TABLE OF CONTENTS Raw is the new buzz word in photographic circles the world over. Professionals and serious amateurs alike are switching their cameras from the standard JPEG and TIFF capture options to the Raw format. This is despite the fact that doing so will mean that they add another processing step to their digital photography workflow. It seems that the extra level of control possible when processing your own Raw files (rather than letting the camera do the work) is worth the effort. So how do Photoshop Elements users become part of the Raw Revolution? Well this chapter will outline both the workflow and conversion techniques that you can employ to make Raw capture and processing a regular part of your photographic routine.
As we saw in Chapter 2 Raw files contain both the image and metadata along with the actual picture information in a format which cannot be directly opened into Photoshop Elements. Instead the Raw photo is opened first into a conversion utility where global image characteristics such as white balance, brightness, contrast, saturation, noise reduction and sharpness are adjusted before the converted file is opened into the Full Edit workspace. Alternatively the converted file can be saved as an Adobe Digital Negative or DNG file. Once the converted file is opened in the Elements Editor workspace it is no longer a Raw file and can be edited and enhanced just like any other photo.
This approach to Raw processing is often...
