Digging Into Camera Raw
Mike uses three different images — landscape, portrait, and an underexposed photo — to illustrate how to work with the tools and sliders inside Camera Raw.
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Related Tags: camera raw tips, noise reduction, sharpening
Howard
November 13, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Great tutorials, but I have a question and hought maybe you could help. I recently purchased a Panasonic FZ150. One reason was for its RAW function. I’ve been shooting a RAW with my Canon S90 and under the Camera Calibration tab I have several options. However, on the Panasonic the only one that is currently showing is the Adobe Standard option. What can I do to get additional options? Any thoughts? I have downloaded the current ACR version from Adobe. Thanks.
Howard
Rick
November 14, 2011 at 7:37 pm
Sadly, Howard, many of the camera manufacturers don’t have support for the camera profiles in Camera Raw. It seems like it’s a little bit of Adobe, and a little bit of the camera folks.
Rick
Miguel
February 2, 2012 at 7:54 am
Try this link from adobe
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=5312
it’s the latest Adobe Camera Raw and DNG Converter version 6.6
Miguel
Lee
November 17, 2011 at 12:16 am
This is an excellent “1-stop” overview of Camera Raw being used with RAW files. Thanks.
BTW, isn’t it great that Camera Raw can be used with other files as well? (I learned that from you folks!) I can’t tell you how many times I’ve begun my JPEG and TIFF processing using the Camera Raw browser. Even though I also own LightRoom 3, I’ve found that I typically start my workflow in Camera Raw.
Mike
November 17, 2011 at 11:27 am
Glad you liked it, Lee. Thanks. BTW, just curious, what are your reasons for starting in ACR if you have Lightroom?
Lee
November 21, 2011 at 12:29 pm
When I import photos I typically download them to my desktop. (That’s where I work because I invariably have to convert my photos to different formats for my clients.) After editing, the ones I keep, I move to their “final resting place. The “bad” ones go into the “Trash”.
1) Using LR3 early in the process requires download > import to LR3 > edit > move > delete LR3 + reimport edited photos into LR3 at new location.
2) My scheme is download > edit > move > import to LR3
If there’s an easier way to use LR3, I have yet to find it. Any ideas at your end?
Mike
November 21, 2011 at 11:03 pm
Hi Lee-
Here’s how I do things:
1. Import into Lr (I keep my images on an EHD, but they could easily reside on my local drive as well)
2. Delete my rejects, flag my keepers
3. Process the keepers
4. Export/Save into whatever file types the job/situation calls for, often to a separate folder somewhere else. After the exported files are delivered, posted, uploaded, printed, whatever, I decide if they need to be kept, and, if not (usually not, since I can always export another copy from the masters if I need to), they get deleted.
As for reimporting the edited files, that may be a step you could consolidate. What I do is this: the RAW file gets processed in Lr, then, the ones that get sent to Elements or Photoshop for more editing/finishing get saved, and go right back into Lr, linked to the original RAW file, usually as a .psd, sometimes as a TIFF, depending on what I’m doing. There’s no need to reimport or move those edited files as long as you do a Command/Ctrl-S and keep the file name the same.
Lee
November 23, 2011 at 8:38 pm
In response to your 11/21/11 (11:03) response: As a result of your input, I’m evaluating my workflow to see if perhaps your approach is better than mine. I suspect it is. Thanks very much.
Kathy
November 17, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Well, I am just beginning to use the RAW feature. This has given me a good starting reference. I did try practicing on an actual RAW photo while following the tutorial, but I think if I use similar photo’s as used in the tutorial it will make more sense to me. Thanks! I will keep practicing.
Lee
November 23, 2011 at 8:54 am
EHD means External Hard Drive?
Mike
November 23, 2011 at 10:27 am
Yep. :)
Jayne
December 5, 2011 at 11:39 am
Great tutorial. Questions: When I click on the “camera calibration” button it only gives me one option “embedded”. I have a d90. I have to say I’ve never downloaded the DVD that came with my camera. Is that why? Also when I open a RAW file in Adobe Raw it is opening it as a jpeg (at least that’s what the file extension says). Any ideas why?
Mike
December 5, 2011 at 9:55 pm
Hi Jayne-
If you’re getting “embedded” under the Camera Calibration tab, it’s very likely you’ve opened a JPG image instead of a RAW image. Double-check your file types, and make sure the files really are RAW files and not JPGs.
As for the DVD that came with your camera, that shouldn’t matter. I haven’t installed anything from that, either. :)
Mike
Jayne
December 7, 2011 at 7:48 pm
I’m sure they are RAW images. I have been uploading my pictures into iPhoto and then opening them from iPhoto into Adobe Raw. I don’t know why but when I open a RAW file it comes into Elements as a jpeg. Could it be because I’m brining them from iphoto??
Mike
December 7, 2011 at 10:53 pm
What method are you using to get them from iPhoto into ACR?
Mike
December 7, 2011 at 11:09 pm
I suspect that going from iPhoto to Raw is the culprit. By default, iPhoto will send a JPEG copy of the RAW file to Elements. But, you can change a couple preferences, and have it open the RAW file in Elements. Here’s what to do:
First: Go to iPhoto > Preferences > General. Pull down the Edit Photo menu and browse to the Adobe Photoshop Elements.app file (for whatever version of Elements you have).
Second: Go to Preferences>Advanced. Check the box marked “Use RAW when using external editor”. This should cause the RAW version of the file to open in Elements instead of a JPEG version.
Jayne
December 8, 2011 at 5:31 am
I’m at a loss. I’ve made those changes – both made in Preferences Advanced (the general preferences did not have the option to add Elements – but the Advanced option did). And I checked “Use RAW when using external editor”. I even had that checked last night when I was working on this. I guess I’m going to have to import my photos elsewhere. Honestly, I’ve always just imported into iPhoto – and since I’ve only been using Elements for not quite a year yet I’ve just continued to import into iPhoto. I then go to the open option in Elements and open my images from iPhoto into Elements. If it’s not too detailed – can you tell me where I SHOULD be saving my photos if not in iphoto or direct me to a video tutorial that can help me. I’m very thankful for your help!!! I’ve also recommended your magazine and website to lots of people. You guys are great!!
Mike
December 8, 2011 at 7:13 am
Hmmm….well, I think I may be out of suggestions as well. I’m not sure why it wouldn’t work for you. I tested it out last night before posting this, and it worked. What version of iPhoto are you using? In the General area of preferences, I had to choose the last option under the Edit Photo menu (I don’t recall what it said…it seems like it wasn’t entirely obvious). But, when I chose that last option, I was able to browse for whatever app I wanted to use to edit.I
have never been a big iPhoto user myself. I’ve made a couple virtual photo books in it, but for photo editing and managing, I’ve always used other things. As far as what I would suggest, the easiest and cheapest option would be to start using the Organizer that comes with Elements. Honestly, in my opinion, it’s not terrible. It’s not perfect, but it does a decent job. While I have some teaching videos on the Organizer, I don’t use it for my own stuff. So, if you have some extra cash lying around, you may want to consider Lightroom or Aperture. I use Lightroom myself, but I’ve kicked the tires on Aperture, and it’s a great program as well. The price of Aperture is pretty hard to beat (I think it was $80 the last time I checked). Both those programs have some pretty high-end cataloging and editing features, especially for RAW images.
I’ll talk with Rick and see if we want to think about putting up a few things related to Lr, Aperture, or both. Thanks for the kind comments, and glad you find the magazine and website helpful!
Jayne
December 8, 2011 at 9:22 am
Thanks Mike. I just purchased Lightroom – and bought Laura Shoe’s video to starting learning it. Just haven’t had the time to do it! Will starting learning this after the Christmas season. Enjoy!!
Mike
December 8, 2011 at 11:23 am
Ah, if you already have Lightroom, then by all means, go with that!
Diane
December 30, 2011 at 7:17 am
Great tutorial! I purchased Elements 9 just a few months ago and am loving it!! I really appreciate this tutorial on Camera Raw, it makes a lot of sense and, even though I have watched other tutorials, this one helped a lot, probably because the learning process for me is beoming more clear!
Thanks for the great tutorials, have enjoyed every one I watched.
Martha
February 20, 2012 at 7:50 am
If I use Camer Raw and then open in Elements (and save the ACR file first), then close it all after “saving as” why can’t I get the sliders in ACR again when I reopen. Also if I save as a PSD, I can’t seem to open that file. What do I need to do? Thanks you.