If you’ve just starting looking for a professional wedding photographer to photograph your wedding in Perth or around the south west, no doubt you’ve heard many terms bandied about and wondered “just what are they talking about!!” If you’re someone looking for quality wedding photography, today I hope to explain why it’s important to know this information and clear up some of the photo-speak! A few of the terms I’ll be covering are: raw files, digital negatives, high resolution digital images, low resolution digital images, licensing, colour management, use of digital images. To view the difference between a “raw file” image and a “HRDI” scroll to the images at the bottom of this blog.
Raw Files: When photographers first started using digital cameras, raw files were often referred to as “digital negatives” to give the uninitiated an idea of what a professional photographer was referring. A raw file is essentially the data that the camera’s chip has recorded along with some additional information. It holds exactly what the imaging chip recorded, nothing more, nothing less.
“Shooting raw” enables a photographer to extract the maximum possible image quality, whether now or in the future. A raw file could be compared to the latent image contained on an exposed, but undeveloped piece of photographic film. Before a raw file can be viewed as an image or photograph, the raw file must be downloaded into a raw conversion programme. If you request raw files of your wedding images from your wedding photographer you will not be able to print the images unless you have the raw convertor software and the know how of printing a digital image. A raw file is not a “print ready file”. Most professional quality wedding photographers will shoot raw.
Jpeg: You are probably familiar with the term “jpeg”. Most non professional cameras will shoot jpeg files. A jpeg file will have the camera’s various automated changes made to the image and then has some level of potentially destructive compression applied. A jpeg file does not have the same level of information as a raw file, hence the saturation, highlights and shadows will not have the same quality. In regard to wedding photographs, the inferiority of shooting jpeg will be seen in the lack of detail in white bridal gowns, lack of correct colour and colour saturation in the bridesmaids gowns, blue skies and oceans. If you’re looking for quality wedding photographs look for a professional wedding photographer who “shoots raw!”
High Resolution Digital Images (HRDI): HRDI’s are high quality files processed from raw files and printed to ICCS (International Colour Consortium Standards). (See colour management below). The skill and time to prepare the images to this level is extensive.The quality produced is not what “comes out of the camera!” The final print result will depend on the skills of the professional wedding photographer and the photoshop operator, the monitor, software, printer, printer ink, and print media. For accurate colour reproduction ALL these steps must be callibrated and profiled. Once a HRDI is removed from the professional photographer, no responsibility can be taken for the final appearance of the image. Generally HRDI’s are suitable for printing up to A3, depending on the software, printing device and print media used. To view the difference between a “raw file” image and a “HRDI” scroll to the images at the bottom of this blog.
Low Resolution Digital Images (LRDI): LRDI’s are medium quality images that have been density and colour corrected to ICCS, they will not reproduce to professional quality. Professional wedding photographers may make LRDI’s available for the purpose of emailing and viewing for orders.
Colour Management: Colour management is the process of ensuring colours are true and consistent from capture, to edit to the final print. All monitors will display colours differently. Even monitors of the same brand, model and age will have variations in colour. This is unlikely to impact in an office situation. However the impact on a professional photographer who needs to trust what is seen on the monitor, will be huge. There is nothing more frustrating for a professional photographer than creating an amazing looking print on the monitor only to see the bride looking very jaundice when it comes off the printer! In colour management the colour displaying characteristics of each device are mapped to an ICCS profile, – the colour fingerprint device. When the operating system reads the ICC profile it knows exactly how the device produces colours and can compensate for colour cast and other variances so the displayed colours are exactly as they should be, – 100% correct and true to the information stored in the image file. Unless the screen is calibrated you have no way of knowing how the final print will look. Colour management is the only way of having truly beautiful wedding photographs.
Licensing: Licensing can mean different things to different people, this is a general guide, but always confirm with your professional photographer what licensing agreement applies to any digital images you purchase. A”usage” license may be provided with digital files this is not copy right. The license gives the right to print, duplicate, distribute and share the images for domestic purposed only. No commercial usage license is provided. Once out of the professional photographers hands, no responsibility is taken for the final print/reproduction, this will depend on the operator, monitor, software, printer etc. To achieve wedding photographs that look amazing, don’t risk it, – have your professional wedding photographer print your images.
The images below illustrate the difference between what comes out of the camera as a “raw file” and a “high resolution digital image”, ie an image that has been colour managed and creatively printed by a professional photographer. Of course as mentioned, the final print result will depend on the skills of the professional wedding photographer and the photoshop operator, the monitor, software, printer, printer ink, and print media. To achieve wedding photographs that look amazing, don’t risk it, – have your professional wedding photographer print your images.
The image below is a sample of an unworked ”raw file” image (ie what comes out of the camera)
The same image below illustrates the skills applied by a professional photographer.
The image below is a sample of an unworked ”raw file” image (ie what comes out of the camera)
The same image below illustrates the skills applied by a professional photographer.
The image below is a sample of an unworked ”raw file” image (ie what comes out of the camera)
The same image below illustrates the skills applied by a professional photographer.
