Raw Photos – what are they, really?
TLDR:
- Raw Photos are unprocessed, flat looking images that are huge in size (ours are 50mb each x 2~3000 photos per day, or 100~150gb per wedding)
- Raw Photos require special software & high end computer hardware to process
- Some couples like to keep the raw photos for archival purposes
- Most couples will never touch the raw photos (takes too much effort to handle)
- Raw Photos does not mean high quality photos. Ask for full size photos instead.
- Printed Wedding Photos and Albums are the best way to preserve & enjoy your photos
I want to start this off by saying that I can deliver Raw photos / videos on request, as I have nothing to hide.. But it might not be what you’re expecting, and I’m here to tell you why.
Why you might want the RAW Photos
A Magazine or a blog post might have told you to ask for the Raws from your photographer.
In some Asian cultures nowadays, it’s common to simply ask for the Raw Photos – but do you know what you’d be getting into?
Perhaps it’s for archival purposes. Perhaps you might think the raws are the highest quality, high-resolution images and that photographers down-size the ones they provide to their customers. THIS IS NOT TRUE FOR MOST PHOTOGRAPHERS – Make sure you ask for the full resolution, print-ready digital photos.
Perhaps it’s curiosity about the editing process – some people want to give editing a go by themselves.
What are RAW Photos, and why you might not need them
The term “RAW” refers to images captured without any adjustment settings, sort of like the raw ingredients to a cooked meal.
Imagine raw food, perhaps a whole chicken or a fish with all the scales on it. Raw Photos are like that. Raw.
When/if your Photographers sell the RAW images to you, it’s like a restaurant serving a whole freshly dead animal on big plate. Sure, if the couple has all the commercial kitchen equipment and cooking know-how (and time) to serve it up deliciously, they might also enjoy eating it.
To properly process Raw Photos, you will need:
- At least 150gb of storage space on a hard drive
- At least two hard drives, to make redundancy copies (in case your main hard drive breaks)
- A Raw Processing Software such as the latest Lightroom or Capture One
- A powerful computer to handle the editing of the huge files
- A lot of time on your hands to process the photos by yourself
These things may or may not be a problem for you – it really depends on your needs and wants.
Every Photographer provides digitally edited photos, and it’s recommended for couples to find a photographer who has a style that suits you.
Raw Photos Before & After comparison – Lenny & Brett here wanted a warm, bright and slightly vintage look.
The best way to preserve and appreciate your Wedding Photos
Precious moments from your wedding belong on something tangible, so they can fill your house every single day with the memories of your wedding without needing to open this gallery or plug in your hard drive.
Please get in touch if you’d like Wall Art & Albums made for yourself, or for your parents.
