Instead, we’ll explain the key features provided in its workspace and how to use them when adjusting raw files. We don’t have space for step-by-step instructions for using ACR.

ACR provides a wealth of adjustments more in Photoshop than in Photoshop Elements, but even the adjustments available in Photoshop Elements exceed those provided by many proprietary converters. In this section we will use Photoshop’s Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) because it’s our preferred raw file converter. This requires regular updating of your software, something you may be reluctant to do if the existing application does everything you need. ACR is a free download for users of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements but you must have the latest version of each application installed. Third-party converters are popular with both professional photographers and serious enthusiasts, with Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and Phase One’s Capture One being the leading products. You’ll probably need to update converters each time you buy a new camera body ““ and this can prove costly. Unfortunately, to take advantage of these features you have to keep pace with developments. Many recent converters include noise reduction algorithms and corrections for chromatic aberration, rectilinear distortion and vignetting. Raw converters are constantly changing, usually for the better. Nikon, for example, bundles a very basic converter (ViewNX2) with new cameras but charges more than $200 extra for its more powerful and capable converter: Capture NX 2. Different manufacturers provide different adjustments and different levels of adjustment. Some have intuitive user interfaces others are clunky. Unfortunately for photographers, the capabilities of conversion software vary widely between different manufacturers.

And, because all adjustments are done on your own computer, you have much more processing power at your fingertips than the camera can possibly provide. A good raw file converter will allow you to correct errors in exposure, adjust brightness levels to ensure both highlights and shadows contain detail, remove colour casts and, generally, make your digital photograph look as much like the original scene you photographed without losing any of the fine tonal nuances that make the difference between an excellent digital picture and a poor one.

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