RAW vs JPEG

[supercelts7]

I took a photo of Anstruther Harbour today and when I viewed it on my laptop, realised that I had the whitebalance set to "Sunny", which on a cloudy day, gave the photo a bluish tinge that I didn't really want. I compensated by adding a little red but it isn't really the same as altering the white balance, is it?

"If only I had shot in RAW!" I thought. The problem is that I'd rather have my camera show that I have thousands of spare pics, rather than hundreds, even although I know that I'll never use that amount in one shoot. And RAW pics are sooooooo biiiigggggg and slow!!!

Am I shooting myself in the foot?

[crockny]

We have to do what we're comfortable with -- but I have to say as a RAW newbie I find it awesome! And adjusting the white balance after the fact is a snap ... the adjustment brush alone is worth any aggravation ...

[dakwegmo]

Buy more memory cards. Then you'll have space for more photos and be able to shoot RAW!

There are plenty of photographers who advocate shooting JPG and just making sure you get exposure, white balance, and everything right in camera. In fact, I try to do just that, but I love having the wide latititude to fix mistakes when I don't get it right that RAW affords me.

[supercelts7]

Originally Posted by crockny

We have to do what we're comfortable with -- but I have to say as a RAW newbie I find it awesome! And adjusting the white balance after the fact is a snap ... the adjustment brush alone is worth any aggravation ...

I know Crockny. The more I look at the question I've just asked, the more I realise I've answered my own question. It's sheer laziness.....nothing else!

I can't be bothered post-processing (other than cropping/resizing) because I'm not great with photo software packages, so I always look to get everything right when I take the pic. Unfortunately, I'm still a novice at this and I invariably do something wrong.

[supercelts7]

Originally Posted by dakwegmo

Buy more memory cards. Then you'll have space for more photos and be able to shoot RAW!

There are plenty of photographers who advocate shooting JPG and just making sure you get exposure, white balance, and everything right in camera. In fact, I try to do just that, but I love having the wide latititude to fix mistakes when I don't get it right that RAW affords me.

I think that's exactly what I'll do. It's time I learned how to use Olympus Studio properly. If only RAW editors could fix camera shake!!

[WVCoalMiner]

Open Photoshop Click File then Click OPEN AS Choose your JPEG and on the bottom drop down Choose Camera RAW.
You can open your JPEG in Camera RAW and have almost all the controls of a shot done in RAW

[kirbinster]

Lightroom lets you adjust white balance after the fact, even in jpegs - but you don't have anywhere near the lattitude you do with raw.

[teaking]

THeres more ways to correct white balance than you can chuck a stick at use your favourite method unless its a colour cast summoned by ninjas you should be able to correct it. I would say though rather than saying you will shoot in raw it would be a better lesson to get white balance rignt lol sorry no offence but as a photograaher we should all be trying to nail white balance and exposure and I'm as guilty as most lol

[supercelts7]

Originally Posted by teaking

THeres more ways to correct white balance than you can chuck a stick at use your favourite method unless its a colour cast summoned by ninjas you should be able to correct it. I would say though rather than saying you will shoot in raw it would be a better lesson to get white balance rignt lol sorry no offence but as a photograaher we should all be trying to nail white balance and exposure and I'm as guilty as most lol

No offence taken. I came on here to receive advice and the more honest the advice, the more helpful it is in the long term. We can all be nice but sometimes it doesn't help the novice, like me.

[teaking]

I am sorry If my comment did cause offence, theres lots of debate about JPEG and RAW and I guess what I meant to say is alot of people say shoot RAW because you can fix mistakes and you dont even have to set white balance. I guess I was meaning that white balance and exposure are the key elements we could all do with learning. I know my self its something I get wrong but its my goal something I would like to be able to achieve with out relying on a format. Maybe then I can say im a photographer

I wish you luck but above all a lot of fun on your photography journey