- To use the camera raw format, there are two basic steps to start. The first, of course, is to set your camera for the raw format. This usually is under the "quality" menu on digital cameras. The second is to make certain Photoshop has the plug-in for your camera. If you have the latest version of Photoshop just out of the box, it probably does. If you have an older version, go to adobe.com, then go to "Downloads>Updates." There you will find a place to download the latest camera raw plug-ins for the Apple Macintosh or Windows-based PC. Adobe will tell you how to load the plug-in automatically or manually.
- Once you have the plug-in, you can open camera raw photos in Photoshop. When you do, the photo will not open exactly as it would in another format. It will open in another window where you have control over everything from exposure, tint and contrast to image size and white balance. There will be a bar graph at the top showing the colors and light range. Before you ever get the photo open in Photoshop directly, you have the opportunity to fix many details. White balance, for example, allows you to compensate for the light in which the image was exposed. Temperature allows you to add a little "warmth" in the form of adding red to the image to make it "friendlier" or taking it away toward the blue to make it "colder."
- In the raw image popup, you also have control over the resolution. Down at the bottom of the screen, the window will tell you how big the image is and what the basic color profile is. Clicking here, you can change the resolution based on the original image information rather than inflating or deflating it in "Image Size." You also can sharpen or soften the image using "Clarity," add verve to the color using "Vibrance" or change the color level using "Saturation." Up near the top right of the pop-up is a series of buttons that give you even more detailed control. For example, the third from the left, "Details," allows precise sharpening and noise reduction.
