I keep them, most of the time. I keep the Raw file, the XMP file, and the edited PSD file. I don't keep any Jpegs, as a rule. (Trash those jpegs!)
Keep em. You never know when you might get asked..' ooh, can I have a black and white copy of that' etc. Or what if you learn a new processing technique in 12 months time, and think, "oh I know what photo I would love to do this too". Working from the original RAW file gives you a great starting point for the new version.
When/if you ever shot with film, you always got a negative, your RAW file is your digital negative, and you can make heaps of copies/prints from your digital negative, so keep them, back them up.
I keep my RAW file, a TIF copy of any good edited versions and a small jpg.
Last edited by ricktas; 23-04-2011 at 7:57am.
"It is one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it is another thing to make a portrait of who they are" - Paul Caponigro
Constructive Critique of my photographs is always appreciated
Nikon, etc!
RICK
My Photography
I am import my raw into LR and also on a back up hard disk. I start the initial edit in PS, and save back to LR (now I have a raw and tiff in LR), I further edit in LR and then output a small jpg for web upload. I now have a TIFF, 2 Raw (1 as backup) and a jpg. I am not too worried about the jpg as I can reproduce it anytime from LR.
www.kjbphotography.com.au
1DxII, EOS R, 200-400 f4L Ext, 100-400 f4.5-5.6L II, 70-200 F4IS, 24-70 F2.8 II, 16-35 F4IS
Keep the raws!!
regards, Kym Gallery Honest & Direct Constructive Critique Appreciated! ©
Digital & film, Bits of glass covering 10mm to 500mm, and other stuff
I always keep my RAW files which get copied to an external hard drive as well as a disc along with the final post processed version saved as a TIFF.