Edit digital photos using Raw files

Digital cameras have become so affordable that they’re almost now an impulse buy - something you can pick up at the airport as you head off on holiday. Most of us are happy to buy a simple point-and-shoot model - you just aim the lens, click the shutter button and let the camera do the rest.

However, keen photographers might prefer a camera that gives greater control over the quality and final appearance of photos. This is where we enter the world of Raw, but what is it and why might it interest you? Read on to find out more.

Before Raw
The term ‘Raw’ - sometimes also referred to as ‘camera Raw’ - merely refers to the way some cameras store and process digital photos. But before we get stuck into Raw, it’s worth understanding a little about how digital cameras save photos.

You may be aware that most digital cameras store photos as JPEG files. Indeed, this has pretty much become the standard image file format for storing and sharing digital photos (JPEG is an acronym for ‘Joint Photographic Experts Group’, the industry eggheads that came up with the format almost 20 years ago).

The reason JPEG files are so widely used is that they’re heavily compressed. Using complicated mathematics, all the image and colour data within the photo is decreased to a fraction of its original size.

For the user, this means more photos stored in less space. Modern hard disks can easily hold over a million digital photos in JPEG format, and even your digital camera’s memory (or memory card) can likely store a hundred or more. JPEG files tend to be quite small, so they’re a favoured format for the web, being quick and easy to upload or email.