RAW vs JPEG (1 Viewer)

I am relatively new to bird photography and am currently just taking my shots in JPEG mode for simplicity's sake. Some of my shots need to be "adjusted" in Photoshop but my skills only stretch to adjusting the brightness and the colour settings.

I am wondering if I might be better shooting in RAW format so that I have a bit more control over the end results of my shots or would I be better learning how to use Photoshop more proficiently ?

Obviously learning to take the shot properly in the first place would be the more desirable option !!!

Thanks in advance.

You would need to learn to use photoshop or another raw converter better than what you currently can use photoshop to do on jpgs, so either way, you have a learning curve to go through to get better.

Niels

I agree with Niels - RAW is a great mode to work in and with for more control, but you do need to have a little more understanding of editing in order to get that benefit - not a vast amount more, but just enough.
If your worried you can always shoot in RAW+JPEG mode - giving you both formats to play with (the JPEG for now and the RAWs for later when you know a little more) and it would allow you to gently ease into RAW editing without pressure - the only downside of course is that it will eat up more memory card space of course.

For some good editing advice have a read here: http://www.ronbigelow.com/articles/articles.htm

I would say get a working understanding of; levels, curves, contrast, layermasks, as well as reading up a bit on white balance.

(a basic level some areas like curves are very powerfull and very complicated when used right - just get to that basic early level first and build from there)

Personally I'd say start using RAW as soon as you can... for the first year or so of using a DSLR I only used jpg until another photographerurged me to try RAW. I was unsure fo the benefits but as the chap in question is a much better photographer than me I followed his advice. To begin with I was very impressed with the control and quality when using RAW, especially the ability to tweek white balance. The only downside was the time taken to process the shots as I was unfamiliar with the software. However I carried on and within a month I could process a batch of RAW files faster than I could jpgs. Since then I've looked back at shots taken in jpg and really wish I'd tried RAW sooner, it can make a real difference to the end result.

The main benefit of RAW is that it gives you the latitude to tweak things to a much greater extent to that by tweaking Jpegs. The bad side of that is that it can make you a slave to post processing. A shot that was an acceptable Jpeg can now be fiddled about with endlessly in RAW format to make it that little bit better, which is fine if you enjoy that but it means you are stuck in front of the computer rather than out there pointing the camera at interesting things.

But even with RAW there is a limit to what you can do. Most bad photos are bad for reasons that RAW can do nothing about; wrong focus point, wrong shutter speed leading to blurred subject, camera shake, subject flies away! If you want to take better pictures it is usually better to improve your techniques at taking good photos rather than to learn how to mess about with bad ones!

I tried RAW (and still use it for bad light situations) but for most of my photography I prefer the low maintenance and large volume of Jpeg.

Well,

When it comes to processing options Raw is like a negative while jpg is more like a polaroid. In the digital darkroom Highlights and Shadows can often be salvaged from RAW files, with jpgs you pretty much stuck with what is there.

For mass shooters most RAW converters offer automatic batch conversion, giving more or less jpg equivalent output. Not that much work once software handling is figured out.

Starting to shot RAW may educate to more conscious photography and image filing, i.e. getting more critical of what is really worth keeping and what to delete. Image processing of the true keepers only is worth the time it takes.

BTW most serious cameras allow simultaneous RAW and JPG recording. Maybe a way to start out until comfy with handling RAW workflow.

Ulli

P.S. For 08/15 snapshoot occasions I use jpg/RAW, makes it easier to pass files to folks interested in them. Otherwise its RAW only.