I’ve been taking a series of free online classes about night photography. Of course the instructor believes we should all be shooting in RAW. It’s not the first time I’ve heard this.
Many years ago I took another night photography seminar, where RAW was suggested as well, mostly because you can change the white balance when you’re processing if you shoot in RAW.
What does it mean to shoot in RAW? Well, it just means the image you are getting hasn’t been processed at all. There’s more data in the image and it’s all unmodified.
I’ve been shooting JPeg, because, for some reason, RAW made me nervous. Years ago I did a few test shots in RAW, but my processing software wouldn’t allow me to download them. So I haven’t tried again.
But lots of time and software has passed since then, and I figured I should try again. So I took Katie to her park yesterday; in 50 degree (10C) with a stiff breeze, she was in heaven.
It has been a long time since we visited her park, and, as I remember it, a blizzard was bearing down and it was so very cold that we didn’t stay long at all.
Yesterday she pranced like a puppy, tail wagging, nose to the ground looking for all the pee-mail left by other doggies just for her.
I took a few pictures, in RAW, just to see how they came out. To be honest, I can’t tell the difference, but I’ll keep shooting in RAW until I figure out why it’s better.
Katie says she’ll gladly model for me again. As long as I bring treats.
Change Is Hard 
March 6, 2022 at 7:19 pm
Katie looked very happy. One of my brother in laws used to shoot in RAW when digital cameras first came out but he had to download the pictures to photo software on his laptop before you could see the picture. I expect things have changed since then.
LikeLike
March 6, 2022 at 7:22 pm
Raw never changes the original file. Edit and save in jpeg.
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 10:53 am
You still have to edit to see the photo in it’s full glory. But at least my processing software allowed me to download it!
LikeLike
March 6, 2022 at 7:31 pm
I don’t know about RAW, but Katie looks great!
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 10:53 am
She did look really young on much of that walk. She sleeps so much now, I hardly ever get that smile out of her. Except at supper time.
LikeLike
March 6, 2022 at 7:35 pm
Those are beautiful pics of Katie! So fluffy and happy 🙂
LikeLike
March 6, 2022 at 8:27 pm
I used to love to shoot in RAW, but I am still using an ancient version of PS that doesn’t include my new camera. Yes, my camera software (I use Olympus, I have an OM-D EM 1 II) does work with RAW, but I like Photoshop.
Nice photos.
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 10:59 am
I don’t know if I’ll continue to shoot RAW for everything. But I will for the night sky stuff…and maybe other “BIG” things, like Monument Valley if I ever get to go again.
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:36 am
I agree – it is too much work for every day! I do duel mode (raw and jpg), and have been shoving raw into a folder, just in case I ever want to go back and look…
LikeLike
March 6, 2022 at 9:29 pm
So glad to see Katie in her park, and RAW too! 🙂
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 10:59 am
Yes, she was happy and didn’t know she was in the raw! 🙂
LikeLike
March 7, 2022 at 12:42 am
I’m an old IT/computer/Microsoft professional (MCSE) but I’ve been retired for so long that I don’t know RAW from cooked. 🙂 I shoot JPG images that save around 10,000KB so I can edit and downsize them if needed, and still have sizable images with great detail.
Oh, Katie’s the best!
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:01 am
Yes I’ve been shooting JPG forever, and have a LOT of pictures stored on my laptop, and even in JPEG I’ve had to get bigger and bigger memory. Now I store them on a backup storage thingy, but I don’t know how to do the next backup without overriding…and since they’re on that backup thingy I deleted a bunch on my laptop so I’m concerned when I go to backup again I’ll overwrite and lose the stuff I had before forever. SIGH.
LikeLike
March 7, 2022 at 2:10 am
Nice images. I shoot in JPeg for file size and battery life in my camera and also due to software limitations. Anyways, I am happy with the results.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 10, 2022 at 11:01 am
Makes sense to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 7, 2022 at 5:24 am
RAW formats allow finer adjustments afterwards. It might be worth doing a few more tests switching between the two to see if they are worth the extra file size. I’m sure Katie won’t mind acting as a model for photographic science. I just use my iPhone, so really I have no room to talk!
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:02 am
A lot of the iPhones allow you to shoot RAW these days! I have no idea HOW, but supposedly they do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 7, 2022 at 7:01 am
Katie looked like she was having a blast. Loved all the pictures… even if she was in the RAW! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 10, 2022 at 11:02 am
She was having a blast We didn’t walk far but we sniffed intensely.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 7, 2022 at 7:46 am
Dawn, I think ‘control’ is a thing for most photographers and RAW just provides more of that when processing. JPeg, doesn’t always capture the best white balance and for that reason alone, I use RAW. If you are not interested in the artistry side of photography, and just want to fine-tune once in a while, stick to JPeg and you will still produce beautiful photographs. Your Katie-girl looks like I feel on a day like that.
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:03 am
I am interested in the art of the photo…so for some things I’ll probably shoot RAW and for others I probably won’t. The trick will be to remember to change it back and forth.
LikeLike
March 7, 2022 at 7:56 am
Look at Katie go! Oh wonderful. I’ve heard of RAW but have never used it. Susanne’s comment really helped clarify why it might be better to use RAW.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 10, 2022 at 11:03 am
I think shooting RAW when I’m doing night photography makes sense. When I’m just shooting out the window at a cardinal maybe not needed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 7, 2022 at 10:56 am
Love your last photo! Looks like you’ve got TWO Katies! And yes, I agree that she was having a good hair day … and obviously a lot of fun. Bet you’re paying for those 50 degrees today, though, right??
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:04 am
I thought I had two shelties too! I wondered if anyone would notice that one. She was very impatient with me while I was getting that. Sheer luck that the car was clean at that moment. Generally it’s covered in mud.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 10, 2022 at 2:08 pm
Mud in warm months; snow when it’s cold.
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 7, 2022 at 11:35 am
Thank you for explaining what RAW means. I’ve read articles that talk about shooting in it, but had no idea what it meant. My camera is a point and shoot OR a phone, so I don’t think the advice applies to me. I like your photos, even if Katie’s fur is looking a little floofy. On her, it works.
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:05 am
I am growing Katie’s fur out. The previous groomer couldn’t seem to keep her scissors away even when I repeatedly (for a year) told her I wanted to keep her fur long. So we found a new groomer.
LikeLike
March 7, 2022 at 11:39 am
I tried raw once that was it for me, too much fiddly stuff for me. I prefer jpeg…simple:)
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:06 am
I can understand that. I think I’ll use it for night photography and maybe if I ever get to go on a trip out west and have beautiful vistas…but for just around the house it will probably be jpeg.
LikeLike
March 7, 2022 at 5:55 pm
Katie looks like she had a wonderful time at her park! Flowing furs and all! 💕
I tried shooting in RAW years ago. I agree with Far Side; too much fiddling for me. Shooting JPEGs is fine for me. 😊
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:06 am
Fine with me for most things here too! Katie had a wonderful time that day. I took her to another park yesterday and she sniffed and walked, but she didn’t see as happy as she was at her own park the week before.
LikeLike
March 8, 2022 at 6:53 am
Aw, Katie looked so happy! I shoot in manual mode all the time – it does make for easier editing and I can adjust the white balance as I go. It helps with the bokeh effect, you’ve captured some of that in your photos. Nice job!
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:07 am
Yes, love me some bokeh. You can see more of that at my post about birds: https://dawnkinster.com/2022/03/04/but-what-about-the-blackbird/
LikeLike
March 11, 2022 at 7:01 am
Me too, bokeh is so fun. I did see that post, you captured wonderful shots of those birds. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 11, 2022 at 7:10 am
thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
March 9, 2022 at 8:39 pm
Very beautiful ones!! 😍
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 5:35 am
Katie! She looks so frisky- nothing like fresh air and a favorite place to allow one to forget how old they are ❤
LikeLike
March 10, 2022 at 11:08 am
Yes, I think for awhile she was young again at the park we named after her, sniffing all her favorite places, running down the hill we used to sit on to watch the kids play softball. We didn’t walk all the way around this time, and we may not ever get to do that again, but we had fun doing what we could do.
LikeLike
March 16, 2022 at 7:35 am
I have always shot in raw and jpeg. That way I can see the image in jpeg before developing the raw and get rid of the ones I do not want before I work on them. I feel like sunrises, sunsets, beautiful landscapes and portraits benefit from raw editing. But most of the software I use allows me to change everything anyway so I honestly do not mess with it much anymore. Raw takes up an extreme amount of room on the computer.
LikeLike