Why RAW?
A JPG file straight from the camera is already heavily processed: exposure, white balance, saturation, sharpening are fixed and can no longer be undone losslessly. A RAW file, by contrast, contains the raw sensor data at 12, 14, or 16 bits per channel — three times as much information as an 8-bit JPG. That gives editing room:
- Exposure correction over ±3 stops without visible quality loss.
- White balance adjustable after the fact — you don't have to decide perfectly at the shutter.
- Dynamic range recoverable from shadows and highlights.
- Sensor-specific calibration can be optimized after the fact by the RAW converter.
The price: RAW files are 4–10× larger than JPGs (25–80 MB), need more storage, and an editing program.
The software landscape 2026
Adobe Lightroom Classic
The pro standard. Advantages: mature library management, the best AI features (Denoise, Subject Selection), the best plug-ins. Cost: €11.89/month in the photo subscription (with 20 GB cloud) or €23.79/month (1 TB).
When: if you shoot systematically and maintain an extensive library.
Lightroom Mobile / CC
The cloud variant. Advantages: sync between devices, the best iPad app. Disadvantages: fewer features than Lightroom Classic, higher cloud-storage costs.
Capture One
The pro competitor. The best tethering (live view on a studio shoot), the best Sony and Fujifilm RAW support, better color grading than Lightroom (subjectively). Cost: €199 one-time or €24/month.
When: studio pros, Sony/Fujifilm shooters, color-grading enthusiasts.
DxO PhotoLab
Specialized in optical corrections and noise reduction (DeepPRIME XD). The best lens-correction library. Cost: €229 (Essential) or €359 (Elite).
When: photo travelers with many different lenses, high-ISO photographers.
Darktable (open source)
Linux, macOS, and Windows software, free. Currently very advanced; the Filmic RGB workflow has been comparable to Lightroom since 2020. A more complex UI, a steeper learning curve.
When: those who don't want a subscription, are technically interested, and willing to learn.
RawTherapee (open source)
The other open-source option. Older than Darktable, less modern, but stable. The best highlights recovery in the free world.
The standard workflow
Every RAW converter has a similar order. The steps:
Step 1 — import and sorting
On import: add the file to the library, possibly copy to an external drive, prepare star ratings. First review: 1 star for "keep", unflagged for "delete".
Step 2 — exposure and white balance
Global corrections first. Adjust exposure so the histogram is well distributed across the whole range — no clipping in shadows or highlights. Then set white balance to a neutral point (or deliberately warm/cool creatively).
Step 3 — highlights and shadows
Lower highlights slightly (-20 to -40) to rescue clipped clouds. Raise shadows slightly (+10 to +30) to make detail in dark areas visible. Caution: raising too aggressively looks artificial.
Step 4 — contrast and clarity
If the image looks flat after exposure adjustment: raise contrast (+10 to +20) and clarity (+5 to +15). Clarity is local contrast that makes the image "pop".
Step 5 — color adjustments
Saturation (global, sparingly) or vibrance (only less-saturated colors). The HSL panel for selective color adjustments — e.g. intensify sky blue without distorting skin tones.
Step 6 — sharpening
Standard values: amount 50, radius 0.8–1.2, detail 25, masking 30–50. Masking (with the Alt/Option key in Lightroom) prevents sharpening smooth areas — important against sensor noise.
Step 7 — noise reduction
For high-ISO shots: luminance noise (50–70), color noise (25–50, the default is often fine). Adobe's Denoise (AI-based, since 2023) delivers markedly better results than classic algorithms.
Step 8 — crop and straighten
If needed, crop the image — usually to the rule of thirds or a standard aspect ratio (see our composition post). Straighten the horizon.
Step 9 — selective adjustments
With a graduated filter, radial filter, or brush, edit specific areas: darken the sky, brighten the face, blur the background. This non-destructive editing is the supreme discipline.
Step 10 — export
For web: JPG at quality 80, resize to a 1600 px long edge, sRGB color space, keep or strip EXIF data (depending on your privacy strategy, see our EXIF post). For print: TIFF or PSD with an Adobe RGB profile.
Archiving the edited RAWs
Lightroom & co. save all edits non-destructively in a sidecar XMP file or an internal catalog — the original RAW stays unchanged. Important: back up regularly (catalog + RAWs, see our backup post).
Common beginner mistakes
- Raising the shadows too much. The image looks flat and contrastless.
- Too much clarity. Faces look worn, clouds look HDR-ishly artificial.
- Over-saturation. The classic "hyper-realism" image that quickly looks kitschy.
- Sharpening without masking. Sensor noise gets sharpened along with it.
- Cropping too tight. No room left for later layout adjustments.
- Deleting after export. Never! Keep the RAW — the next need may require a different crop, a different size.
Presets — help or crutch?
Lightroom presets (from VSCO, RNI, Mastin Labs) are useful as a starting point for consistent looks (wedding photo series, photo magazines). Anti-pattern: adopting a preset entirely without photo-specific adjustment. Every photo needs individuality.
AI features 2026
Three areas where AI has changed the workflow in the last two years:
- Subject Selection. Click on a person, Lightroom masks them automatically — separate exposure possible.
- Sky Replacement / Sky Adjustment. Recognize the sky, adjust or replace it specifically.
- Denoise AI. Adobe Denoise, DxO DeepPRIME XD — AI noise reduction superior to classic algorithms.
Time investment, realistically
Per RAW image, a standard edit: 30–60 seconds. A demanding selective edit: 3–5 minutes. On a wedding series of 800 images, that easily becomes 10–20 hours of pure editing time. If free time is tight, start with selection — edit only the best 20%, the rest stays as the original.
Sources
Adobe Lightroom Classic · Capture One · DxO PhotoLab · Darktable · RawTherapee · Cambridge in Colour — Tutorials · Digital Photography School.