Do you keep your RAW images?

monkeyleader

monkeyleader

Suspended / Banned
Messages
500
Name
Nigel
Edit My Images
No
Having got into the sports photography over the past few years I've stubbled back and forward in regards to what to do with the raw images once they have ben culled, processed and correctly sized jpgs off to the agency ... In all other genres of my photography I keep the RAW files - not just as a backup but also as processing software becomes more advances and new techniques are developed it can be useful to go back in time and pull one from the archives to re-process.

I don't think (??) I can see the point of keeping the RAW images from the sporting events I cover - once they are out as JPG they are out there .. it would be unlikely to need to go back to get the archive. Not too concerned about space or anything, just interested to hear if anyone else keeps their RAWs after the game or indeed if they have had the need to go back and get one from the archives?

cheers,

Nigel
 
Storage is cheap so i just keep all my RAWs as DNG files. I only export to jpeg to upload to the internet.
 
I dont shoot sports in RAW only jpeg but keep them all as you never know when/if something may pop up again and as you say, storage is cheap enough anyway so why not.
 
why on earth would you shoot RAW for sports? you would NOT mormally do enough editing to warrant RAW. for auto this that and the other JPG works just fine..

I edit my files and keep those ..i cant see any reason to keep the original unedited file (which is what a RAW is) and in ten yrs never needed or wished I had an original..

The problem? with sports is the amount of pictures you take and will need to store...yes space is cheap.. but half a million raw files that will never be needed? whats the point..
 
As above I don't usually shoot sport in raw. However, sometimes I do and it's not about getting it right or wrong in camera. If you're shooting solely for newspapers etc and speed is key then fair enough no need (and no time) to shoot raw but if you're say a club photographer and there is no need to wire during the game etc then why not shoot raw? My 7D can fire around 26 raw frames non stop without getting backed up and I have never had to shoot that many during a game, only bursts of 3/4. That way you have a nice big file that you can pull a few crops out of and you can go back and retouch as you like. You can also process into a tiff which is a much better format for not losing information and there are other options to process into a physical bigger file for larger prints. Happy to be corrected on anything there?

So disregarding the raw vs JPEG question maybe as KIPAX says, the question is do you keep your original files? Ie the full frame before the cropping, level tweaking, sharpening etc?

Myself, I used to keep everything, I had a couple of hard drives full of unprocessed raw files, duplicate files, even images I didn't use, just in case something happened in future and I needed to go back and pull something else out from that game. To date, that has never happened, and a few weeks ago I got rid of everything except the used images from each game from last footy season now I know (kind of!) there will be no reason to need anything else. Anything of interest in that game would have been in the set I processed or kept.

The only thing I do still do is use a PS action to make a small set of JPEG's at 600px wide just so I have a set to email and for reference, I keep the larger JPEG files untouched so as not to lose information. I also keep as set of Tiff's that I make by either processing or just resaving the JPEG's. Though resaving the jpeg will not be the quality of the raw processed to tiff at least they are now in a lossless file format so won't deteriorate through reopening or editing!

I also save every event onto its own disc as well as on a hard drive.

Massive overkill for most probably but I come from a studio environment where backing up is drilled into you!
 
gibtheo said:
As above I don't usually shoot sport in raw. However, sometimes I do and it's not about getting it right or wrong in camera.
Click to expand...

Then prey tel.. why?

heres my point.. shooting sport means shooting a lot of pictures.. the amount of processing is minimal..you can process jpg files.... my processed jpg (and i am sure gary and others) sports pictures dont suffer because there not in raw... 90% of my sports isnt being wired live.. I stil wouldnt shoot in raw.. I am going to straighten.. auto contrast and sharpen.. theres not much more my pics need... why would raw benefit me.. or any other sports shooter who is going to do minimum processing? seriously give me an example.. I ahve 100 pics to upload.. I ahve plenty of time and plenty of space... the pics look great.. minimum work needed on them... why would raw be any use ? gary wasnt being nasty wiht his getting it right in camera.. its now showing off.. its a simple fact that the pictures right... how do you make a picture thats right.. more right.... and again.. tlaking about hundreds of sports pictures not one pic your going to spend a week on to put into a comp or seomething..

most poeple shoot raw becausee they think its clever or they think thats how real photogrpahers do it... you can see it every day... my tutor told me to shoot raw.. a pro told me to shoot raw.. i keep reading i should be shooting raw.... poppycock! :)


gibtheo said:
but I come from a studio environment where backing up is drilled into you!
Click to expand...

I come from a common sense enviroment where backing up is equally as important :)

I ahve two copies (original and backup) of every picture I take from the moment I press the shutter. always on sperate media.... at the final stage of storing theres three copies
 
Fair points. Totally agree with you on all, for your purposes you have the system that suits you, no doubt.

Do I sense you guys have had the raw vs jpeg debate before?! o_O

I wasn't inferring that I thought it was better or worse to shoot raw, just that sometimes people prefer it. I realise that nobody is trying to show off about getting things right in camera, I, like many, was taught to get things right in camera as I learnt before PS etc were in mainstream usage. :)

To answer your question, I sometimes shoot raw because I find the files more flexible (not talking about exposure correction etc), I use a program called capture one which is great for processing raw files, it has many features to add to an image that may be used for promotion /advertising not purely a 'sports action' shot. It also gives the option to do multiple crops of the same frame, and then to process the shot into a file type that is appropriate to your usage, can't turn a jpeg into a full size tiff. By the way I don't work for them but I do love the program!

To be honest you have got me questioning if I reeeeally need to shoot raw ever for sport, I'm confident in my ability to get things right but maybe it's a little bit of niggling doubt that likes the insurance of raw as well as the flexibility of output.

You are right though you can put JPEG's through processing. To be fair I always put my jpegs through capture one also as it is really quick to use for editing down to usable and then cropping etc if your processing a load after the game and you batch apply levels tweaks etc.

Different strokes for different folks!

I look forward to the day I own a body that can write to 2 cards, I get nervous putting a card into a reader still!

:)
 
Last edited:
I also only shoot JPEG, Raw is too much hassle for sports I find, Just transfer the Jpegs to Photoshop Elements on my lappy and auto smart fix normally does the trick for minor contrast adjustments etc. if needed and then export the jpegs and send them.
 
Its not about RAW v JPG ..its about the use of RAW for a sports photogrpaher.. and its all designed to help so doesnt matter if on topic IMHO

Theres nothing at all wrong wiht anyone using raw for sports.. just trying to point out that its not really neccesary.. as you say Seven.. each to there own... so long as nobody is shooting raw because they think they are supposed to.. thats wrong IMHO

I had the ability to shoot to two cards at once for a long time and never did... once I started then you get paranoid and must do it all the time :)
 
KIPAX said:
Its not about RAW v JPG ..its about the use of RAW for a sports photogrpaher.. and its all designed to help so doesnt matter if on topic IMHO

Theres nothing at all wrong wiht anyone using raw for sports.. just trying to point out that its not really neccesary.. as you say Seven.. each to there own... so long as nobody is shooting raw because they think they are supposed to.. thats wrong IMHO

I had the ability to shoot to two cards at once for a long time and never did... once I started then you get paranoid and must do it all the time :)
Click to expand...

But then surely people thinking they should shoot JPG is wrong also. People should shoot whatever works for them.

I shoot RAW, and recently pleased a client when they asked for the best possible original file by handing over said RAW. Let them do what they want with it, rather than limiting them to my in camera JPG settings and compression algorithms.
 
purpleclouds said:
But then surely people thinking they should shoot JPG is wrong also.
Click to expand...

yes and if we have a simmilar thread where someone is saying they have been told to only shoot JPG then I will say so... I was NOT and have NEVER advocated only one way to do anything.. and always strive in alll subjects to point out that all ways are good..

my point simply was.. dont do it just because people tell you thats what you should be doing.. ..
 
purpleclouds said:
I shoot RAW, and recently pleased a client when they asked for the best possible original file by handing over said RAW. Let them do what they want with it, rather than limiting them to my in camera JPG settings and compression algorithms.
Click to expand...
What on earth were they needing to do with it Phil, ive had images printed on banner plastic at 40ft wide across RL club dressing room walls from a 2100px wide Jpeg and this one http://gcsports.zenfolio.com/p747748752/h1759a921#h1759a921 takes pride of place in the Foyer of the floodlight manufacturers head office, no idea how large its actually been printed or whatever as ive only seen a photo of it in situ but it is bloody massive and thats from a 12mp Jpeg file, However, after the Salford floodlit pic i did get some commissions from other RL Clubs for ground photos/panos and i did shoot 2 in Raw but only because thats what they asked of me
 
Gary Coyle said:
What on earth were they needing to do with it Phil, ive had images printed on banner plastic at 40ft wide across RL club dressing room walls from a 2100px wide Jpeg and this one http://gcsports.zenfolio.com/p747748752/h1759a921#h1759a921 takes pride of place in the Foyer of the floodlight manufacturers head office, no idea how large its actually been printed or whatever as ive only seen a photo of it in situ but it is bloody massive and thats from a 12mp Jpeg file, However, after the Salford floodlit pic i did get some commissions from other RL Clubs for ground photos/panos and i did shoot 2 in Raw but only because thats what they asked of me
Click to expand...

They didn't request the RAW, but I provided alongside a large JPG and they were happy.

RAW is much more than resolution as I'm sure you're aware so size isn't everything - in this case :)
 
Last edited:
Interesting ... from the game yesterday (Liverpool Spurs) I've had a request through the agency for the original RAW file of one of the shots .... not quite sure the reasons for needing the RAW at the moment but glad I was able to say yes I had it ....
 
I shoot RAW, for everything, disk space is cheap plus I learn new PP techniques that allow me to then go back to my originals and see what they come out like.

The only time I shot JPEG, I wished I shot RAW simply because the light was changing constantly, I then did not have the flexibility of changing the white balance or dropping the highlights on blown out whites or upping the shadows without making the image look worse. 1tb drives and Im only on my 4th drive in nearly 3 years. I now rarely go back to the 1st drive, I could format it and use it, but then it could go pop and wipe out current work, so it just sits on a shelf gathering dust for the moment. At some point, I'll probably use it as a doorstop or a frisbee for the dog.
 
Carlh said:
I shoot RAW, for everything, disk space is cheap plus I learn new PP techniques that allow me to then go back to my originals and see what they come out like.

The only time I shot JPEG, I wished I shot RAW simply because the light was changing constantly, I then did not have the flexibility of changing the white balance or dropping the highlights on blown out whites or upping the shadows without making the image look worse. 1tb drives and Im only on my 4th drive in nearly 3 years. I now rarely go back to the 1st drive, I could format it and use it, but then it could go pop and wipe out current work, so it just sits on a shelf gathering dust for the moment. At some point, I'll probably use it as a doorstop or a frisbee for the dog.
Click to expand...
Im assuming this is when youre shooting pitchside and wiring live to the newspapers
 
Gary Coyle said:
Im assuming this is when youre shooting pitchside and wiring live to the newspapers
Click to expand...
I havent done football, (didnt know this thread was aimed at football photography? sorry if it was), I also do not shoot for newspapers.

For the sports I have done (school sports day, mostly outside) and pro-boxing/pro-wrestling (indoor venues), images are all in RAW. With the disco-type lights they tend to have at boxing venues and wrestling, getting white balance right in the camera is nigh on impossible with bright blue/red lights, ambient lighting of the venue itself, so some adjustments (for me anyway) are required to get the skin-colours as near as I can to what I saw. Its only disk space and disk space is pretty cheap. Might take longer - which is did at first, but now I have a handle on camera-raw, I can set up one image, sync it to the set, do individual straighten and save straight from raw to JPG or pull into photoshop to do some patch removal/cloning if needed. Once I've sorted all the images out and my keepers, I delete the RAWs that aren't any good (blurry/out of focus etc..) to free up any space. No saying what I do is right, but its right <for me> <for now>.

Kipax shoots waaaaayyyy more than me and Im sure that if I shot as much as he did, I'd probably just do JPGs simply because of time constraints, he's shooting pretty much every day, whereas Im doing stuff once a week or even longer so I have the time to play. Though to get the images out for events, I usually do 12-16 hour stints to get the images out as soon as possible where Kipax probably shoots, crops and upload his images, goes to bed and is fresh for his next job. I'd <have> to shoot JPG if I was as busy as him otherwise Id be really burned out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top