The Truth Behind Jpeg and Raw Photos That You Must Understand (VIDEO)
You’ve likely heard a million times that you should forget about Jpegs and always shoot in the Raw file format. But is this really true? According to this tutorial from the Photography Explained YouTube channel, the answer isn’t is clear or definitive as you’ve been led to believe.
This quick tutorial from an unnamed British photographer discusses what he says is “the truth about Raw vs. Jpeg that no one talks about.” He says that after checking with pros in his orbit and conducting numerous experiments himself he’s comes to a few conclusions about this ongoing debate.
Today’s primer is geared toward amateur shooters so they can understand which format to use when. The ultimate choice is determined by your post-processing skills, the types of photos you shoot, and how you intend to display or share them. By understanding these variables you may decide that Jpeg photography is just fine for your specific needs.
In basic terms, “a Raw file is the unprocessed data captured by your camera’s sensor.” In other words, it’s like the equivalent of a film negative that hasn’t been manipulated in the darkroom. This means you have to jump through a few processing hoops with a Raw converter to achieve the exact look you desire.
A Jpeg image to the contrary is compressed sharpened, manipulated, and color-balanced so it can be shared or viewed straight out of the camera. These files can be further enhanced with simple adjustments in Lightroom, Photoshop, or whatever other post-processing software you use.
Here’s an interesting analogy: “Think of a Jpeg image as a ready-made meal that’s been prepared for you, while a Raw file contains all the ingredients that are waiting for you to put them together to create a custom dish.” So if Jpegs are so easy to deal with, what’s the point of shooting in Raw?
You’ll learn the answer to this common question in the next 10 minutes. Then you can decide which format works best for you under specific circumstances and conditions. Once the video concludes take a look at the Photography Explained YouTube channel for more quick advice on common photography concepts.
We also suggest watching the tutorial we shared recently from another popular instructor who demonstrates how to master color selection creatively by isolating and transforming the tones in your photographs.
