Love working in RAW

[MiniChris]

It is such a treat to be able to do a lot witout having to do much at all...well, not as much. Tried using the gradient filter on this image, one starting at the bottom and working up just a bit before the horizon line and the other going from top to a little past the horizon line. In PS, I added a small amount of a orange photo filter.
I am learning a lot about cilpping points but have discovered sometimes, you just can't get them all. So now, it's time to earn how to do layer masks...arrrrggghhhhhhhhhhh.

[carregwen]

I am learning a lot about cilpping points but have discovered sometimes, you just can't get them all.

When using the exposure, recovery, and blacks sliders, if you hold down the ALT key first and keep it held while you slide you can see the clipping points (if there are any) in a mask layer.

[RonH]

I have found it useful to use ACR (RAW) in Elements 8 also for jpeg pics. Instead of opening the Edit directly from Elements Organiser, I open the jpeg from within Elements Editor/File/Open As (select the jpeg pic to work on) and then select Camera RAW from the dropdown list. Probably the wrong way to do jpeg edits but it works for me and is easy to use. The Alt key certainly comes in very useful Rob. After making what I consider to be the best 'RAW' adjustments I then open the file within Editor to finalise framing, size, sharpening etc.

[carregwen]

I have found it useful to use ACR (RAW) in Elements 8 also for jpeg pics. Instead of opening the Edit directly from Elements Organiser, I open the jpeg from within Elements Editor/File/Open As (select the jpeg pic to work on) and then select Camera RAW from the dropdown list. Probably the wrong way to do jpeg edits but it works for me and is easy to use. The Alt key certainly comes in very useful Rob. After making what I consider to be the best 'RAW' adjustments I then open the file within Editor to finalise framing, size, sharpening etc.

From Bridge you can just select a JPEG (or TIFF) and do CTRL/R which loads it straight to RAW edit. Not sure what Elements Organizer is - does CTRL/R work from there?

[MiniChris]

The above image is an old image shot on a Nikon CoolPix 5700 P&S which only shot .jpegs. I followed the directions from the Kelby site and did as Rob has suggested, opened it directly in bridge as a RAW file and edited accordingly. You don't get every aspect of haing worked with a pure camera RAW file, but I think the finished image above speaks for the power of the program.
Given this was what I'd call a crappy, vacation stop the car and shoot, photo, I am finding myself going back to old files that were compostionally great but exposure-wise, sucked beans and having a re-go at them (Montana Watercourse, posted in Landscapes is another such example). Anyway, I find it is good practice.

[carregwen]

I am finding myself going back to old files that were compostionally great but exposure-wise, sucked beans and having a re-go at them (Montana Watercourse, posted in Landscapes is another such example). Anyway, I find it is good practice.

Another good reason for using RAW for shooting. Over the past few days the weather has not been good, and I've been going over some of my old RAW files. It's surprising how you can improve processing that you did a few years ago. A combination of your PP skills improving, but also new features in ACR since you first used it (in my case from CS2 to CS5)

[RonH]

Not sure what Elements Organizer is - does CTRL/R work from there?

Nope ... it tries to fix 'red eye' in my version at least, being (Photoshop Elements 8)