Raw vs. JPEG

A few years ago I couldn’t understand why everyone was so in love with shooting in Raw mode. I tried it and found it to be difficult for processing. As of a couple months ago, my feelings remained the same. However, now my opinion has changed 180 degrees. With the Canon 5D I’ve tried shooting both Raw and JPEG together, then I download the photos through the EOS Utility. When I click to open the files in Photoshop, JPEG images just open, while RAW images have a preview box that comes up first asking you to adjust all your size and color settings first. I find this tool is much easier to adjust lighting than using Photoshop adjustments.

I’ve saved a few bad shots in Raw whereas taking the JPEG file in Photoshop and trying to adjust the lighting was cumbersome and didn’t look as good in the end.

Some of the immediate correction within this Raw preview box include: White Balance, Temperature, Tint, Exposure, Recovery, Fill Light, Blacks, Brightness, Contrast, Clarity, Vibrance, and Saturation. You can also quickly select: Space, Depth, Size, Resolution, and to open it as a Smart Object.

Raw mode is also smaller in file size than the jpeg/psd files I save out. So, I prefer to keep my raw file in each image library for future use.

Then there is the advantage of batch editing. When you have a group of photos that all have the same lighting, of which you wish to correct, you can correct the entire set all at once instead of opening every file.

So now that I’ve seen the light (the lighting difference) between Raw and JPEG, I will never shoot just JPEG again – unless the picture quality isn’t important.

Drobo – Awesome!

Just purchased a 4T Drobo and love it. I’m getting all my data backed up and then I’m consolidating everything. File storage needs keep getting greater and greater. I’ll write more as I get more experience with it.

New World of Journalism

Blogging sure is easy. It allows anyone the ability to become a journalist. However, it can be a bit sloppy. When we moved from official letters to sending e-mails left and right, we saw a great decline in the formality of communication. Grammar (esp. spelling and punctuation) took a dive. Typos are common place. While it drives me nuts, I’m a victim of this myself. Being that we are pressed for time and want to get our messages out as fast as we can, there are times that things go out without even being read through. Terrible, right – only for those of us that care about Grammar. The rest of you don’t much mind…be thankful…you are saved from the frustration of this new way of doing things. I, myself, try to find balance. I don’t want to be too bothered by it all – I’ll never be perfect and neither will anyone else. So for all of you who do care about grammar and are bothered by the New Age Journalists – take a deep breath and embrace it. Maybe your calling is to be a Grammar Blogger. I will Blog on grammar from time to time, if you have a great grammar blog let me know. I’ll connect.

How many typos were in this entry? Plenty….

Professional Networking

If you haven’t signed up for a Linked In account – get going. It’s a great way to have your professional profile out there without having to feel like you are looking for a job (as one might post on Monster). It is also a great tool for keeping in contact with other professionals that you know, allowing you to see who they know – further facilitating the networking aspect. Getting a reference from co-workers, direct reports, superiors, clients, and business partners is easy and a great way to boost your reputation. Easy to use – Check it out – Get networking!

www.linkedin.com

my profile is www.linkedin.com/in/angeloakley

Mac Keystrokes for Various Accented Characters

I found a great download that gives you a quick reference page for Mac Glyphs: Accented Characters. Having need this numerous times, I did some searching and was pleased to find this valuable resource.

http://www.gosquared.com/liquidicity/archives/172