Thank you all so much for your well wishes regarding my Grandma. Please bear with me over the next couple weeks as my posts will probably be a little more sporadic and a little bit different. I’ve got a few things lined up that will hopefully keep you entertained while I’m flying, including a celebratory AllieBar giveaway (!!), a crafty post, and a guest post from Lo the Bro.
I will be taking my laptop to Hong Kong and hopefully posting some eats from Peter’s homeland (hello, wonton soup!) and our adventures in one of the most densely populated areas in the world! We don’t have anything planned yet so I don’t know when I’ll be able to blog. I’m just gonna go with it and blog if and when I get a chance.
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I was up super late last night catching up on blog work and editing a few RAW image files from the photography workshop.
I really wish I hadn’t been so ignorant and realized sooner that I could edit RAW image files with Digital Photo Professional, the program that came free with my camera. All along, I thought I needed Photoshop Lightroom to work with RAW image files and missed out on so much.
A few months ago, I started to slightly edit my JPEG photos with Preview, a basic Mac application. Only “slightly” because I heard altering a JPEG photo quickly lowers the image quality. <–not sure if that’s entirely true…? Anyone know?
With RAW image files, the photo is not yet processed, so you can manipulate elements of the photo after it is taken.
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I played around with the program last night and instantly (INSTANTLY) fell in love.
Here are 2 photos exactly as I shot them (unedited):
Here are the same photos as I published them (slightly slightly edited using Preview). You can barely tell a difference.
Here they are edited MORE in Preview. I usually hold back from editing as much as this because images start to look funky…like the unnatural yellow tint in the artichoke photo. See it?
Here are the RAW files edited and converted to JPEG. Even though I didn’t use Photoshop Lightroom to edit them, I still had more options than when I use Preview.
The color is brighter, but it doesn’t have that weird yellowish tint. See?
Quite a difference, wouldn’t you say?
I don’t even know if I edited them “correctly.” I didn’t really know what I was doing, I just played around with the settings until I got something that appealed to my eye. I need to take a class on Photoshop ASAP.
Here’s the difference side-by-side:
I think I just saw the light…no pun intended.
What have I been doing all these months?! Now I’m kicking myself for not shooting Day 1 of the Photograph Workshop in RAW!
More photos from the photography workshop to come.
Seriously, bread and photography is taking over my life. How am I supposed to find a job like this?
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Tell Me: Do you edit photos? Which program do you use?
{ 32 comments… read them below or add one }
This post has prompted me to install my Nikon software. I haven’t shot in RAW yet, but it is on the agenda tonight! Thanks for the kick in the booty
I don’t edit photos. I am totally computer illiterate!
That’s so interesting! Maybe you should become a bread photographer. Go after your passions, right? That may be too narrow of a field, but who knows, you could be the specialist!
I absolutely ADORE natural light. New York could use some more of it! Your photography is STUNNING, girl! Keep kickin and give your grandma well wishes for me:)
I have a camera that I can shoot in RAW, I just know nothing about it!!
I’ve been loving your photo posts lately, Allie – probably as much as you’ve been enjoying taking them and learning new ways of “playing” with them!
One thing to keep in mind while you’re editing photos, though, is that it’s highly unlikely that everyone is seeing the image the same as you are on your screen, just because of monitor calibration. That might be something you’d like to look into, as wonderful at photography as you are! It will definitely help you to get the proper color balance, and even though it may not change how readers see your image (because their screens are probably not calibrated, either)- it will save you tonnnns of headache down the road if you ever decide to print out your images! (because that garlic picture deserves to be printed BIG and hung in a kitchen!)
Oh yeah…arg I keep forgetting that. The laptop I’m using is super bright and I edit with it at full brightness. What should I do about it?
Allie, I didn’t get a chance to comment on your last post, but I just want you to know that as soon as I read the news, my heart went out to you and your family. I know how difficult this time is going to be because it’s such a disruption in your normalcy, but I promise you, you will look back on this time and be soooo thankful that you went. My prayers are with you Allie. Please let me know if you need anything.
Much LOVE to you my girl. 
Those photos really do look great!!! I just use my iPhoto to edit. Probably why my pictures aren’t the best, lol.
iPhoto is probably more legit than Preview!!
Oh this post is a gem, Allie!
I love the side by side shots! and thank you for all the info on RAW and everything you do to edit them.
I dont use preview to edit things but i just use my iphoto program on my MAC and the editing i do to photos is limited to cropping and if i have a huge zit or something on my face but everything else looks good, i.e. Skylar is looking at the camera, eyes are open, etc..and will edit that off. lol. Other than that, I really dont play with shades, tones, colors of my food pics b/c nothing (so far) for me is that important…BUT….i see that changing. I want my food pics to be first class!
And your grandma, my deepest sympathies for you and your family…and I hope you have a safe trip there!
I use RAW settings, but I don’t edit nearly to the extent that I should. I need to look into and see if my camera came with a program for editing!
Despite the circumstances, I hope you have a great time overseas!
I don’t have a good camera, and I just edit my photos in Iphoto. They aren’t the greatest, but quality photography isn’t something I’ve committed the time or money to just yet.
I don’t edit my photos nearly as much now that I have an SLR as I use to with the point and shoot. But if I do, it’s either with Microsoft Picture Manager or GIMP. I’m too cheap for anything else.
I was the other way around…I never edited when I used my p+s. I didn’t even think about it!
I haven’t shot in RAW but now I want to. I edit my photos mostly with Lightroom, which I love, and occasionally Photoshop.
Love the side by side shots! What a difference!
I just got caught up on your last post…my prayers are with your family, and I’m glad you can be with your grandma during this time! Safe travels over…that’s a long trip, but I’m sure it will be worth it
Great pics! I too am just delving into photography. I bought my DSLR in July 2010. One of my favorite things to do is edit and add effects (I don’t shoot a lot of food). I use Photoshop Elements 9 and I got it on Amazon for $68! For a beginner like me, it does great. And it comes with a RAW image editor that has more adjustments than my Nikon software.
I really should edit my photos but 1) I don’t know how 2)I’d be doing it all day every day….but if I could get them to look like yours it may be worth it!!!!
Yeah it can get really time consuming!
I just started shooting in RAW. Picasa (the download) can edit RAW photos.
I downloaded Picasa today, but I think I like the Canon software better…or maybe I just don’t know how to maximize Picasa yet.
That’s awesome that you have the program you need and didn’t even know it! I occasionally edit my photos with the Windows photo gallery program, but it’s usually really small changes like brightening it up or getting rid of blue tints.
Interesting on the RAW vs JPEG… i haven’t ventured into raw yet just because my computer memory is almost full as it is and I want to get as much mileage out of it as possible.
Re: editing, I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I need to get Photoshop/Lightroom for my photo-editing, but honestly, I don’t like the look of over-processed photos. I’ll occasionally use the editing features on the Canon uploading software (probably the same as the one you have- I have a rebel xsi) but photos that are edited so much that they don’t even seem real are kind of unappealing to me.
I also don’t like the over-processed look…it’s like someone wearing way too much makeup just to go to the gym. I usually stick with warming up the color so it isn’t as blue/cold/dull.
I don’t tend to edit photos and am stalking your comments for information! Whatever you’re doing, it looks awesome!
I hope your grandma is doing well. I’m thinking of you and Peter and your family! I think it’s great that you’re taking the trip with your Dad, and even though unexpected plans are crazy and anxiety filled, I’m sure you’ll have a great time spending it with your family. Ellen can be DVR’d, families don’t come with a pause button
I use Elements (hey if you still have your .edu email address you can a discount on 1 Adobe program a year….I think they still do that) which I love. Before that I used Picasa or Windows Live (for PCs obv.)
My sted-dad told me that every time you save a JPEG, it lowers the quality- so if you do all the editing at the same time and only save it once, it shouldn’t mess it up too bad. That’s what I attempt, but I’d definitely prefer to try out RAW!
I keep hearing what your step-dad said…so it happens even if you save it as another file? What if it’s still coming off your memory card? I’m so confused. I guess the solution is to shoot in RAW.
I think ADOBE check syour studentness with more than an email address…like copy of your course schedule or something. I’ll have to ask a friend maybe.
ummm … open a bakery and blog about it?
wow that is really cool! I don’t do a thing to my pics. I don’t even crop them! I wish I would have taken a photo class in college
Wow! I love the vibrance of the edited photos!
I usually use the editing software in iPhoto to edit all my pics…it seems to work well enough for me!
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