RAW/DPP help

[redstocks]

Tonight I've started playing around with RAW on my camera. I've used Canon's Digital Photo Professional that came with the camera to process the RAW files and I can immediately see the benefits with regards to the white balance. I deliberately took shots of my gray/white cat sat on a white/floral bedcover (I'll remove the hair later ) in horrible light.

Anyway, I've been fiddling around and so far I'm happy enough but what I can't work out is the following. I've noticed that any alterations affect the original image. Do I have to make a duplicate image before I start any work. While I don't mind fixing an image sometimes I do like to keep the crappy original for comparison.

Any other hints on using this programme?

[DAdeGroot]

Anyway, I've been fiddling around and so far I'm happy enough but what I can't work out is the following. I've noticed that any alterations affect the original image. Do I have to make a duplicate image before I start any work. While I don't mind fixing an image sometimes I do like to keep the crappy original for comparison.

Any other hints on using this programme?

DPP writes the changes you make into a special area of the raw file's exif data. If you were to open the raw in Photoshop, it would ignore all of those changes.

Thus, if you want to keep a comparison copy and still use DPP, export a JPG version before making any changes, then edit away as you prefer.

[Ruthie72]

Hi there,

I only shoot in RAW, you have much more control in post production. I use Photoshop CS4 and it always keeps the RAW File, so you can go back and make changes to the original image.

All I do when I want to process a photo is open the CR2 (RAW) file from Bridge into photoshop CS4, it will open a window that allows you to alter the exposure, bright, fill etc, click open, then it will open again but this time in photoshop. I tweak the photo to how I want it and then go to "File", "Save As", name it, click JPeg, and save it in the relevant file.

What will happen is that it will keep the RAW file in Bridge but it will now have created a jpeg of the final result (tweaked photo), but it will now have a little icon above the original CR2 (RAW file) showing I have worked on it. This icon represents the xmp.file that is now attached, which is all the work I did to the photo.

I never used to understand Bridge, but once I learnt what it is for I don't use anything else to organise my photos. What helped me is googling Tutorials on what I wanted to do, there are a heck of a lot of good tutorials in youtube that got me started.

PhotoRadar www.photoradar.com is also a great website that has a lot of tutorials for tweaking photos, they use both Elements and Photoshop, basic through to advanced ... step by step visual instructions so you can do it as you watch ... brilliant; and great for someone like me who has to do it about 50 times before it sinks in.

Hope this helped ... or points you in a good direction.

Kind regards
Ruthie

[redstocks]

Thanks for that I'm off to google and play around some more. I'll get to grips with it eventually I hope.

[rwg717]

All above is correct advice, if you wanted to secure the originals BEFORE working on them and after uploading from the camera, burn them to a reliable disc first, finalize that and remove it from the computer, better still a quality external HDD and upload them there first, then disconnect it and upload to the computer....simple 2 copies of the lot!!!
Richard

[Paul G]

but what I can't work out is the following. I've noticed that any alterations affect the original image. Do I have to make a duplicate image before I start any work. While I don't mind fixing an image sometimes I do like to keep the crappy original for comparison.

Any other hints on using this programme?

I get the same thing using Photoshop CS4. I open an image out of Adobe Bridge, process in Camera Raw then Photoshop, save and then when I go back into Bridge I see the image change to what looks like the Camera Raw edit? I think it is possible however to choose "Previous conversion" and it will revert the image back to "as shot'.