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leosantare
Inspiring
December 29, 2017
Answered

Help with Camera Raw

  • December 29, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 4319 views

Hello,

Can someone please tell me the standard procedure or what is most common when using camera raw? For example, if it's recommending to take your pictures in the camera raw format, then what?

First, open them up in Camera Raw if your camera is supported in your version of Camera Raw.

If your camera is not supported in your version of camera raw, then you must use the DNG Converter first.

After you do want you want to do inside camera raw, is it most common to then save the raw file as a Jpeg or Tiff and then delete the original raw file?

If I make changes inside camera raw, how do I do a full reset to erase and changes I made? 

If I make changes inside camera raw and now want to save the file as edited, how do I do so?

The version of camera raw I am currently using is 6.7.1 and have three options, "save image", "open", "cancel" and "done."

Thanks,

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer gener7

    Just a crash course. I hope it covers your questions.

    Do you have Bridge CS5 installed? You will be looking at the thumbnails there.

    Anytime you open Camera Raw file, and  make adjustments in Camera Raw, your options are:

    Save: Basically save a copy in a preferred location in whatever file format you wish and in the color space you want. If you save as a jpeg, the settings are "baked in" and the jpeg will open in Photoshop. Your original raw or dng with the settings is still there.

    Open to edit in Photoshop and keep the settings.

    Done: Close Camera Raw keeping the settings, do not open in Ps.

    Cancel: Of course lose any changes and exit Camera Raw.

    Below is the thumbnail you will see in Bridge, but not the Finder.

    This icon in the upper right indicates you made Camera Raw adjustments and they are saved. You can return to Camera Raw and change them again.

    Right-click on the icon for your options, which includes clearing (removing) the Develop settings.

    4 replies

    mglush
    Community Expert
    mglushCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    December 29, 2017

    Hi

    You wrote:

    --If I make changes inside camera raw, how do I do a full reset to erase and changes I made? 

    See if this works in your version of Bridge:  highlighting a photo or photos and then go to Edit>Develop Settings>Clear Settings.

    And:

    --If I make changes inside camera raw and now want to save the file as edited, how do I do so?

    Just click Done, and all the changes will be saved in the .xmp file.

    And lastly, I would always save the original raw file--i never delete them after I've worked with an image. Keeping them is like having insurance in case something goes wrong. Store them on back up hard drives--you never know when you might need them.

    Michelle

      L
      leosantareAuthor
      Inspiring
      December 31, 2017

      Thanks everyone this was very helpful. A few more questions,

      Once a RAW/DNG file is adjusted inside Camera Raw and no more adjustments will be made, is it most common to then save the RAW/DNG file as a Jpeg or Tiff?

      (I think I would rather delete the original RAW/DNG file after it's adjusted and saved to a Jpeg or Tiff. I don't really like the idea of having duplicates images.)

      I understand now, if a Jpeg or a Tiff is opened as a RAW file inside Photoshop, it will open up in Camera Raw inside Photoshop. If ANYTHING is done inside Camera Raw, except for hitting the cancel button, it will continue to open up in Camera Raw inside Photoshop and will be given the Camera Raw icon in Bridge. For example, even if you move a cursor adjustment in Camera Raw and put it right back exactly to where it was and hit done, it will still open back up in Camera Raw. The only way to get the file to open up regularly again inside Photoshop, without Camera Raw is to clear the develop setting inside Bridge which removes the Camera Raw icon in Bridge. Is there any other possible way to do this? Can this be done in Photoshop or Camera Raw itself and not Bridge?

      (For example, there must be a way to make adjustments inside Camera Raw and be able to reset them while still being inside Camera Raw. It looks like you have the options of choosing "image setting," "camera raw defaults" and "reset camera raw defaults" in the preset tab of Camera Raw. I don't really understand the difference with these three options, but they all seem to reset the adjustments back to default. However, these options don't seem to remove the Camera Raw icon in Bridge.)

      I don't think I will be opening up Jpegs or Tiffs in Camera Raw much longer anyway. Once I get a Canon camera, I will only shoot in RAW and open the RAW/DNG files in Camera Raw. After the RAW files are adjusted in Camera Raw and saved as a Jpeg or Tiff, there would not be any reason to open the saved Jpeg or Tiff files up in Camera Raw. 

      gener7
      Community Expert
      gener7Community Expert
      Community Expert
      December 31, 2017

      Once a RAW/DNG file is adjusted inside Camera Raw and no more adjustments will be made, is it most common to then save the RAW/DNG file as a Jpeg or Tiff?

      (I think I would rather delete the original RAW/DNG file after it's adjusted and saved to a Jpeg or Tiff. I don't really like the idea of having duplicates images.)

      From within Photoshop, you can save as jpeg, tif, psd, or png, which are the most common image formats. One you do, your settings are "baked in." If you want to start all over again, that is what raw files are for. Say someone wants the same photo as Adobe RGB and not sRGB.

      Just imagine shooting pictures with a roll of film. Once developed, everything is set. You can't go back.

      With raw you can. If your photos are important to you, you keeps raws stored elsewhere. If not, jpeg is good, but keep the quality at 12.

      Jpeg reduces size by throwing out picture detail. PNG, PSD, and Tiff are lossless. Tiff for commercial printing, PSD for layer edits, typography, and special effects, and PNG is good for web use.

      Is there any other possible way to do this? Can this be done in Photoshop or Camera Raw itself and not Bridge?

      Unfortunately, no. Bridge is the only way.

      Gene

        JJMack
        Community Expert
        JJMackCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        December 29, 2017

        I would recommend shooting RAW.  Raw file must be post processes to be used. That is the then what. You Post Process RAW Files.

        You shoot RAW because RAW is more versatile and forgiving then Jpeg and TIFF.  Jpeg and TIFF are Post process image files that have conversion setting applied like White balance  exposure compensation etc. You can use them. Your camera  RAW sensor data was post processed by you Cameras Firmware. Jpeg and TIFF files do not contain your Camera RAW sensor data that does not exists in Jpeg and TIFF files.  RAW File must be converted  the are not RGB images.  DNG is just an other RAW format that must be converted into RGB images.  I see no Good reason for using DNG.  Adobe wanted the industry to make it a RAW Standard it was not adopted.

        JJMack
        gener7
        Community Expert
        gener7Community Expert
        Community Expert
        December 29, 2017

        JJMack  wrote

        I would recommend shooting RAW.  Raw file must be post processes to be used. That is the then what. You Post Process RAW Files.

        DNG is just an other RAW format that must be converted into RGB images.  I see no Good reason for using DNG. 

        For those hanging onto their old CS programs, converting a RAW to DNG is needed if the ACR they have does not support later camera models.

        I don't know if the conversion alters any of the raw data.

        Gene

          JJMack
          Community Expert
          JJMackCommunity Expert
          Community Expert
          December 29, 2017

          I believe there is an option to encapsulate the original RAW file in the DNG and you still have your original RAW file.   Yes Adobe use to make new version of ACR to only work with the latest Photoshop version to push users to update.  Now that Adobe is subscription based Adobe no longer does that New Versions of ACR work in all CC versions of Photoshop.   This is good for I use CC 2014 not CC 2018....

          I hang on to my old cameras as well as my old Photoshop versions...

          JJMack
          gener7
          Community Expert
          gener7Community ExpertCorrect answer
          Community Expert
          December 29, 2017

          Just a crash course. I hope it covers your questions.

          Do you have Bridge CS5 installed? You will be looking at the thumbnails there.

          Anytime you open Camera Raw file, and  make adjustments in Camera Raw, your options are:

          Save: Basically save a copy in a preferred location in whatever file format you wish and in the color space you want. If you save as a jpeg, the settings are "baked in" and the jpeg will open in Photoshop. Your original raw or dng with the settings is still there.

          Open to edit in Photoshop and keep the settings.

          Done: Close Camera Raw keeping the settings, do not open in Ps.

          Cancel: Of course lose any changes and exit Camera Raw.

          Below is the thumbnail you will see in Bridge, but not the Finder.

          This icon in the upper right indicates you made Camera Raw adjustments and they are saved. You can return to Camera Raw and change them again.

          Right-click on the icon for your options, which includes clearing (removing) the Develop settings.

            gener7
            Community Expert
            gener7Community Expert
            Community Expert
            December 29, 2017

            And by using the cmd or ctrl r on a selected jpeg or tiff, you can also open those up in Camera Raw.

            If you exit with your changes, the tiff or jpeg will open in Camera Raw until you clear the develop settings.

              JJMack
              Community Expert
              JJMackCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              December 29, 2017

              You can process converted RGB image like jpeg and Tiff images however the processing is different then processing with Camera RAW data.   With RAW data you can convert it into any color space in 8 or 16 bit color depth.  The converted Document in Photoshop quality may be much better for all camera setting have not been applied if the white balance was off or exposure off you can make better adjustment using raw data then  post process data.   Thinking in Film terms  a RAW File is like a piece of exposed film that has not been developed yet.  With film when you develop the exposed film you have your develop image negitive  you no longer has an exposed piece of film.  With Digital processing the is not the case.   You have both your expose piece of film your RAW file and  you developed image.

              In your darkroom to can process you develop image and make some adjustments.   With digital not only can you do that you can also re-develop you exposed raw file a different way.

              JJMack
              JJMack
              Community Expert
              JJMackCommunity Expert
              Community Expert
              December 29, 2017

              Yhere are turorials on the web for usund ACR ples look at some,

              https://www.google.com/search?q=tutorial+adobe+camera+raw&oq=Turorial+Acobe+Camera+RAW&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.21059j0j8&…

              JJMack
              L
              leosantareAuthor
              Inspiring
              December 29, 2017

              Yes, I probably watched most of them. They all seem to focus on the processing of camera raw. My questions are much more basic and have nothing to do with editing inside camera raw.

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