Photo Carraol Images of Mexico City

Tones for Joan

2012-05-28T02:23:00.001-05:00

7 Reasons to Shoot RAW by Luis Argerich

1. To store the most from each photo.

This is my #1 reason why photographers should shoot RAW even if they don’t know how to process a RAW file. A RAW contains all the information the camera sensor recorded from the scene; if in the future we learn how to edit our photos better or new applications are created to edit photos, the only way to be able to use these new tools and knowledge in our photos is to keep the RAWs. Even if you don’t do anything with them just store them, disk space is cheap and if you ever need them, then you have them. Imagine a new tool that can do something great to photos but needs a RAW file as the input…

2. To be able to fix White Balance

The camera Auto-WB setting is good but it is never perfect and for some scenes it can go badly wrong. In a previous article I discussed some tools to improve the white balance of your photos. It’s very hard to get a perfect WB in the camera but it’s easy to do it in post-processing. And you can try several different color temperatures and find something you didn’t consider in the shoot. To correct the WB without destroying information you need to shoot RAW.

3. To extend the Dynamic Range

There are several tools and utilities to create HDR images from a single RAW. The explanation is very simple: A RAW contains all the exposure information the camera sensor could capture and that’s more than what a single JPG can represent. So a good piece of software can use that exposure information in the RAW to create a photo with more dynamic range compared to the default JPG that the camera creates.

4. To improve our processing options

There’re several good tools to develop RAW files. Many of those applications can fix distortion, correct chromatic aberration, correct lens softness and do many, many interesting things. They are not a complete solution for a photo-editing workflow but they are a great first step before editing with Photoshop or something else. DxO optics for example can create an image from a RAW file that is far better than a default in-camera JPG.

5. To reduce noise

There are two big advantages about shooting RAW in terms of noise. The first advantage is that you can expose to the right maximizing the signal that the camera gets and thus improving the signal to noise ratio. If you expose to the right you need to shoot RAW to be able to fix the exposure of the shot to something you like. The second advantage is that the RAW processor can apply a first instance of noise-reduction to the RAW file with results that are not as destructive as a noise reduction applied to a JPG. If you shoot frequently in twilight or at night RAW is mandatory to improve your shots.

6. To improve prints

This is as simple as “real pixels are better than software created pixels” when you shoot a photo as you will probably need to do many things before printing. Leveling the shot a little, cropping, changing colors to match the printer profile and of course sharpening. If you do all these things over a JPG you will be editing and modifying a file that is not intended for editing. JPGs are the final step in any workflow, so if you start with a JPG you can’t do anything and we all know that no photo is perfect for printing straight from the camera.

7. Why not?

I left another strong but simple reason for the end. Unless you really need to shoot JPG because you need a certain burst speed or you have a small memory card, there’s really no reason against shooting RAW. You can even shoot RAW + JPG if you want and use the JPG storing the RAW for the future. Shooting JPG is like using a polaroid camera, you lose your negatives and what you get is the final representation of your photo, it has little flexibility.

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MET of NYC [Flickr]

2012-05-27T23:49:41-07:00

Carraol posted a photo:

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Glanced up and down the street

2012-05-27T01:40:00.001-05:00

Glance

Inner Circuit

Aperture ISO Speed

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Into Oblivion

2012-05-26T01:58:00.001-05:00

Zen and the Art of Photography

Wayne Rowe California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Driven by a passion for photography and a fascination with the Zen Buddhist philosophy,

the author conceptually and experientially examines the relationship between Zen Buddhism

and the art of photography.

Among the subjects discussed:

What is the relationship between haiku and photography?

What is the relationship between the mind of the photographer while creating a photograph and the Zen concept of the Empty Mind?

What role does intuition and feeling play in photography?

In Zen?

Through examination of these concepts and relationships,

the author explains the heightened awareness, joy, and enlightenment he has experienced

through photography and suggests ways that others may share in the creative process.

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The New York City Bus Dancer [Flickr]

2012-05-25T22:04:07-07:00

Carraol posted a photo:

110 Street Station. NYC [Flickr]

2012-05-25T21:49:45-07:00

Carraol posted a photo:

Brooklyn Bridge [Flickr]

2012-05-25T21:07:32-07:00

Carraol posted a photo:

Sunday

2012-05-25T02:34:00.001-05:00

THE CURRENT CHALLENGE

Fri May 25, 2012

This week's challenge:
'Of House & Home'.

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Cubes

2012-05-24T03:50:00.000-05:00

We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.

Carl Sagan

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The Cube [Flickr]

2012-05-24T00:59:06-07:00

Carraol posted a photo:

Tlayuda

2012-05-23T01:38:00.002-05:00

Tlayuda is a handmade dish part of traditional Mexican cuisine, consisting of a large and thin crunchy partially fried or toasted tortilla, covered with a spread of refried beans, asiento (unrefined pork lard), lettuce or cabbage, avocado, meat (usually shredded chicken, beef tenderloin or pork), Oaxaca cheese, and salsa.

They are a popular antojito (snack food) originating from the state of Oaxaca, and can be found particularly around Oaxaca City. Tlayudas are also available in the center-south region of Mexico, such as Mexico City, Puebla or Guadalajara, but by tradition, the tlayuda is considered a representative iconic dish of Oaxaca.

The dinner-plate-sized tortilla is baked, not fried, either on a comal, a barbecue grill, or directly over coals. Once the tortilla has been cooked, refried beans are applied on its surface, along with lard and vegetables, to serve as a base on top of which the main ingredients will be placed. The rules for topping a tlayuda are not strict, and restaurants and street vendors often offer a variety of different toppings, including tasajo (cuts of meat typical of Central Valley of Oaxaca), chorizo, and cecina enchilada (thin strips of chili powder encrusted pork). They may be prepared open-faced or folded in half.

The Tlayuda topped with roasted grasshoppers was featured on episode 8 of the documentary-styled travel and cuisine program Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel. The dish also appeared on Globe Trekker with Neil Gibson as host. Both presenters compared the Tlayuda with a large pizza. [Wiki]

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Oppressive

2012-05-22T02:29:00.001-05:00

Minor White:

"There's no particular class of photograph that I think is any better than any other class. I'm always and forever looking for the image that has spirit! I don't give a damn how it got made."

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Working Child

2012-05-21T01:23:00.001-05:00

If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.

Carl Sagan

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The High Line

2012-05-20T02:52:00.001-05:00

When you make the finding yourself - even if you're the last person on Earth to see the light - you'll never forget it.

Carl Sagan

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Walking with Your Self

2012-05-19T03:26:00.001-05:00

-East River Chinatown Side-

Happy Sunday!

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