Friday's Photo Tip - RAW vs JPG

Friday's Photo Tip - RAW vs JPG









The debate to shoot RAW or JPG has gone on for years, and I believe it will always be this way.

Both sides have their pros and cons and the diehards for each side will continue to tout their way as the best.

For the most part, I shoot in the jpg format, but I have just had an experience that I think may have me changing my ways - but only on some photos.

When shooting jpg in the camera, the software in the camera compresses the file of the image, making it readable by most computer programs. It is considered the universal standard for photos.

When shooting raw, the file is saved without any compression. They are huge files, but they contain every exact pixel of info - no guessing going on with the raw format.

But every camera has a different way of processing raw files, and only one kind of software, designed just for it, can handle it most of the time. And when the firmware in the camera gets updated, it may need new software to process it. This makes old raw files obselete real quick.

A memory card will fill up extremely fast when shooting raw, and the processing of it takes longer too. If you are photoing action you need to wait for the camera to process the file before shooting the next frame.

Jpgs (also known as jpegs) allow you to fit more images on a memory card, and I have never had to wait for my camera to process them - it saves really quickly to the card.

Both types of files can be tweaked, but the raw ones need an extra step in the processing routine in order to make them tweakable in a program like photoshop. This is another program which just increases the processing time.

So, why would one want to shoot RAW when it makes more sense to shoot JPG?

I have been submitting images to a new stock agency, and they require the submitted file to be 48MB in size.

My jpg files are, on average, 28MB in size. This means I need to interpolate, or enlarge my file in order for it to even be considered for this agency.

When interpolating a compressed image, the program looks at the pixels and does its best to fill in the blank spaces to give this file 48MB of info. Since a jpg is compressed with a lot of guesswork to begin with, it is just more guessing which leads to artifacts and poor resolution when viewed at 100% in photoshop.

By using a RAW file, all of the info is there to interpolate with, not as much guessing going on as with the JPG. A cleaner and sharper image should be the result by interpolating a raw file as opposed to a jpg file.

Since I will only be sending certain images to this agency, I will shoot only the ones for them as RAW and will continue with JPG for all my other images.

But if one can afford the 24 megapixel DSLR, then none of this really matters - the JPGs will be just as gorgeous as the RAWs since the files will be so big to begin with.

It's always a numbers game!

ABC Wednesday - Z is for Zoom Lens

Z is for Zoom Lens............







No - that is not a zoom lens in the photo, but one of those filters pictured will be going on a new one that will arrive in the next day or two.

And man, am I excited!

I have spent many hours researching and comparing and reading about the different lenses that are available for my Sony DSLR.

As it uses many of the Minolta AF lenses, I have a huge selection to pick from, and it is a very involved job to find the right one.

I currently own a Minolta 70-210mm f4 beer can zoom lens that is a beauty, and I was hoping to find something with more reach - perhaps in the 300-400mm range.

But the prices on these babies is just ridiculous. The glass is top notch, so of course they are expensive, but for used Minolta lenses, I just couldn't see spending so much. And as much as I wanted a prime lens, I had to think twice about the zooms.

I checked what Sony had available, and I was able to watch the online auctions and snag a great deal on a Sony 70-300 f4.5-5.6 G SSM.

The G glass is the next best thing to the APO glass (those beautiful white lenses) which costs thousands of dollars.

I did a lot of comparisons on many different websites on how this lens performs, and it gets rave reviews, and the photos are gorgeous - both in color and sharpness.

The one I purchased is second hand, but from the list of the other lenses that he owns - I know he took good care of it.

Did I mention I am excited - my fingers are crossed for tomorrow!



This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Friday's Photo Tip - From a Different Angle

Friday's Photo Tip - From a Different Angle









First - I must apologize for my lack of posting and missing last Friday's Photo tip.

Life has been quite busy with a few unexpecteds thrown in which demanded my attention.

I have got a very interesting post for this week.

I received a question from Martha, over at Stir, Laugh, Repeat. She asked:

"Do you have advice on taking pictures with a digital camera. I write cookbooks and some of my recipes are stored on my blogs. I like to take a picture of a new dish to add to the post but my pictures don't always give the dish justice. Any tips?"

She has a few blogs, and after looking through them (many of the recipes sound so good!),
I got quite excited - I can actually help!

My first and biggest piece of advice is to experiment with different angles.

It seems the most sensible thing to photograph the food from above with most of the plate included.

It is a pretty set-up with beautiful plates and placemats, but you want to showcase the food.

Try taking the cheesecake, pie, or cake from a side angle to show it's height and all the goodies it has inside.

And don't be afraid to get closer to the food. Macros (the close ups) will show some great textures - especially if it is a casserole or salad dish with many colorful ingredients.

It is amazing how moving yourself around the plate, higher, lower, eye level or angled will change the whole composition of the photo.

And don't forget the props - a knife with a pat of butter beside a muffin that has been cut in half and then photographed at eye level rather than from above.

And sometimes just the edge of the plate leading the eye into the food that takes up the rest of the photo works well too.

I can remember when I was in my first photo class. I was given a roll of 36 exposure film and was told to use the whole thing on a tree outside the school.

I was thinking, how can I possibly take 36 different photos of this tree. By the time I had finished, I could have easily filled another roll.

I don't have too many food photos, but here is a link to my gallery that contains some. Hopefully some of them will show you what I am talking about.

One more thing - don't forget the background. As you change your angle be sure to check what else you are including in the shot.

I like to prop up a white sheet then set the subject on and in front of it. Keeps everything clean and uncluttered, and it helps reflect the light onto my subject.

A digital camera allows you to experiment to your hearts content at a very low cost. Have fun exploring new angles and simply delete the photos that don't work, and try again!

ABC Wednesday - Y is for ............

Y is for ............







Okay, I thought I was pushing it last week with the XX's, but this week is really a stretch.

This would be a Y shaped crack in the very dry dirt.

As you all know from my previous posts that it has been raining here for over three weeks so there is no chance of the ground to be in that extra dry condition as of this post.

This one was taken not this past spring, but a year before that.

A real dry spell created this crack and I figured it would work for this week's Y post.

One more hard letter next week with Z and I had better start giving it some thought.

These last few letters are the toughest ones!



This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Making Adjustments

Making Adjustments






My daughter surprised us with the news that we are going to be grandparents towards the end of this year.

I couldn't think of a better Christmas gift than this new little bundle that will be entering our lives.

Many things are changing for her as she prepares to welcome this little one.

The baby clothes are starting to pile up in the drawer as are all the necessaries a baby needs - the bassinet, stroller, and baby tub.

When she came over last week she was wearing maternity clothes for the first time - and she looked so cute.

The fashionable clothes that are available today are so different from the ones I wore so many years ago.

She has a good eye for finding good deals on everything that she has purchased so far, and as she gets further along, I am sure she will look just as cute as she does now.

So far all has gone well. She has been feeling good and eating the right things, and I enjoy taking walks with her when she comes to visit.

Keeping the stress low and her happy is the goal of us all as we await the arrival of this new life.

ABC Wednesday - X is for XXX

X is for XXX............







I am really pushing it this week. I have been involved with ABC Wednesday for all 4 rounds that it has been through, and even with the dictionary to give me an idea, I am running out of things to photograph for X.

So, I decided this time to go with the shape of X - as in these window panes.

These windows are on one the oldest houses in our state. It is the Sherburne House that is located at Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, NH.

It was constructed circa 1695, and when touring this house one can view the various materials and methods of construction for that era.

The windows are single paned, and I can only think how drafty they must have been when the cold winter wind blew.

I love the history in these old houses and walking through them sends you back to another time.



This is the fourth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Rain, Rain, Go Away





Man oh man! It has been two weeks now, and only two days of sun.

This week's weather forecast is calling for rain all week again.

The grass is growing ridiculously fast - no chance to mow it as it is always wet.

Our nightly fox visitors are so confused with this lack of light that I caught one of them trotting though the yard this morning at 9:13. I am hoping it was on it's way back to its den to sleep the day away - I know I certainly felt like doing that.

The camera can't go out in this weather and no jaunts anywhere either - much to wet for that.

Where fore art thou summer - we are eagerly awaiting your arrival!