How To Process A RAW File

A step-by-step approach to getting the most from a RAW image file

By Rob Sheppard, Photography by Rob Sheppard

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Save Your Work
The default for Photoshop CS2 is to automatically update your adjusted RAW file’s thumbnail in Bridge, which is CS2’s image browser. This isn’t a permanent change—actually, nothing at all is altered to the image file itself, only the instructions about processing this file have been changed so that it will reopen in Camera Raw with these settings.

To keep this photo with its adjustments, you have several choices at the bottom right of the Camera Raw interface: Save, Open, Cancel and Done.

1. Save lets you save your adjusted image as one of four file types: DNG, JPEG, TIFF and Photoshop (PSD). Plus, it gives you some choices as to how to save these files, such as the location and a new name.

2. Open simply applies the settings on your photo as it converts it to the Photoshop working space. This is the most common use of Camera Raw.

3. Cancel simply cancels everything and returns you to Photoshop.

4. Done merely updates the metadata of the file and returns you to Photoshop without actually opening or saving the image.

Finishing
You’ll usually do your finishing work in Photoshop. Raw converters don’t let you work selectively on an image, so you must use Photoshop for that. You’ll do final tweaking of tones and color, and sharpen the image.

Editor Rob Sheppard’s latest book is Adobe Camera Raw for Digital Photographers Only. You’ll find his new Website at www.robsheppardphoto.com, which features photo tips and more.

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