RAW vs. JPEG: What’s Best for Your Workflow?

So you’re wanting to try out photography or you just bought a new camera, and you’re not sure which format to shoot your photos in - RAW or JPEG. The answer? It depends! But don’t worry, I’ve got you. Keep reading this article to find out the difference between the two and their respective pros and cons to help you decide which is suitable for you. 

Let’s start with the basics, what are RAW and JPEG files? 

RAW FILES 

RAW files are unprocessed image data that is captured straight by the camera sensor. Due to the fact that they are unprocessed, RAW files are usually larger than JPEG files as they are uncompressed. This offers photographers a lot more flexibility during the editing process as a larger range of edits can be made such as adjustments to the exposure and white balance as well as colour correction. This is particularly useful for creatives who are looking to develop their editing skills, as shooting in RAW requires a lot more post processing which provides the perfect chance to practice using different software such as Lightroom and Photoshop. 

However, whilst the features mentioned above may be music to the ears of some photographers, they could also be considered as drawbacks depending on the amount of time you wish to spend on post processing, the type of photos you’re trying to capture and the technology you have access to. RAW files require a lot more storage space due to their large size, so if you’re working on a laptop with already limited space or haven’t found the right hard drive yet shooting in RAW may cause you more harm than good. Additionally, if you’re not someone who has a lot of editing experience or if you’re just not as particularly interested in the editing process involved in photography and want to let your photos speak for themselves, you might want to consider shooting JPEG files instead. 

JPEG FILES

JPEG files are processed by your camera which means that they are compressed as some image data is automatically discarded by your camera in order to reduce the image size. This feature is useful for photographers who don’t intend of doing any heavy editing to their photos as due to their smaller size JPEG files are ready to share without any further processing. This is also useful for photographers who are working on a tight turnaround and may not have as much time to process their photos before the deadline, so it may be worth considering to shoot your photos in JPEG format if you find yourself in this scenario. 

Whilst these JPEG features are ideal for some photographers it’s important to note that these pro’s also come with a number of con’s, such as the fact that shooting photos as JPEG files may lead to a loss in quality. This is due to the compression that JPEG files undergo in order to make them smaller which could lead to a loss of quality because of the loss of image data that the compression process causes. In addition to this shooting photos in JPEG format restricts your ability to make certain edits to your photos as settings such as saturation and contrast are automatically applied by your camera, which could be an inconvenience if you were hoping to make changes to any of these specific settings. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The truth is that when deciding which format to shoot in, there’s no one size fits all answer. It really all comes down to your workflow and how much time you’re willing to dedicate to editing. If you’re someone who loves having the option to alter every detail, RAW might be your best friend. Alternatively, if you’re someone who wants quick results, JPEG might be your best bet. Best way to find out? Try both! Photography should be fun, so happy experimenting!