Photography Tutorials

🖼️ RAW Photography and Image Editing

Time: 1-1.5 hours

Goal: Work with RAW photographs in Adobe Camera Raw, correct their exposure and colour, and use essential Photoshop tools for photographic editing.

Final files

1. Select and prepare the RAW photograph Choose one RAW file and create a separate folder for the editing activity.

RAW files

Canon cameras save RAW photographs using the .CR2 file extension.

A .CR2 file:

  • Contains the camera’s original image data
  • Preserves more highlight, shadow, and colour information than a JPEG
  • Allows greater control over exposure and white balance
  • Must be developed in software such as Adobe Camera Raw before regular editing or sharing

Steps

  1. Open the RAW folders created during Day 1.
  2. Review the photographs from the Aperture, ISO, and White Balance comparisons.
  3. Select one photograph with strong focus and composition.
  4. Create this folder:
Name-Lastname-RAW-Editing/
  1. Copy the selected RAW file into the new folder.
  2. Rename the copied file:
Name-Lastname-Original.CR2
  1. Follow the next step.
2. Open the photograph in Adobe Camera Raw Open the RAW file and review the main controls used for exposure and colour correction.

Open the RAW file

Use either method below.

Method 1: Open from the file folder

  1. Right-click the .CR2 file.
  2. Select Open With → Adobe Photoshop.
  3. The photograph will open automatically in Adobe Camera Raw before entering Photoshop.

Method 2: Open from Photoshop

  1. Open Adobe Photoshop.
  2. Select File → Open.
  3. Locate and select the RAW .CR2 file.
  4. Click Open.
  5. The photograph will open in Adobe Camera Raw.

A RAW photograph opens in Adobe Camera Raw first so you can correct exposure, white balance, colour, and tonal detail before continuing into Photoshop.

Review the Adobe Camera Raw interface

Watch the tutorial below and identify:

  • Image preview
  • Histogram
  • Edit panel
  • Exposure and colour controls
  • Zoom controls
  • Before-and-after view
  • Open button

Do not click Open yet. Complete the RAW exposure and colour corrections in the following sections first.

3. Explore Adobe Camera Raw Experiment with exposure, colour, tonal, and composition controls to understand how each adjustment changes a RAW photograph.

This section is an exploration phase.

Keep the selected RAW photograph open in Adobe Camera Raw and follow the tutorials below. Test the controls directly on your photograph and observe how each adjustment changes the image.

1. Explore the Basic adjustments Test the main controls for correcting exposure, white balance, contrast, texture, and colour intensity.

The Basic panel contains the main controls used to make broad corrections to the complete photograph.

Explore:

  • Temperature: Makes the photograph warmer or cooler
  • Tint: Shifts the colour between green and magenta
  • Exposure: Changes the overall brightness
  • Contrast: Increases or reduces the difference between light and dark areas
  • Highlights: Adjusts the brightest areas
  • Shadows: Adjusts the darkest areas
  • Whites: Sets the brightest white point
  • Blacks: Sets the darkest black point
  • Texture: Strengthens or softens fine surface detail
  • Clarity: Changes contrast in the midtones
  • Dehaze: Reduces or increases atmospheric haze
  • Vibrance: Adjusts less-saturated colours more strongly
  • Saturation: Adjusts the intensity of all colours
2. Explore Curves Adjust the brightness and contrast of specific tonal areas.

The Curve panel controls the brightness and contrast of different tonal areas in the photograph.

The left side of the curve represents shadows, the centre represents midtones, and the right side represents highlights.

Explore:

  • Moving part of the curve upward to brighten that tonal range
  • Moving part of the curve downward to darken that tonal range
  • Creating a subtle S-curve to increase contrast
  • Flattening the curve to reduce contrast
3. Explore the Colour Mixer Adjust individual colour ranges without changing every colour in the photograph.

The Colour Mixer allows you to adjust specific colour ranges without changing every colour in the photograph.

Explore:

  • Hue: Changes a colour into a neighbouring colour
  • Saturation: Increases or reduces the intensity of a colour
  • Luminance: Makes a colour range appear lighter or darker
4. Explore Colour Grading Add controlled colour to the shadows, midtones, and highlights.

Colour Grading allows you to add different colours to the shadows, midtones, and highlights of a photograph.

Explore:

  • Shadows: Adds colour to darker areas
  • Midtones: Adds colour to middle brightness values
  • Highlights: Adds colour to brighter areas
  • Blending: Controls how smoothly the colour ranges combine
  • Balance: Shifts the grading toward shadows or highlights

Colour grading is interpretive. It does not need to make the colours appear neutral or realistic. Test how colour changes the meaning and atmosphere of the photograph.

5. Explore the Before and After views Compare the original RAW interpretation with the current edit.

The Before and After views allow you to compare the original RAW interpretation with the edited version.

Explore:

  • Side-by-side comparison
  • Split-view comparison
  • Switching between the original and edited versions
  • Comparing the photograph after each major adjustment
4. Continue editing in Photoshop Open the developed RAW photograph in Photoshop, review the basic workspace, and save an editable PSD file.

Finish the Adobe Camera Raw exploration

When you have finished exploring the Camera Raw controls:

  1. Review the photograph using the Before and After view.
  2. Return any experimental adjustments that you do not want to keep to their neutral settings.
  3. Keep the adjustments that support the exposure, colour, mood, and composition of the photograph.
  4. Click Open or Open Image to continue into Photoshop.

Clicking Done saves the Camera Raw adjustments and closes the window. It does not open the photograph in Photoshop. To continue editing in Photoshop, click Open or Open Image.

If you accidentally click Done:

  1. Reopen the .CR2 file.
  2. Confirm that the Camera Raw adjustments are still visible.
  3. Click Open or Open Image.

Review the Photoshop workspace

Once the photograph opens in Photoshop, review the basic workspace.

Identify:

  • Menu bar: Access file, image, layer, selection, filter, and editing commands
  • Tools panel: Contains tools for selecting, cropping, painting, repairing, and adding text
  • Document window: Displays the photograph being edited
  • Layers panel: Organizes the photograph and any additional editing layers
  • Properties panel: Displays controls for the selected layer or adjustment
  • History panel: Displays recent actions and allows you to return to an earlier step
  • Zoom controls: Change the size of the photograph on the screen without changing the image itself

Photoshop provides additional tools for detailed edits that are not completed during the RAW-development stage.

Review basic Photoshop navigation

Practise these controls:

  • Use the Zoom Tool (Z) to examine details.
  • Use the Hand Tool (H) to move around a magnified photograph.
  • Press Ctrl + Z on Windows or Command + Z on macOS to undo an action.
  • Use the Layers panel to confirm which layer is selected.
  • Use the eye icon beside a layer to hide or show it.
  • Select Window from the menu bar to reopen a panel that is not visible.

Save the Photoshop working file

Before completing additional edits, save the photograph as a Photoshop file.

  1. Select File → Save As.
  2. Save in folder Name-Lastname-RAW-Editing/
  3. Name the file: Name-Lastname-Edited.psd
  4. Select Photoshop (.PSD) as the file format.
  5. Confirm that Layers is enabled when the option appears.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Use Ctrl + S on Windows or Command + S on macOS regularly while working.

The .PSD format preserves Photoshop layers and allows you to return to the file for additional editing. Do not overwrite the original .CR2 file.

Export a high-quality JPEG file

Exporting a JPEG does not preserve Photoshop layers, so keep the .PSD file as the editable working version.

JPEG is a widely supported format used for viewing, sharing, and printing. Other file formats, such as TIFF, may also be used for high-quality printing.

  1. Select File → Export → Export As.
  2. Select JPG as the file format.
  3. Use these settings:
    • Quality: High or 100%
    • Scale: 100%
    • Colour Space: Convert to sRGB
    • Embed Colour Profile: Enabled, when available
  4. Click Export
  5. Save in folder Name-Lastname-RAW-Editing/
  6. Name the file: Name-Lastname-Edited.jpg
  7. Check the exported file.

Reflection questions

  1. Which Adobe Camera Raw adjustment changed your photograph most significantly, and what did you learn from using it?

  2. How did your editing choices affect the exposure, colour, mood, or composition of the photograph?

  3. Which tool or adjustment would you use differently when editing another RAW photograph, and why?

Credits: Jessica A. RodrĂ­guez