7 Situations When You Should Shoot and Edit JPEG Instead of RAW
If you read and listen to a lot of photography advice online, you’ll often hear people tell you to shoot in RAW. And granted, doing so is beneficial for performing deeper photo edits. However, some situations are better suited to capturing and editing JPEGs instead.
JPEGs consume much less space than RAW files, and you often have more flexibility when editing your images away from a computer. On top of that, you’ll usually find that JPEGs are easier to upload more quickly online.
Shooting and editing in JPEG can have several other benefits, too, such as offering the flexibility to quickly try different editing styles. In this guide, you’ll discover seven situations where you should use this file format instead of RAW.
1. Editing Pictures on the Go
Thanks to advancements in mobile technology and improving internet speeds, on-the-go photo editing is easier than ever. Adobe Lightroom CC, for example, lets you continue your workflow from your computer on a tablet or smartphone. You can edit RAW files, but you need to upload these on your computer. In situations where that isn’t a possibility, JPEG is a better option.
Even if you only edit JPEGs, you can still access many of the most useful color editing tools. So, if you’re not too bothered about high-level editing, you might find that this is a better option.
you’re able to also use tools like Photoshop Express to edit JPEGs on the go. And if you want afull comparison between Lightroom and Photoshop Express, we’ve got a complete guide outlining their differences.
2. When You’re New to Photo Editing
You can try plenty ofeasy-to-use photo editing tools for beginners, and you might want to start with JPEG files when grasping the basics. Doing so lets you figure out how to control the colors in your pictures from a solid base, and you can use sliders like vibrance and saturation to achieve your desired results.
Editing JPEGs also lets you get a better idea of how lighting adjustments, such as contrast and exposure, work. Once you’ve learned the beginner steps for editing photos, you can consider using RAW files for your edits instead—and you won’t have as big of a learning curve.
3. Sending Photos to Others
As many experienced photo editors will tell you, making adjustments to your pictures can take a lot of time. With that in mind, you should make sure that you absolutely want to edit your photos before doing so—especially if you work with other clients.
Sometimes, you might want to send photos you’ve taken to others and gauge their opinions. One such example is when you’re capturing portraits of someone, and you’re allowing them to pick their favorites for deeper edits. Many photographers offering experiences on Airbnb offer such services.
Before you edit the RAW files they choose with more detail, you can quickly adjust the colors and choose from several presets for your JPEGs. And if you want to take better photos for your clients, consider learning more abouthow to improve your portrait photography.
4. Quickly Uploading Images to Social Media
While you can access platforms like Instagram from your computer, you may—if you’re like many people—prefer to use these apps on your phone instead. And if you want to quickly share pictures with your friends, using JPEG files will limit the amount of friction.
You can use Bluetooth to share images from your camera to your smartphone or tablet, before quickly retouching them if needed. Once you’ve done that, you only need to upload the pictures to your profile.
Having the ability to quickly upload photos to social media can help if youstart a blog on Instagram. It’s also beneficial in numerous other situations, such as when you want to share quick updates from a trip.
5. When You Don’t Want to Spend a Lot of Time Editing
Once you’ve become at least an intermediate photographer, you’ll have a better understanding of the tasks that you do and don’t enjoy. Many people find that they dislike editing, and in those situations, spending as little time as possible performing these tasks can help you do more of the stuff you enjoy.
When editing JPEG files, you might find it easier to get the kind of look that you want. You can use tools like Lightroom, but even Apple Photos is a good option if you have an iPhone. Should you choose the latter, you candiscover several hidden Apple Photos featuresthat could take your photo organization to the next level.
6. When You’ve Added a Camera Filter to Your Picture
Many camera manufacturers, including Nikon, Canon, and Fujifilm, let you add camera profiles to your photos. In essence, these work like filters that you’ll find on platforms like Instagram—and in some cases, you may find that you like what you see more than something you could edit.
If you already like how your image looks, you don’t necessarily need to go in-depth with RAW file editing. Instead, you can save the JPEGs and make small adjustments where needed. After doing that, you can distribute your pictures wherever you want.
7. Experimenting With Different Types of Photography
Are you new to photography? If so, trying different styles will help you determine which genres you like quicker. And once you know that, you can spend more time taking pictures of subjects that interest you.
During the experimental phase, you might not want to spend huge amounts of time editing and sharing your photos. This is especially true if you try a genre that you don’t like. Shooting in JPEG will make it much easier to determine which styles you like, decreasing the amount of time you need to spend searching for one that resonates with you.
JPEG Isn’t a Useless Photo File Format
While RAW files are better for more comprehensive photo editing, JPEG is still a handy file format in several situations. You can quickly share files with others, and it’s also easy to start editing your pictures while traveling or away from your computer.
JPEG files are also handy if you’re in your early days as a photographer, and you can always change to RAW once you’ve covered the basics. Many cameras have a JPEG + RAW option for capturing shots, and we recommend switching that on.
Every DSLR, prosumer, and even some high-end compact cameras have the ability to capture RAW image files. This is a gift from the photography gods.
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