Saving Raw Images

ST
Posted By
Sue_Thompson
May 6, 2005
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241
Replies
8
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Closed
I obviously have some serious misunderstanding regarding working with RAW images in PS Elements 3. I open a RAW image and change some parameters – then save in "Version Set with Original" in the Organizer. I then see both the thumbnails – both the original and modified. However if I try and open the original I only get the modified image. Where is the original image?

I do not have this problem with working with JPEG’s.
Can anyone advise where I am going wrong.

Thanks
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R
Roy
May 6, 2005
wrote in message
I obviously have some serious misunderstanding regarding working with RAW images in PS Elements 3. I open a RAW image and change some parameters – then save in "Version Set with Original" in the Organizer. I then see both the thumbnails – both the original and modified. However if I try and open the original I only get the modified image. Where is the original image?
I do not have this problem with working with JPEG’s.
Can anyone advise where I am going wrong.

Thanks

I am not too sure about "Organiser" – I never use it.

But with Raw files, whenever they get modified and saved as a PSD or whatever, the original RAW file will change to look like the modified version. So you have to read the file type to know which is which.

( I don’t understand why, and don’t really want to, but it has something to do with something called a "Sidecar" File.)

If you go back to your original RAW file and try opening it again, even though it looks like the modified version, you will get the Conversion Screen again, and be able to apply another set of different modifications.

If, before making any changes to your RAW files, you copy all of them to a different folder. Then make the changes to your original set of RAWs, and save them. Go back to the Folder with the copies, and open it in the browser, so that you can see the thumbnails, you will be able to see them all gradually changing to the modified versions.

Roy G
BL
Bill_Lamp
May 9, 2005
I haven’t yet installed the copy of Elements 3 I bought yesterday as a lower cost option to CS-2 to stay current with ACR. But if it is like Photoshop-CS, I’d suggest SAVE AS and choose TIFF. You may have to add in the ".tif" when you do. That may not bring back your older files, but it will save future originals.

Bill
CW
Colin_Walls
May 9, 2005
You cannot save as RAW any more once you have made any adjustments.
ST
Sue_Thompson
May 15, 2005
If one cannot save as RAW any more once adjustments have been made – then why all the explanations about how RAW is the "digital negative" – if you cannot save your negative (ie RAW) then whats the point? Surely one wants to tweak the RAW image sometimes – but I daren’t do it if I cannot save the original. Or should I save it as a duplicate before I start messing with it. Boy this RAW thing is sure getting complicated. And I thought it was all going to be so straight forward.

Help

Sue
CW
Colin Walls
May 15, 2005
Sue

I agree it’s complicated and I don’t pretend to understand it all by any means. However, I am confused by your query. Keeping your original "negative" is the file that came out of the camera – unchanged in any way. No problem with that. If you then make adjustments and have to keep it in some other non-lossy format [16 bit TIFF or PSD], you haven’t lost anything.
LM
Lou_M
May 15, 2005
Sue,

Raw is very straightforward. It’s the Organizer that might be confusing the issue. I’m on the Mac–where there is no Organizer–so I’m not exactly sure how it works in the Organizer, but when you use the File Browser with a Raw file, it saves the settings you chose as metadata. This means the actual Raw file (the ‘negative’) itself isn’t changed, just another file that contains information about the Raw files (its metadata settings) is changed.

The question now is whether or not the Organizer keeps track of multiple metadata changes, and that’s the part I’m not sure about.
ST
Sue_Thompson
May 16, 2005
So if the Metadata is changed – which it appears it is with the RAW file, how do I find the original Metadata so I can view my file as it came out of the camera? I assume one hits the "Camera Default" settings in the RAW Editing Program. This gives the original image back in the Editor – but not in the Organizer. The Organizer gives the changed RAW file and the PSD (or whatever) file. I am wondering how others view their original RAW file in the ORganizer after something has been changed.

Thanks for help so far

Sue
CW
Colin Walls
May 16, 2005
I am speculating here:
Surely, the data out of the camera is "raw" in every sense of the word. So corrections, no nothing. So any changes made, that can be stored in metadata, are adjustments to that – values of setting sthat are no longer zero. Surely, to get back to the original, just turn off the adjustments. Logical?

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