Archiving "raw" files

[blumesan]

OK, after more than 60 years of photography exclusively with 35mm film I have finally and firmly put one leg into the digital stream. The learning curve is not so steep as I anticipated, but there remains much to be digested. Today's question concerns file management and archiving.

After trying a few different raw "converters/editors" (Nikon Capture NX, Bibble, etc.) I have settled on plain vanilla ACR via Bridge. I don't see a substantial quality difference between this and the others, and the workflow is much more straightforward. The question is: what to save/archive after the raw conversion has been accomplished. The following are my assumptions based on what I have read. I would be very glad to have them substantiated or corrected as the case may be. Are there other advantages or disadvantages to these options? Are there alternative workflows that you would recommend?

If I understand correctly, after making the adjustments to the raw (NEF) file in ACR there are a few options.

(1) Hit "done". No new file is created. The adjustments are saved as metadata, either in the Camera Raw Database, or as a sidecar (.xmp) file. Although the adjustments are applied to the raw image when it is opened in Photoshop, the data in the raw file remain intact and can always be recovered with no degradation. Thus the raw (NEF) file itself, along with the metadata, are all that one needs to archive.

(2) Save the ACR processed image in one or more formats (JPEG, TIFF, PSD or DNG). The option that seems attractive to me is the DNG format simply because the metadata and camera raw settings are embedded within the file and one need not worry about moving this data along with the file when archiving. Again I assume that the intact (unadjusted) raw file data can be recovered from the DNG file whenever desired. I would then archive the DNG file and could discard the NEF.

Following this my workflow would remain essentially unchanged: Open the "converted" (NEF or DNG) file in Photoshop. Make my edits and save them as PSD. Convert the edited files to jpegs as needed.

Thanks in advance for your comments/suggestions.

Mike.

[JDArt]

I always save the ACR processed image in PSP (PhotoShop) format first. That way, my file retains any layer corrections I make to the image. Then I might save additional copies as jpg or gif, depending upon the purpose of the file.

[Jules]

While Mike has a whole leg in the stream, I have but a toe, well, maybe my foot. Regardless, would someone please briefly elaborate "layers."

TIA.

[blumesan]

Oh dear, Jules you need to get more than just a foot into digital imaging before you start to concern yourself with layers. I had the head start of digital processing scanned film for several years before I, very recently, stepped up to a digital camera. Start out with something like PhotoShop Elements (which, I believe, doesn't use layers). The internet, and this forum, is loaded with references to tutorials and guides for someone just starting out. Have heart. Layers will come.

Cheers/Mike

[blumesan]

Originally Posted by JDArt

I always save the ACR processed image in PSP (PhotoShop) format first. That way, my file retains any layer corrections I make to the image. Then I might save additional copies as jpg or gif, depending upon the purpose of the file.

Hi JD
That makes sense. Ordinarily after opening the ACR processed image (of whatever format) and doing the first round of editing, I would save the result in PSD (Photoshop) format. However what do you do to archive the "digital negative"? Simply save the original NEF file and accompanying metadata?

Cheers/Mike

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by blumesan

Oh dear, Jules you need to get more than just a foot into digital imaging before you start to concern yourself with layers. I had the head start of digital processing scanned film for several years before I, very recently, stepped up to a digital camera. Start out with something like PhotoShop Elements (which, I believe, doesn't use layers). The internet, and this forum, is loaded with references to tutorials and guides for someone just starting out. Have heart. Layers will come.

Hi Mike, Hi Jules,

Excellent advise: start with PhotoShop Elements (current version 5.0), it *does* have 'layers', and will 'prepare' you in a great -and fairly inexpensive - way for the 'full monty' (PS CS2).

To understand the concept of 'layers': think about them as a stack of negatives upon each other, you can only see the toplayer, but you can alter little things in each different layer: for example: a portrait, the 'background' or bottom layer is the original, layer one is *just* the skin, selected and copied to a new layer, to adjust/smoothen it, layer two is *just* the eyes, also selected and copied to a new layer, to adjust the eye-white colour, 'paint highlight' and lighten the iris, etc, etc. The layers can be 'full' (so you do not see what's behind them in the underlying layers) or you can give them less opacity, so that part of the background still 'shines through' (you use the layer as a 'blend').

By using layers, if you do an adjustment and decide it is too, or too little, you can go back to that specific layer and change it, without having to redo the whole process. When you save your file as a .PSD, the layer-structure gets saved with it, so you can go back to the file and do more adjustments -per layer- later.

To save it as a .JPG, you have to first 'flatten' the layers, as the JPG file format doesn't support layers.

...hope this explains a little, *my* €0.02 worth...

Kindest regards!

Max@Home

[blumesan]

Just a reminder that this discussion of layers, to which I have absentmindedly contributed, really doesn't belong in this thread.

[ascending Phoenix]

I'M no RAW GURU.but..my understanding was that was why DNG was created.As technology changes.Adobe wanted to make sure there was at least one constant.RAW maybecome WAR * no pun intended**or RAW can get changed to OMG,etc.But at least once what ever format comes along with the technology. DNG,would be the salvation Archiving.That Adobe would always make available to save and reopen old images.