The basics

ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
specifi cally to allow you to take the unprocessed Raw data directly from your camera’s sensor
and convert it into a usable image fi le format. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the processing of raw
fi les using Photoshop Elements.
The Elements Raw editor also provides access to several image characteristics that would
otherwise be locked into the fi le format. Variables such as color depth, White Balance mode,
image sharpness and tonal compensation (contrast and brightness) can all be accessed, edited
and enhanced as a part of the conversion process. Performing this type of editing on the Raw
data provides a better and higher quality result than attempting these changes after the fi le has
been processed and saved in a non- Raw format such as TIFF or JPEG.
So what is in a Raw fi le?
To help consolidate these ideas in your mind try thinking of a Raw fi le as having three distinct
parts:
Camera Data, usually called the EXIF
or metadata, includes things such
as camera model, shutter speed and
aperture details, most of which cannot
be changed.
Image Data which, though recorded
by the camera, can be changed in the
Elements Raw editor and the settings
chosen here directly affect how the
picture will be processed. Changeable
options include color depth, white
balance, saturation, distribution
of image tones and application of
sharpness.
The Image itself. This is the data
drawn directly from the sensor in your
camera in a non-interpolated form.
For most Raw-enabled cameras, this
data is supplied with a 12- or 16-bits
per channel color depth providing
substantially more colors and tones to
play with when editing and enhancing
than found in a standard 8-bits per
channel camera fi le.
Raw fi les make-up >> The Raw fi le is composed of three
separate sections: Camera Data, Image Data and the Image
itself. By keeping these components separate it is possible to
edit variables like white balance and color mode which are
usually a fi xed part of the fi le format.
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
37
SCANNER AND
CAMERA TECHNIQUES