DIGITAL IMAGE EDITING – ADOBE CAMERA RAW

Adobe Camera Raw is a compression free format. It records what the lens sees without any alteration/ compression of the data by the camera's software. It is not a lossy format. You benefit when using Adobe Camera Raw by gaining much more editing ability.

A lossy format is a format that loses image quality with each change until the image is visibly less than it was at the start. All cameras record in jpg or JPEG format; it is a lossy format and you are losing image quality each time you edit the image. Usually when you make minor changes the loss is not easily detected. Many images are fine when taken using jpg format. Some times the image will not need any correction and the question of format is irrelevant.

If you are using a camera that records a large number of pixels – greater than 5 million; you can edit the jpg image and still have a nice crisp image. Of course, there is no free lunch so when you record a large number of pixels you will lose the ability to take a series of images rapidly. It takes longer for your camera to send the larger amount of data to your memory card. This fact is why images are recorded in jpg. Some cameras allow you to select .RAW format and some cameras allow you to select jpg and .RAW simultaneously. Then you get two images of the same scene. The Abobe Camera Raw image has about ten times more information than the compressed image. Ten times more information gives you more flexibility in editing your image.

Adobe Camera Raw format allows a range of adjustment not available with jpg. To see the .RAW adjustment screen click on the link below. It takes you to the Adobe help page showing you their Camera Raw screen. You won't see this tool when you edit a jpg image.

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PhotoshopElements/6.0/help.html?content=WSD87BE8D1-66A9-400c-BABF-72281C7DF3AC.html

I tried to use the screen print command with my Photoshop Elements running to show you one of my images but the command is not available in Windows XP.

Adobe Camera Raw is a very good format to have available when you are taking a picture you will have difficulty recreating or when you know you will want to make major changes to the original. One indication of camera raw's merit is the fact that ALL expensive cameras have it as a choice.

Knowledge is a good thing. An option open to you is to check out a book on the subject of using the .RAW format at your library or book store.

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