It’s Tip Tuesday, and today I’m answering Firgs request to demonstrate why RAW is better than JPEG when it comes to adjusting White Balance. This video continues the thread started in yesterday’s post on using RAW vs JPEG. In the video I demonstrate white balance adjustments in both Lightroom AND Adobe Camera RAW. Check it out:
It’s a question that comes up often in my Lightroom & Photoshop classes – what’s the best way to white balance my images?
In the world of post-processing there are a number of answers to that question. Photoshop has Levels & Curves, Layers & Filters, you can click with eyedroppers or use the new On-Image-Adjustment Tool in CS4. Photographers using Lightroom have a more straightforward approach as white balance is the first adjustment in the Basic panel under the Develop module. However, beginners & advanced users alike must acknowledge the time it takes to white balance an image regardless of the steps you choose to take. As a production specialist, I’m always looking for ways to reduce the time spent on tasks. My students know that I preach “Actions, Presets, & Macros” because my time is valuable to me. It’s true, I can make Photoshop sing, and Lightroom seemingly bends to my will (I kid, I kid), but the smartest way to white balance your images is to do it right in camera.
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