RAW is a photography file format that captures all the image data recorded by your camera’s sensor when you take a photo. The image is not compressed like when shooting JPEG. Every singe pixel in the image is exactly the way the sensor recorded it. Try zooming a JPEG. You’ll notice it has “patches” of the same color making up the image. That’s compression. It’s not pretty. With RAW you’re able to produce higher quality images, and correct problems in your images that would be impossible if shot in JPEG.
One of the biggest benefits to shooting in RAW is that you get the highest quality files with the most information possible. You can make the decision on how the image should look, and produce better results. RAW gives you flexibility. You can also record greater levels of brightness. JPEG records 256 levels of brightness, and RAW records between 4,096 – 16,384 levels usually describes as bits. JPEG captures in 8bit, and RAW is either 12bit or 14bit. The additional control over your brightness levels lets you make more adjustments to your exposure, blacks, fill light, contrast, and brightness with out reduction to quality. You also get better detail and you can edit sharpening and noise algorithms in software.
Sometimes you end up with over or under exposed images. With RAW files, you have additional information in the file, so it’s much easier to correct these mistakes. It’s also easier to adjust your white balance. When shooting in JPEG white balance is automatically applied, where with RAW the white balance is still recorded, but because you have more data you can make changes to the image easier.
When editing your photos and making adjustments to your RAW file, you’re not actually doing anything to the original file. What you are doing is telling the RAW file how to save in another file format like JPEG. What makes this great is you never have to worry about ruining an image; you can always start fresh with your RAW file. Also when exporting your images there is a different color space that work best for different situations like if your image is going to be printed or used on the web. When you shoot in RAW format, you can export a single image in multiple color spaces.
When you are shooting professional photography, you should be providing your clients with the highest quality possible. Most issues that can come up while on a photoshoot can be manipulated in post if its shot in RAW format.
