RAW format is a tool, not a crutch.

Reality check here. The more time and effort you put into making an image better before the shoot by lighting the subject properly and setting the exposure and color balance correctly, the better your end result will be. Although shooting in the RAW format gives you the ability to correct most of these mistakes in post processing, getting things right at the moment of exposure is still the way of the pro. 

I hear more and more photographers say “I’ll fix it in Photoshop” whenever they’re confronted with a difficult lighting situation. Don’t be tempted to take the easy way out and pray that software can save you — you’ll find that correcting the error before the shoot is faster than fixing it later. 

So, take the time to light your subject, cover blemishes, take a meter reading and/or use the right color balance from the git-go. This “old school” approach is still your best bet for success. A RAW image well shot always trumps a RAW image made without thought.

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Card reader = shorter download times = faster image processing

I’m constantly surprised at how many people are content to download images to their computers via the camera’s USB connection. Sure, it’s a cheaper alternative to a $30 card reader (since the cables are usually included with every camera purchased), but doing it that way has a couple downsides you should know about.

First and most important, using a camera as the transfer device is S-L-O-W! It takes at least twice as long to download a memory card using the camera compared to a standard USB 2.0 memory card reader. That means a full card that takes 2 minutes to download images will do the same task in only one minute using a card reader. Of course, the higher the capacity of the card (and more images on it), the more time saved.

Second, downloading directly from the camera uses camera power and will run down a camera’s battery quicker. This is a bad thing if you’re out in the field, far away from your battery recharger.

There are many card readers on the market. They range from $20 to over $100. Some even read multiple card formats. I’ve used all kinds and currently use the Lexar CF card reader pictured. The differences between various brands, however, is minimal and a higher price doesn’t necessarily mean a faster reader.

So, save yourself some time, purchase a card reader and toss it in your laptop bag. Use it and speed up the boring part of your post-shoot routine.

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Metadata and you

An important component of every image file is its metadata. This data comes in several different flavors (EXIF, IPTC and XMP metadata) and each one carries a specific kind of information. Learning what sort of information each one carries is something every digital shooter needs to know. This information is found in the “file info” menu of every image editing application. Adobe Bridge, Lightroom and Aperture (to name just a few) are all adept at using this metadata to help you sort, file and find your information efficiently. You want to take advantage of this!

Here’s what you need to know about metadata…

A digital image comes from the camera with EXIF data automatically embedded. This is the data showing the camera’s exposure settings, lens choice, color balance, etc. It normally isn’t editable. 

IPTC information, however, IS editable and can be found in JPEG, TIFF and RAW files. In the IPTC metadata is where you record your name, where you shot the photo, a caption and a lot more. This is also where you’ll want to embed keywords, copyright and contact information to help with future searches.

Last in line, XMP metadata is created whenever you change the look of RAW files and includes information about the alterations you made to the image during post processing. This data is usually saved as a separate “sidecar” .xmp file that has the same file name as the photo it modifies (the same except for, of course, the “.xmp” extension!).

As you can see, these three types of metadata serve specific, useful purposes. For finding your images after the fact, however, the IPTC metadata is the most useful. Get in the habit of adding an IPTC info template with at least your name and contact information on every image you download onto your computer. Take time to add relevant keywords such as the name of the people in your photo, location, event, etc.

Having the right kind of information embedded into your image’s metadata will make it easier to use image editing software to make searches with a degree of precision you wouldn’t have otherwise. So take advantage of the power of metadata and get in the habit of adding as much information you can to everything you shoot. Believe me, being able to quickly find your photos years after you’ve made them is a good thing!

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Find a routine and stick to it…after the shoot!

There are countless articles, blogs and even books devoted to the digital photo workflow. Most deal only with what to do from capture to downloading your images to the computer and then from the computer to the printer. While that workflow is important, it’ll also leave you with a full memory card and a camera set for your LAST assignment, not the next assignment. Since I like to start an assignment with my camera set the same way every time (partly due to latent OCD on my part), I follow this post-assignment workflow:

1. After making sure the images on your memory card have been safely copied to your hard drive and your backup drive, format your memory card in the camera, not in your card reader.
2. Charge your camera battery and your backup battery. Might as well charge your flash batteries now while you’re in the mood.
3. Set your ISO to 200, or whatever ISO setting gives the best quality. For my EOS 1D MkII, it’s 200.
4. Set exposure compensation to zero. I often set this to a couple stops underexposure if I’m shooting with flash, so it’s important to change it back.
5. White balance to auto white balance mode (AWB).
6. Motor drive mode (if you have one) set to continuous. (because I shoot a lot of action)
7. Exposure mode set to aperture preferred. (because I like to choose my own f-stop, thank you)

While you’ll probably want to modify this list to suit your own gear, the general concept remains the same. Going through this post-shoot routine allows me to start my next assignment confident in knowing my camera has a blank memory card, fresh batteries and is set to my baseline settings — leaving everything ready to go for the next assignment.

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