Does photography exist any more?
1) The primary camera feature designed to automatically balance highlights and shadows is High Dynamic Range (HDR), which merges multiple exposure levels into a single balanced image. Manufacturers also use proprietary names for similar in-camera processing tools, such as Active D-Lighting on Nikon, Highlight Tone Priority on Canon, or Highlight/Shadow Tone Curve adjustments on Fujifilm. .. From Google
There are many “Professional Photographers ” who after shooting “Raw” HDR images will sit at an editing suite and create the necessary adjustment layers then merge them into a Perfect Picture. (Nikon example) The result will be outstanding but no better than the result of another photographer who happened along with the right exposure and lighting conditions and shot from the hip.
I have had dynamic arguments with photographers and even camera shop sales people who claim this was impossible to happen. That Raw images use millions of colours in 12 to 16 bit files so must have much higher colour fidelity than the common 8 bit files found in jpg files. This is true however these wonderfiles can’t be exported to our lowly jpg arenas where most images are seen.
The HDR effects are exportable but not so much the raw. You can shoot a subject with the Active D-Lighting on in both raw and jpg at the same time and see for yourself. The jpg may need some tweaking but in my experience not near as much as the raw. And the jpg tweaking might amount to 2 to 5 minutes where as the raw more that double that.
One of my most powerful arguments happened during an high end jewellery shoot. It was on location at the jewellery head office as insurance would not allow these expensive pieces to leave the premises. I took over the board room and was shooting away when an accountant from another office happened in and questioned me about my shooting techniques. He was angered that I was not shooting raw files and went directly to the CEO who came to me and demanded that I explain what I wasn’t the best files possible for these expensive ($250K) pieces.
I explained that I felt the jpg was as good and the raw and even did the comparison test right in front of them on my laptop. The raw came out about 5% sharper than the jpg however suffered from a another 5% gain the grain which the accountant said could be smoothed out with a special blur filter.
I then said to the CEO that half the assignment was already done and in jpg. And that I would shoot the rest in raw and if anyone could tell which was which I would not charge for the job.
The challenge was accepted and when the catalogue was printed there was no difference in any of the shots. I got paid.
Back to 1) at the top. Todays average cellphone does all of that in a micro second and perfectly. The only problem is it won’t print larger than a postage stamp. It can go to about 5X7″ on a screen, phone or web page @ 72 dpi but doesn’t do well @ 300 dp1 needed for print.
