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6.
Shooting in RAW (continued)
larger than its jpg counterpart.
But since the price of memory cards drops constantly, while at the
same time storage capacity increases significantly, this is
generally no longer an issue today.
The benefits of RAW are
immediate to professional photographers: greater tonal range
and control of lighting.
For example, a very common
problem with jpgs is "banding" --the absence of gradual tonal
range. An expanse of sky may appear to have "streaks"
running across it, since the subtle shading gradations of the sky
are lost during jpg post processing. RAW allow the
photographer to capture the full range of colors and shades,
eliminating the problem.
But while there are obvious
advantages to shooting in RAW, especially if the intended output
is for a professional submission, there are certain myths about
the benefits associated with shooting in RAW.
Many people believe that since
RAW captures so much information, it can be used to correct virtually
any exposure or focusing problem. That's not the case.
And it's a common failing among photographers.
An overexposed picture, with its
detail bleached out by the wrong exposure, will always be
washed out. RAW cannot restore detail that is not there in
the first place. A blurry picture cannot be realistically
sharpened to the point that it's indistinguishable from a
well-focused image.
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