How to Turn a Bland Raw File Into an Interesting Photograph

If you are a new photographer and you just started shooting in raw, you have probably noticed that the files look rather flat and bland, especially compared to JPEG files. Don't worry, though, that is exactly what is supposed to happen. If you are wondering how to turn a raw file into an eye-catching finished image, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how to edit a raw file from start to finish using Photoshop. 

Coming to you from Nick Page, this awesome video tutorial will show you how to turn a bland raw file into compelling final image using Photoshop. A lot of photographers are a bit disappointed when they first shooting raw, as the output looks relatively flat compared to JPEG, but that is actually the beauty of it. A raw file has a lot more data than a JPEG, which gives you more post-processing latitude, and because it starts from a clean slate, you can take it in whatever direction you want as opposed to having to fight baked-in processing. The downsides are that it takes more time to produce a finished product and that you need to have strong editing technique in tandem with your abilities behind the camera, but once you start working in raw, you'll likely find you never want to go back. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Page. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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Wow, What a treat it was to catch up on one of your video post-processing tutorials! As usual, the results and technique are excellent! LR's chosen sky has a little edge, but is it worth it to use dual processing?