For all of those who maybe interested in going RAW but are intimidated (as I SOOO was) DO IT! DONT BE! It could NOT be easier! I dont really know WHY I was so nervous, but I have shot a few weddings in RAW and can NOT believe the precission I have in editing! I LOVE IT!!

Here is a slideshow of my last wedding...done in RAW of course! (sorry no pictures, all of them are on my other computer!)

September 8 wedding!

Melissa

Good move! And I hope you're using CS3 and the new ACR for the processing. It has wonderful new features.

Once RAW there is no going back. I have been 100% RAW for almost two and half years now. I LOVE IT!

Melissa, did you use a WhiBal or grey card for white balance? That is like magic when you click it in ACR and all color casts are gone.

The thumbnail & preview-building time is annoying, but the benefits of RAW outweigh that.

Yeah for you!! Isn't RAW fantastic

All my wedding image is RAW. Take more time for processing, file size so big, etc.....
But you can get great final image.

When I look back at my JPG photos, I feel bummed b/c I can't touch them up as well as my RAW files! Love the RAW goodness!

-d

Melissa, I don't know what you did to the RAW files, but the slideshow images look awesome

Excellent work! I too just switched ti RAW and love the control and the insurance you have. I use the Light Meter in Camera and have had to adjust exposure on a few. RAW has allowed me to save some key images that would have been lost in JPEG.

These are just beautiful, Melissa!

I am new to this forum and would like your take on something.. I shoot in RAW and I have been running into a problem with processing in CS3. After extensive editing when I try to save it states there isnt enough RAM but if I convert it to jpeg it blows through the edit and save.. any idea why?
Great shots by the way

I just love it when everyone talks dirty...

How much RAM do you have?

those are great - I love raw too.

Just to let you know- when I click on your logo in the slideshow, it doesn't take me to your homepage and it gives me an error.

thanks for those of you who took time to look at my slideshow! I actually forgot I had posted it on here! =) HA HA

As far as the problems with CS3, I am sorry, I have not idea!!

I've been trying to psych myself to try RAW, but the only thing that holds me back is that a few people have mentioned that PP takes longer, and I already spend several days going through 700 wedding images, one at a time, dumping/editing. I suppose even if is slower (not sure how it COULD be), it's worth it because of the extra control over each image I'll have. Sigh. I'm putting a time limit on myself. Try RAW within a month It definitely helps to hear somebody else having the response to RAW that I hope to have--relief and excitement!

Off topic but, see, now your slideshow looks PERFECT! Not compressed or chunky at all! What were your showit settings, and file sizes, if you don't mind my asking.

On the RAW topic, I just switched too, and LOVE IT!

I like the slideshow. You do great work.

I (like others here) made and love the transition to raw. There is just so much more control.

For those of you shooting raw.....have you used any custom settings ie tone, sharpness etc or does it matter/ has it any effect on the raw file?

And for those who shoot raw and jpeg how different are those two imgages right out of the camera?

Custom settings do NOT affect the raw file, thus the name "raw" The custom settings WILL affect the jpg. Some like to shoot raw + jpg to have the integrity of the raw file (such as a negative would be to film), in case they need it, but use their jpg's for slideshows at receptions and final images if their exposure is spot on.

if our studio went raw

290 weddings @ 3k avg
200 eng @ 1k img avg
25 bud @ 500 img avg
25 fam shoots @ 500 img avg

1,107,500 images

12.5mb per image

13.8 terabytes per year x3 for backups

41.5 terabytes total


OUCH

Hmm...just because you shoot RAW, does that mean you store RAW. I'm curious if anyone ever dumps the RAW images after the initial adjustments are made?

I've been shooting jpgs since I started digital, and also am just now gearing up to start shooting RAW after reading all these great comments. I've ordered a CS3 upgrade and Lightroom and told myself to learn it before my next wedding. thanks everyone for the positive feedback!