" as a folder of its own (on my second harddrive inside the computer, and on two external harddrives, and on RAM-DVDs), with the RAW-files and their untouched conversions.

The processed photos go into folders of their own.

And yes, it takes up ALL the space I have. Thankfully I don't feel the need to play any computer games, or nothing would work on my computer any more with the amount of photo files I have.

But when one of my external harddrives jagged the other day and I had no more access to MANY photos of mine, I started thinking that yet another means of back-up should be chosen, and I think I will save the originals on RAM-DVDs eventually. All of them. Boy, what a fright ... but DH got it back to running by gently knocking against the side of that external harddrive, had room enough on his computer to copy all the data there at first, I bought a new external, and re-copied the files there. NOW, of course, the one that had jagged runs smoothly as ever ... :roll:

kami · Jul 18, 2010

I don't want to delete any RAW files especially of portraits of friends and family. Someday there will be some badass programs out there and it would really cool to see what you could do with your old RAW files you took years, or maybe decades ago!

Buckster · Jul 18, 2010

To me, deleting my digital RAWs would be like burning my film negatives.

ann · Jul 18, 2010

:thumbup: +1

i keep four copies on external hard drives. Leave very few photo files on the computer. One hard drive is kept off site. And , yes, i never delete anything. well, maybe a shot of my hand

which i use when making pano shots or hdr expsoures which separates one set from another.

pbelarge · Jul 18, 2010

I like buckster's setup...mine is archiac compared to his, but works. A good firesafe is worth having at the house. I keep it at the bottom floor. It is safe from water and fire. If you decide on a firesafe, check the temp/water conditions it is good for. Like all other things, there are varying degrees of safety even with fire safes.

I download my photos, and back them up. Then I go through the download and I will delete some of the photos.

oldmacman · Jul 18, 2010

Seekwence said:
This may have been asked/answered before, but a quick search didn't bring up much of anything helpful (relating to my question). So if already explained, please refer me to the right place.

So being a total noob and all, I am interested in knowing what you do with those RAW files after processing. Do you really keep multiple backups of those large files...just in case?

I agree with the previous posters. I'm just curious if you are culling your shots or keeping every single image from a shoot. Because of storage space, I'm very picky about the shots that get to stay.

Overread · Jul 18, 2010

My advice is like the others - to hang onto every RAW file that you possibly can and to keep backups of those RAW files. You can always rework a RAW back into an edited shot or even edit it differently - you can't do the same with a JPEG or Tiff version of that shot.

So yes hang onto your digital negatives!

As for which ones to keep and dump my advice is to never dump photos right after a shoot - by all means dump the total duds (eg totally black/white etc...) but hang onto the rest. I often find that I *and many others* tend to be overly harsh on our own work just after we shoot. So its very easy to destroy shots at that point that are not as bad as we think.

Seekwence · Jul 18, 2010

Thanks for your responses. They were pretty much in line with what I was expecting. I am new to the DSLR world and having to sort/organize/edit so many more photos that previously with P&S snapshots. External space is not a problem for the near future, as I just picked up another 1TB drive for $79!

doziergraphic · Jul 18, 2010

Another quick question ... will it take away any quality to copy and recopy a RAW file?

What about a jpeg file that has NOT been processed? Straight out of the camera for backup purposes. I assume it WILL lose quality with each copy? I'm talking about simply copying and pasting into a new folder as a backup, a second backup, a third backup, etc.

thanks - first post on this forum - very good site!!!

Buckster · Jul 18, 2010

doziergraphic said:
Another quick question ... will it take away any quality to copy and recopy a RAW file?

What about a jpeg file that has NOT been processed? Straight out of the camera for backup purposes. I assume it WILL lose quality with each copy? I'm talking about simply copying and pasting into a new folder as a backup, a second backup, a third backup, etc.

thanks - first post on this forum - very good site!!!

There is no loss from copying files. They copy just like a document - you don't lose any words or letters at all in the process, no matter how many copy iterations you make.

sovietdoc · Jul 18, 2010

I just have a NAS that has all my RAW's. Though to make sure I don't have 4k raw's every time I go shooting, I make sure to go through them all and only keep the shots I really like.

4TB NAS with RAID5 is all you need for any type of storage.

Seekwence · Jul 18, 2010

And do you recommend using the RAW + JPEG setting?

Overread · Jul 18, 2010

I generally recommend people to shoot in RAW+JEPG for two reasons:

1) They are just getting into RAW shooting and editing - since RAWs need to be edited there is a learning curve and nothing is more frustraiting than having shots you can't use because you don't yet know how to. So having the JPEGs there gives them something that they are familiar in using and also lets them see how their RAWs match up to out of camera JPEGs.

2) When its a holiday or just happy snapping - essentially when you are just snapping away and not "being a photographer". Times when you do just want some quick shots to use. This way if there is a good shot they get they still have a RAW to work from - rather than either being forced to edit all the RAWs they want or having to suffer with a JPEG when they know that RAW would have helped really nail the shot they wanted.