When I upload my RAW photo to edit, it is darker and dull

P_nut92 · Aug 10, 2014

Hello, I am really knew to photography and I just got my camera last a couple days ago (Nikon D3300 with 2 kit lenses- 18-55mm and 55-200mm)
I shoot in RAW as I did research as this is better and is better for editing purposes and such
I was using the program that the camera cam with ViewNX 2 and just wanted to look around for something that could do a little bit more
I researched for free programs and found lightzone, photivo, and GIMP, but when I upload my RAW image to the program it comes out dull and darker than what it looks like through my camera and even when I was using the ViewNX 2

can anyone explain to me why this is happening? I tried researching but not to sure still
is it because the program doesn't support my camera?

Thank you for all your help guys!

ristretto · Aug 10, 2014

Which program are you using that gives you the dull look?
Look at the program's exposure settings as it opens the Raw file. Default settings such as 'null', 'like ufraw', or 'film curve' (highlights) can give you a darker/duller image to start with than 'auto' exposure.

Light Guru · Aug 10, 2014

P_nut92 said:
when I upload my RAW image to the program it comes out dull and darker than what it looks like through my camera

Completely normal.

The image that is shown on the back of the camera is NOT the raw file it is a jpeg that the camera process and I beds into the raw file.

The jpeg on the back of your camera had some processing when you look at the raw file on the computer us has no processing hence the dull look.

P_nut92 · Aug 10, 2014

ristretto said:
Which programme are you using that gives you the dull look?
Look at the program's exposure settings as it opens the file. Default settings such as 'null', 'like ufraw', or 'film curve' (highlights) will give you a darker image to start with than 'auto' exposure.

I tried lightzone (not lightroom) first, and in the browsing mode, I saw all of my pictures as how I took them, and then once I clicked on one to edit it went dull and dark
photivo was dull and dark right when I opened a picture
and I don't know how to use GIMP exactly, so I don't know- I tried opening a JPEG saved picture I edited in ViewNX 2 and it came out normal

Oh okay I will fiddle around with it and check the settings. Thank you!

ristretto · Aug 10, 2014

IIRC the GIMP uses a plugin to open raw files - UFRAW. Not familiar with LR but auto the exposure level. (Could then be too bright.)

Light Guru · Aug 10, 2014

P_nut92 said:
I tried lightzone (not lightroom) first, and in the browsing mode, I saw all of my pictures as how I took them, and then once I clicked on one to edit it went dull and dark

Again completely normal. The program displaying the thumbnail that is in ended in the raw file as the preview when it fully opens the file it no longer shows the preview.

Ysarex · Aug 10, 2014

Light Guru said:
P_nut92 said:

I tried lightzone (not lightroom) first, and in the browsing mode, I saw all of my pictures as how I took them, and then once I clicked on one to edit it went dull and dark

Click to expand...

Again completely normal. The program displaying the thumbnail that is in ended in the raw file as the preview when it fully opens the file it no longer shows the preview.

^^^Yes, this is correct. Here's an illustration of what you're seeing. It is what you should be seeing.

The software in your camera edits the raw file and creates an RGB JPEG. It's not how you took the picture it's how the software in your camera edited and interpreted the picture. That version got saved as part of the raw file. LightZone in edit mode is providing you with the option to edit and interpret the photo yourself. To begin that process it has done only the bare minimum to display the photo for you. It's now up to you to do a much better job than your camera did.

Joe

W.Y.Photo · Aug 10, 2014

Like everyone here as already stated the images didn't go bad on you, they were just automagically retouched by your camera for your viewing purposes.

These edits are very simple to reproduce as they are only a bit of exposure adjustment and sharpening! better yet, you have complete control of how you would like the image to look rather than a crappy program in your camera telling you how it should be. (crappy was an over-exaggeration but you catch my drift)

If you really like the way it looked on camera then open up the raw image and the image on your camera and change the exposure and sharpening settings to match how your camera edited the image.