Questions about processing digital images

[Cyberfish]

Hi all, Got a noob question or 2 really I bought a camera that makes JPG, CR2, or both kinds of image files. I tried doing both, and windows wouldn't open the CR2s, so I tried my adobe photoshop elements that I have for one month free trial and that worked. they seemed a bit clearer than JPGs, I could edit them and I can convert them into JPGs if I want. Is it worth it to use the CR2s, or doesn't it make a difference, do I lose the quality when converting them for posting on forums and email?

Also, I would like to purchase photoshop software, which kind do you all use?

Thanks

MT

[CFRay]

I'll try to give an answer, but there are a lot of folks on this site that know much more than I.

Jpeg(.jpg) images are processed by the camera's computer with its own onboard software and then stored on the memory card. Some information from the image is discarded as it is processed.

RAW(.cr2) images are directly stored on the memory card. All of the available image info is sent to the card. The image must be processed by your computer program such as Digital Photo Professional, Photoshop, etc. You are able to control the image by the ability of the software used. These files may be much larger than the jpeg type and thus less images stored on the memory card.

I once heard the difference described as this: Back in the film days we took the fim negative to have a photo print created. That is what RAW is like. Jpeg is like taking that photo print, throw out the negative, and then making copies from that print.

That's way to simple in reality. Photoshop and the others available now are very good and most of us will be happy with the outcomes from Jpeg images processed with say Elements. Exposure, contrast, color can be altered somewhat. I use Elements for my hobby use, I do not process every image that comes out of my camera. Pro wedding shooters may shoot in RAW where they can control and lend creativity to all of the processing of the images before they are given to their clients.

I'll now defer to the pro's that are on this site. They can tell you what they use and why. Good Luck.

[eyeguy 54]

With my windows 7 I need to use PS Elements 8. Older stuff, 6 or 7 should wok fine. Lotta stuff on the programs, that's for sure.

[Steve Foss]

Mike, I shoot almost exclusively in jpeg now. Have for the last couple of years. That's because my last versions of Photoshop (CS3 and CS4) allow you to open a jpeg using the RAW preview screen, which means you can now do to a jpeg everything you used to be able to do only to a RAW file before actually opening it.

That preview screen allows me to adjust tons of exposure, color, sharpness, and other factors in the jpeg file before it opens in photoshop, just like with a RAW file. And that includes recovering blown highlights on a jpeg. I think that there's a slightly greater ability to recover data in a RAW file than a jpeg, but if an image is that far over or underexposed, the photographer has bigger issues than file format, and needs to pay closer attention to exposure during capture.

Recovering blown highlights is important to me, because sometimes when I'm in a high contrast situation, I use exposure compensation to overexpose 1 or 2 stops, which brightens shadow areas, allowing more detail and less noise in those shadows. This has the effect, of course, of blowing out highlights, which I'm then able to recover in the RAW preview screen, even on a jpeg file.

As for the differences in print quality between RAW and jpeg, they are there, but they are very subtle and won't show themselves except when making really big enlargements. No differences I ever could see between the two on a typical 12x16 enlargement.

As for post processing software, the latest version of Photoshop Elements is all that 90 percent of photographers need. I doubt if I use even 10 percent of CS4's capabilities. Even my graphic/Web designer spouse probably doesn't use 80 percent of what's available to her with that program.

So pick up the latest Elements and see if it allows you to open your camera's jpegs with the RAW preview screen. If so, shoot in jpeg. If not, shoot in RAW. And pick up the latest Scott Kelby Photoshop Elements book.

That's my advice based on my own experiences. I know some photographers are more prone to shoot RAW, but I'm not one of them.

As for sharing pics via e-mail and Web, they need to be drastically reduced in size. Generally 800-1,000 pixels across the long side is as big as a person should go. Prepping an image for printing and for sharing on the Web are different processes because the the big differences in resolution between the two formats, and of course because a computer screen is backlit while a print is not.

When I process an image for printing, I immediately save it as a TIFF or PSD after opening, as this is the best processing format to work on prints. When I have it the way I want it for printing, I then knock down the size to what I already mentioned, and then do some more sharpening so it looks good on the Web, and then convert it to jpeg. It's hard to be more specific than that without starting to write a book about it. Different sensors and lens combinations produce varying levels of sharpness, color and contrast, and each image has to be processed individually to get it to look its best for the format (print or Web) needed.

Clear as mud? Good! My work here is done!

[Cyberfish]

Thanks for the help guys! it took me a while to understand but I think I got it.I already have elements software on my computer, it is free for a month, then if i want to keep using it, I got to buy it I guess. only got a week left now and just started using it this week haha, since I got the new camera at the same time, It was information overload! oh yeah, it does let me open all my jpegs on the RAW preview screen, even all the pics from my previous cameras. Looks like I will stick with it, it can do all I need and more! thanks again!

[Steve Foss]

Mike, be sure to also start learning and using Adobe Bridge, which should be included with Elements. It's a separate program but works seamlessly with Photoshop. I use it as an image sorter/browser, and the two work very well together.

[Cyberfish]

Hi Steve

How do I resize images for posting on the web with elements? Or cant I do that?

I tried resizing it about the right size, then saved it. but then it was still full sized, im missing something? Here is the image resized on my old editor. I like how I can really bring out the colors with elements!

Also do I want to purchase the software I already downloaded for the free one month trial, or should I get the CD and reload it, or doesn't it matter?

What is adobe bridge? where do i find it?

thanks!

[Steve Foss]

Bridge should be included already. Go to the Elements folder on your hard drive and see if there's an Adobe Bridge application. If it's not there, it's probably because they didn't include it in the promotional trail verson of Elements. Should be there in the download if you actually buy Elements.

You can buy the full licensed version of Elements online at any of a big number of retailers, and should be able to download it immediately after paying via credit/debit card or PayPal. No need to buy a CD. Mostly there's not even a printed user's manual with these programs these days, because they're all available online.

I don't use Elements myself, but I'm told by several clients who do that Bridge is included. Bridge is basically a program I use to browse and sort photos, moving them to whichever folders I want them and deleting the bad ones.

In CS3/4, you resize for the Web by dragging down the "Image" menu, and selecting "Image Size." When that box pops up, make sure you select pixels rather than inches for your unit of measure, and then type in 900 for whichever is the long side. The long size with be "width" if it's a horizontal photograph and "height" if it's vertical. Also make sure the boxes "constrain proportions" and "resample image" are checked.

Then you'll have it the right size, and you can drag down from the "File" menu to find "Save for Web and devices," or whichever words Elements uses. Make sure you render it as a jpeg when that box comes up, and make sure it's saved at 100 percent quality.

As said, I don't use Elements, so a few of these things might be done just a bit differently there, but with this info you should be able to work it out.

[CFRay]

I have Elements 7.0, I looked for, but do not see a folder named "Bridge". Perhaps 8.0 does have it.

When Elements opens there is a tab for "Organize", along with Edit,Create, and Share. In my copy of 7.0 that is where I'm able to do the organizing that Steve describes. Elements can also take the images from my camera and organize them as I want right then.