What to use: RAW vs. JPEG in Photography

Introduction

Photography has evolved dramatically over the years. With the advent of digital photography, photographers have faced a choice: should they shoot in RAW or JPEG format? This ongoing debate has sparked countless discussions among photographers of all levels. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the world of RAW vs. JPEG images to help you understand the differences, advantages, and when to use each format.

– Kate Mower, Photographer | Events Through a Lens

Understanding the Basics

Before we delve into the debate, let’s clarify what RAW and JPEG images actually are:

RAW Images:

RAW is a lossless, uncompressed format.
These files contain all the data captured by the camera’s sensor, preserving maximum image quality.
RAW files are typically larger in size due to their lack of compression.
They offer greater flexibility in post-processing, allowing you to adjust exposure, white balance, and other settings without compromising image quality.

JPEG Images:
- JPEG is a compressed format.
- These files discard some image data to reduce file size, resulting in a smaller file size compared to RAW.
- JPEGs are processed in-camera, applying settings like white balance, sharpening, and color saturation.
- They are ready for immediate use and sharing without post-processing.

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