Has Shooting RAW Made You Lazy? A JPEG Detox Might Be Just What Your Photography Needs!

I recall the initial moment when I noticed the well-known slogan "I shoot RAW" emblazoned on photographer YouTube personality Jared Polin’s chest; it was impossible to overlook. After that point, I started paying attention to it. Guess what? That shift had a profound impact on how I approach photography. The time I began focusing on this made all the difference. Adobe Photoshop multiplied tenfold, I devoted all my disposable income to portable hard drives and memory cards , and my computer ground to a halt trying to handle all that additional information. I jest. Well, sort of...

We're constantly advised to capture images in RAW format, and it's difficult to dispute the benefits. I've experienced several instances where vividly colored but challenging lighting was salvaged during editing thanks to adjustable white balance. Similarly, when faced with unfavorable light and having to rapidly take multiple shots hoping for at least one good frame—what some call 'spraying and praying'—RAW has come to my rescue. Even though mastering this approach required considerable practice and dedication, correcting mistakes became much easier. Adobe Lightroom Classic I've ended up with an image that otherwise would have been tossed away if I had taken it as a JPEG. More recently, improvements in AI-driven noise reduction software have brought new vitality to old pictures I previously thought were too grainy to be salvaged. Would I revert to capturing JPEGs? No way!

But then I read what my colleague had written, Kalum Carter 'Article on Why He Is beginning to prefer JPEG over RAW . Check it out, it’s a great read. But he’s a Fujifilm photographer, and I think Fujifilm’s excellent Film Simulations have made Fujifilm the JPEG photographer’s go-to. But if you shoot Canon, Sony, Panasonic, OM System, or Nikon (like me), you’ve probably been conditioned to shoot RAW exclusively .

You know, at one stage, I noticed I had become somewhat sluggish. I stopped making an effort to nail it in-camera. Oh, that level of exposure is perfect; I'll simply adjust the shadows during editing. Why stress over white balance? I can fix that in post-production too. And really, what’s the point in setting up the shot perfectly when I can crop it later in the editing process? And although this approach may be effective for some time, ultimately you'll come to understand that depending solely on top-tier photo-editing software hinders your photographic skills.

If you're just starting out as a photographer or even if you're seasoned but can relate to what I'm saying, perhaps now would be a good time to try shooting with JPEG occasionally. Of course, this doesn’t mean using it exclusively—definitely keep to RAW for anything important or professional. However, when you’re simply taking a leisurely walk around your neighbourhood or exploring the city, consider switching over to JPEG. Since you won't have those detailed RAW files to rely on, you might start focusing more on adjusting settings correctly within the camera itself. For beginners, mastering adjustments directly in the camera serves as solid foundational practice and could help avoid developing poor habits down the line, unlike some of us who did end up doing so.

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Craving more INSIGHTS from raw foods? Here’s something for you. How to capture unprocessed images on an iPhone (and why you might want to) And if you’re not completely certain about what RAW stands for: What’s the distinction between RAW and JPEG images? And for the video-minded, What’s the distinction between ProRes and ProRes RAW?

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