Maybe you have heard the term RAWS when it comes to photography and you’re wondering “what are RAWS?” If you have ever asked this question, you’re in luck because I want to shed some light on this often confusing topic.
RAW is a type of image file that contains uncompressed and unprocessed image data from a digital camera or scanner. RAW files are not images themselves, but rather large files that contain the image data as captured on camera.
Raw in the literal term means uncooked – which can also be applied to RAWS in regards to photography. I like this example I heard once: Asking a photographer for the RAW files is like going to a restaurant and asking for all the ingredients to a meal… it’s not the finished product.
I bring this up because on a recent consult, the person inquiring asked me if I deliver RAWS. I was surprised because I haven’t had that question over 5 years. Most consumers that ask for this don’t realize that they are asking for a file that they most likely dont have a program that will allow them to even open. On top of that, the files are extremely large. RAWS from my camera are up to 30MB per file. If you have a standard storage computer or devise, more than 10 files could fill up the storage space you have.
I’m never offended by this question, but I think explaining why photographers typically don’t give these out can be helpful!
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