The Square

Raw Or JPEG?

A raw file is the image as seen by the camera sensor. Shooting in raw allows you to process the image to your liking. A JPEG is the right format for those photo images which must be very small files. From now on, i will always shoot in RAW, as i feel the quality of the images are much better and when editing on Photoshop, you do not loose any of that high quality.

JPEG Format

Standard format

Processed by the camera

Fairly small in size

Higher in contrast

Immediately suitable for printing and web posting

Takes up less space on your hard drive

Takes up less space on your memory card

RAW Format

Uncompressed format

Waiting to be processed by software such as Photoshop or Lightroom

Large in size

Gives you great control over exposure, highlights, contrasts and colours

Takes up a lot of space on your memory card

Takes quite a while to download

When to shoot in JPEG?

Photograph in perfect daylight conditions

Want a quick workflow

Don't need to do much post-processing

Want to save space on your hard drive

Take everyday snapshots

When to shoot in RAW?

Photograph in not so perfect lighting conditions

Want a perfect light balance

Want quality photos for your portfolio and clients

Want full control over the final look of your image

Print large photos and posters