Raw to Jpeg

Hi!

I know it seems daunting, but I just want to encourage you to jump in and learn by doing. Take all the information from the videos you've watched and put it into practice, and you will start to put 2 and 2 together. Start playing with the sliders until you understand what each one does with an image.

When you start with an image, the first thing is to figure out what it needs, and then you will know what you need to do.

Is the overall photo to light or two dark? Then work with the Exposure.

Is the photo flat? Increase the contrast.

Are the highlights blown out? Then pull the Highlight slider to the left and see if you can get more detain in the highlights.

Are the shadows filled in? Move the Shadow slider to the right to open them up.

You might want to start by hitting the Auto button (Oh, no! I just heard someone on the forums groan!) But, when you are just starting out and learning, start with what they've provided and you can see the improvements it makes and then take it from there.

The good thing is, you cannot ruin your photo--because if you make a bad decision, your friend is the cancel button! Play! You will learn alot.

And, if you need us, we are here and happy to answer questions.

Michelle

Your comment about Not getting it Right is totally subjective. Right for me may be completely Wrong for you.

Right IS what Looks Right to You.

If you are saying the RAW images don't look like the JPG you are getting from the camera well that is way it works. The camera produced JPG is what the makers of the camera, and the setting you have chosen in the camera, think it should look like.

If that, the camera produced JPG, is more appealing to your eye then set the camera to create the largest size and best quality JPG it can along with recording the RAW data. That way you have both types of files and you can chose which one later.

RAW, and RAW editors like LR & ACR, give you the options to change the way the image looks without changing the original file. AFAIK no RAW editor actually changes the RAW file you are working with. So if you don't like something you did you can take it away without damaging the original file. You can't do that with a JPG image (well you can in LR and ACR).

So what is NOT right in your eye. Post a screen shot of what you are seeing.

A raw file will always open in the Camera Raw plugin, which has exactly the same editing tools as Lightroom. (Photoshop cannot edit raw files)

Lightroom has a much better interface, and may be easier to use for a beginner. But images will have to be imported before they can be edited, and it may take a little effort for a beginner to understand how Lightroom works.

Hi! What seems to be the problem? Also, you might try looking at Lightroom Classic - The Develop module might be less overwhelming than PS. 

Does your confusion stem from how these RAW processors work in the grand scheme of things, or just how their tools/options function?

To add to what others have said, and I don't know if this will help, but think of the whole process as a workflow that involves you "developing" your image not unlike what photographers used to do in the days of yore in the darkroom. (They still do it, too, of course; it's just not as prevalent.)

Both Camera Raw and Lightroom were designed with this workflow in mind. e.g., All the tools in Camera Raw "flow" from left to right; Lightroom's tools from top to bottom.

You'd hit the "Basic" tab in Camera Raw first > Exposure > Highlights > so on and so forth. NOTE: This does not mean that you would hit these tools every time. Most photos, if properly taken, usually only need a little "messaging" to make them look better. You might not only a little more higher exposure and that's it. You might not even need Photoshop (unless we're talking creative composites) as you can export the end result as a JPEG straight from Camera Raw or Lightroom, especially if you're just into straight-up photography.

Another note: Camera Raw and Lightroom are birds of a feather in terms of RAW image processors. Pick one or the other but not both. Camera Raw is as "bare bones" as a RAW processor gets; it helps you process your images and nothing more while Lightroom can do what Camera Raw does but also with image cataloging which would be more ideal for straight-up photographers rather than, say, creative compositors/artists. Camera Raw (in conjunction with Photoshop) would be more ideal for compositors. (Some can, of course, still use Lightroom with Photoshop for their compositing needs.)

Hi,

Also bear in mind that all you editing does not have to be done in Camera Raw or Lightroom. You can can edit the image further in Photshop to achieve your desired result (It will no longer be a raw file though).

You may also fin this previous post useful:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic/quot-edit-in-photoshop-quot-with-raw-files/m-p/8875317

Sim 

Perhaps you could put a raw file on Dropbox and post a link to it here, and we could offer some suggestions on how to edit it.

Edit: If you edit your original post, you can attach a raw file directly to the post.

Click the paper clip icon below the the textbox.

What is the part you don't understand? Adobe doesn't do screen share training that I know of, and if private lessons didn't teach you then I'm not sure how that would help.