Beginner Help needed with digital photography course re: file formats and image sizing

[TARDIS Blue]

Ok, so as mentioned in my introduction post I am doing a learn from home photography course and I am looking for some help. I am currently in the dark regarding a question on formatting and image sizing. The question is presented like this:

"What file formats would you choose to use in these types of settings and why? Look to cover file formats and image sizing."

The first type of setting was a wedding which was no real problem as I was able to refer to my course materials for that. The next types of settings though I am not so clear on, which are:

1) A session of family pictures of children for a close friend.

2) An event for a social networking site.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

It's a choice of:

JPEG Normal
JPEG Basic
JPEG Fine
RAW
RAW and JPEG Normal
RAW and JPEG Basic
RAW and JPEG Fine

How do I determine which file option is best for each type of setting?

I hope that's enough to go on but I will provide more information if needed.

 

[jondc]

Surely you can select any sensible answer as long as you can justify why but maybe it's eluding to how you would present the images. For the web you only need a low res file and raw would not be appropriate and for a family friend a high res image would be better but again raw would not be the best choice. So to answer your question I would say for 1 - jpeg fine and 2 - jpeg basic.

However you may want to take the photos using raw, then edit to the required settings.

What advice did the course say for weddings by the way?

 

[russellsnr]

Hi, No offence but if you are doing the course then you should not be asking "How do I determine which file option is best for each type of setting?"
You should be looking the answer up from the web or a book not rely on someone else answering the question for you.

 

[Phil V]

Surely you can select any sensible answer as long as you can justify why but maybe it's eluding to how you would present the images. For the web you only need a low res file and raw would not be appropriate and for a family friend a high res image would be better but again raw would not be the best choice. So to answer your question I would say for 1 - jpeg fine and 2 - jpeg basic.

However you may want to take the photos using raw, then edit to the required settings.

What advice did the course say for weddings by the way?

This ^ though my answers would be different , there's no 'right' answer, it's about understanding why you chose what you did.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

That is a very odd question, I shoot everything in raw, as you never know what a photograph may be needed for in the future. What you shoot and what you pass to the end user are not really related.

Those photographers who want an alternative quick option may well shoot raw +jpeg.
I see no reason to limit yourself with downsides before you even have an image.

You can be sure that your excellent and best shot taken as a small jpeg, would be the one they want made into a poster.

 

[StewartR]

There's no 'right' answer, it's about understanding why you chose what you did.

That's the key to learning, isn't it. What's the point of doing the course if you get other people to do your thinking for you?

Now if you'd asked, for example, about what the differences are between RAW and JPEG, there would be lots of people here willing to explain it for you. And then you could apply that knowledge to your homework. Isn't that a better solution all round?

 

[Alastair]

As ever, homework questions only ever end positively if the OP at least hints at some thought on their on behalf.


But in this case, it's one of the questions where I struggle to see what you're supposed to be learning.

 

[TARDIS Blue]

Hi, No offence but if you are doing the course then you should not be asking "How do I determine which file option is best for each type of setting?"
You should be looking the answer up from the web or a book not rely on someone else answering the question for you.

That's the key to learning, isn't it. What's the point of doing the course if you get other people to do your thinking for you?

Now if you'd asked, for example, about what the differences are between RAW and JPEG, there would be lots of people here willing to explain it for you. And then you could apply that knowledge to your homework. Isn't that a better solution all round?

You both raise a fair point and I have taken this into account.

 

[Ploddles]

As above, there is no right or wrong answer, just the justification - which should be in your own words and not plagiarised from someone else / on here.

 

[Demonid3e]

In my opinion raw is always the best but it comes with the cost of the fact that you have to work with every photo.... so if you happy to spend a bit more time the raw is always a choise ...

 

[TARDIS Blue]

As above, there is no right or wrong answer, just the justification - which should be in your own words and not plagiarised from someone else / on here.

That was never my intention. I was just seeking some second opinions, but I can see now I could have gone about it in a better way.