If your goal is to capture sharp photos while shooting indoors, at night, in shady areas, or with a narrow aperture, a tripod is an essential piece of equipment. Unfortunately, plonking your camera on a tripod and just firing off shots like normal is not going to net you crisp images. Instead, you must carefully adjust your tripod, your settings, and your accessories to maximize sharpness – and that’s what I discuss in this article.
Specifically, I share five fundamental tripod photography techniques for sharp photos, and I include a handful of examples so you know exactly what my techniques can offer. Whether you’ve tried to use a tripod but you keep producing blurry photos, or you’ve only just purchased a tripod and you want to get off on the right foot, you’re bound to find this article useful!
Let’s dive right in.
1. Extend the tripod legs only when necessary
Before buying a tripod, you likely researched its maximum height; after all, you probably didn’t like the idea of stooping for each and every shot. But while purchasing a tall tripod is completely fine – and you’ll certainly run into scenarios when taller is better! – I don’t recommend extending your tripod to its maximum height the moment you pull it out of the bag.
I see budding photographers do this all the time, but here’s the truth: As you extend the length of the legs, the stability and sturdiness of the tripod are reduced. And this loss of stability can impact sharpness, especially if you’re working on uneven ground, shooting ultra-long exposures, or are set up in a windy location.
Of course, lengthening the legs to their full height is sometimes unavoidable. But if you do wish to extend the legs, start by opening up the top (larger/thicker) section of the legs, and only then move to the lower (thinner) ones.
You should extend your tripod’s center column (the tripod “neck”) last of all. Center columns are very prone to causing shake, and you definitely don’t want to shoot with an extended center column in wind, rain, or rushing water unless you can see no other way of capturing the photo.
Bear in mind that your results will also depend heavily on the type of tripod you’ve purchased. A big, heavy, rugged model may be capable of extending to its full height – even in tougher conditions – without a significant loss of stability, while a lightweight travel tripod (especially if it’s on the cheaper side) will be far more impacted.
2. Switch off any image stabilization
Does your camera offer image stabilization? How about your lens?
These days, a lot of equipment boasts stabilization, which can be hugely useful for capturing sharp handheld shots at slow shutter speeds. However, if you take image-stabilized equipment and mount it on a tripod, the stabilization will cause the lens or camera internals to move after you press the shutter button (it looks like a slow drift in the viewfinder).
As you can probably imagine, a moving image isn’t so great for sharpness, and while it isn’t a problem when shooting at shutter speeds of around 1/60s and above, as soon as you get into long-exposure territory, you’ll start to see its effects.
My recommendation? As soon as you mount your camera on a tripod, make sure that all stabilization technology is turned off. You can generally deactivate camera stabilization in the menu, while lens stabilization can be deactivated by a switch on the barrel:
Note: If you’re shooting in unstable conditions (e.g., high winds), it might be worth switching the image stabilization back on. It’s tough to determine whether stabilization is ideal in such situations, so I’d really encourage you to capture a handful of shots, some with stabilization and some without.
3. Make sure the camera mirror is out of the way
DSLRs include mirrors, which reflect light up through the viewfinder so that you can see through the lens. However, the main mirror – which sits in front of the camera sensor – flips up when you press the shutter button, and this “mirror slap” can cause internal vibrations that lead to – you guessed it! – blur.
Fortunately, there are a couple of easy ways to avoid blur due to mirror slap. You can use your camera’s mirror lock-up setting, which will generally cause the mirror to flip up when you press the shutter button (you’ll need to press the button again to actually take the photo). Another option is to switch your camera to its Live View mode, which automatically flips the mirror out of the way.
Note that mirrorless cameras – as the name suggests – lack this mirror, and therefore avoid mirror slap entirely.
One more (related) tip: Even once you’ve dealt with any mirror-related vibrations, your camera shutter can produce vibrations when it moves to expose the sensor. You can prevent this, however, by setting your camera to its electronic front-curtain shutter mode or its standard electronic shutter mode.
4. Use the two-second timer or a remote shutter release
Do you ever use the shutter button to take a photo when the camera is resting on a tripod? If the answer is “Yes,” then you’re likely introducing blur simply by pressing the shutter button with your finger – so it’s essential you switch on your camera’s two-second timer.
You see, a two-second timer will give the blur a moment to die down before the shutter actually fires. Note that you’ll need to take your hands off the camera after pressing the shutter button; otherwise, the two-second timer won’t have an effect.
If you want to be extra cautious, however – or you don’t like the idea of waiting around after each press of the shutter button – then you can use a remote release. This will let you trigger your camera wirelessly, thus ensuring that you never touch the shutter button and your images are crisp and sharp. (Some cameras allow you to create the same effect using your smartphone, so if you don’t want to pay for a remote, I recommend looking into this option!)
5. Use a sturdy tripod (and pay attention to the weather)
Even if you do everything right, you might still end up with blurry photos – simply because your tripod and/or the conditions are sabotaging your good technique.
Some tripods are simply flimsy, especially plastic models you can buy for a few bucks off of Amazon or eBay. I really recommend purchasing an aluminum or carbon fiber model (aluminum tends to be cheaper but heavier, while carbon fiber is lighter but pricier). You should also make sure that the tripod you purchase is capable of supporting your camera setup’s weight; a compact mirrorless camera with a 24mm prime lens is far easier to keep stable than a heavy DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.
It’s important to think about the weather and the conditions, too. Wind can destabilize a good tripod (especially if the legs and the center column are fully extended). The same is true of rushing water (if you’re shooting on a beach or in a river, for example). You can purchase rugged, ultra-sturdy tripods that can handle extreme conditions, but these tend to be prohibitively expensive or uncomfortably heavy.
And sometimes, it’s simply not possible to get a sharp shot with the equipment you own, in which case you’ll either need to accept a bit of blur or come back when the conditions aren’t so difficult.
How to capture sharp photos with a tripod: final words
Now that you’ve finished this article, you know how to capture sharp shots while using a tripod, and you’re ready to head out with your camera and get some amazing photos!
Just remember to use that two-second timer or wireless remote, pay careful attention to the conditions, deal with any problems caused by camera internals (e.g., image stabilization), and ensure you have the right gear for the job.
Now over to you:
Do you have any tips for sharp tripod photography that I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Looking to capture photos that portray the warmth, the spirit, and the festive cheer of Christmas? Christmas photography is a lot of fun, but there are a few simple techniques you can use to keep your photos looking crisp, bright, and beautiful!
In this article, I share 15 easy tips and ideas for breathtaking shots, including:
The best Christmas photo settings
How to choose the perfect subjects
How to prepare for a Christmas photoshoot
Much more!
So if you’re ready to capture some amazing images this holiday season, then let’s dive right in!
1. Get ready in advance
Preparing to capture the Christmas festivities is key to a successful shoot. You should get yourself ready by making sure that:
You pack the camera (one year, I forgot mine in the rush to get the car ready to go)
Your batteries are charged and you have either backups or a recharger
You have extra memory cards (and all of the cards are empty and ready to go)
I also recommend thinking about a few location-related elements in advance. For instance, what will the lighting be like where you plan to celebrate Christmas? Will it be bright? Dim? Will you be outdoors? Inside? Will there be lots of window light? Will you need a flash? You can also check the weather; clouds and sun can make a big difference.
You might also consider enlisting a helper in advance – someone in the family who will help keep people focused and ready to go for photos when the time comes for group shots.
2. Carefully set your white balance
Here in Australia, we often celebrate Christmas outdoors, but many people around the world do it inside under artificial lighting.
If you’ll be working with artificial light, pay attention to the type of light you encounter and set your white balance accordingly. If you’re really serious, you can even set a custom white balance using a gray card!
(That said, if you set your camera to RAW and you don’t mind spending a bit of extra time at the computer, you can shoot away and set your white balance during post-processing.)
3. Set up a DIY photo booth
While most of us probably can’t afford to hire a photo booth for our Christmas parties, you can always set up a “portrait zone” of your own so you can take photos of guests.
I did this a few years ago; I set up a little place, and I asked everyone who came to the festivities to sit for me so that I could take a nice shot of them.
I photographed everyone as they came in. Then I left the camera (a point-and-shoot model) set up on a tripod so people could photograph themselves as the party continued. I made sure the camera was in a well-lit spot, and I even used a red velvet curtain-type background with a few Christmassy decorations around the edges. I also left a few Santa hats and tinsel for people to use as props.
In the end, the shots were great! People went back to my photo booth throughout the party, and the photos got crazier and crazier as time went on. Plus, everyone had a great time taking shots!
4. Capture the Christmas preparations
The actual Christmas meal or party is the best part of the day, but there are other photos worth taking, especially during those essential preparation stages. For instance, you can capture gorgeous shots of:
Food being made
Decorations being hung
Gifts being wrapped
Kids throwing tantrums as they’re dressed in Christmas outfits
Tables being set
The shots before the main event actually starts are often great because they show everything at its best before everyone descends on the party zone.
5. Take some before and after shots
Here’s another quick Christmas photography idea:
Arrive early to the location of the festivities, set up in advance, and capture some shots just before people walk in the door.
And then, once the party is over, take shots once again. For the best results, make sure you take the shots from the same position. That way, you can compare them side by side and see the exact effects of the party!
6. Try a time-lapse Christmas series
I have a friend who set up his computer with a webcam in the corner of the room. The camera looked down on the Christmas table, and it was set to go off every five minutes over the course of the day. He ended up with one of the most wonderful series of shots that I’ve seen in a long time!
So why not try to do the same? You don’t need to use a webcam; any camera will do, including a smartphone. Just set it up in advance to shoot images at regular intervals, then come back at the end of the event and grab it. I bet you’ll love the images!
7. Photograph the Christmas lights
Good Christmas light shots look incredible – but photographing Christmas lights isn’t the easiest. A few quick recommendations:
Make sure that the lights are well exposed (even if it means letting the background fall into darkness)
Experiment with different points of focus (try using your lens’s manual focus setting if you’re struggling)
8. Include a focal point in your photos
The problem with Christmas events is that there is so much color, lighting, and people that all the different subjects compete for attention. If you include too many elements, the viewer will be confused and the image just won’t work.
On the other hand, if you identify a single focal point and exclude any potential distractions, the final image will look far better! In my view, all good shots have a focal point that holds the attention of the viewer. So work hard to declutter your images. Figure out the item you want to emphasize, and then compose the entire shot with it in mind.
9. Take group photos at the beginning
Group photos are a Christmas photography classic! However, these shots are usually taken at the end of the day or late in the evening when everyone is at their worst.
Instead, for a fresher shot, take the group photos as soon as everyone arrives. Also, think beforehand about how you might pose everyone and where you might take the shot.
10. Shoot in Burst mode as needed
There are certain moments during a Christmas gathering that are filled with photographic opportunities. When people are opening gifts, for instance, you’re generally faced with an array of emotions and facial expressions (especially if kids are involved).
So instead of trying to time your shots just right, switch your camera to Burst mode (also known as continuous shooting mode) and take lots of images when the excitement begins. That way, you can capture everything: The anticipation of getting the wrapped gift, the fun of unwrapping, and the joy (or occasionally disappointment) of seeing what’s inside.
(Don’t forget to shoot the reactions of those who give the gift, as well.)
11. Fill the frame
It’s one of the most common Christmas photography mistakes: People photograph from across the room, so they end up portraying their subjects off in the distance with lots of space around them. The resulting images lack impact – but they could easily be so much better if the photographer just filled the frame!
So use your zoom or physically move yourself closer, then fill the frame with your subject. This is one of the simplest tips I can give, but it’s one that can have a seriously profound impact on your shots.
12. Diffuse or bounce your flash
If you live in a colder area, Christmas gatherings will be taking place indoors, and you’ll be tempted to use a flash to brighten up the dark interiors. However, if you do use a flash, you risk creating shots that are so bright that the subjects look like rabbits in a spotlight (with harsh shadows in the background).
Fortunately, you can get around this by using a flash diffuser or reflector. Another option – if you have an external flash – is to bounce it off the walls or the ceiling.
If you’re struggling to get good shots while using your flash, however, you can always put it away, adjust your lens’s aperture to its widest setting, and raise your camera’s ISO until you get a good exposure. You do risk adding unwanted noise to your images, but modern-day cameras produce minimal noise even at ISO 1600 and beyond.
13. Try going macro
Many lenses can focus fairly close, so why not try zooming on in and photographing the smaller items around your party?
Ornaments on the tree, table decorations, sweets in the bowl on the table, a nativity scene on the mantlepiece, holly above the doorway; sometimes it’s these small things that are the real money shots!
14. Watch your aperture
I often shoot in Aperture Priority mode during Christmas events, and I’m constantly changing the aperture depending on my subject.
For example, when taking shots of a Christmas decoration on the tree, I’ll select a large aperture (e.g., f/2.8) to throw the background out of focus and create a beautiful blur effect.
However, when I’m photographing everyone eating at the table, I’ll choose a small aperture (e.g., f/11) to keep everyone in focus.
And I’d encourage you to do the same! Don’t just set your lens aperture and forget about it; instead, spend time adjusting the aperture to suit the subject. (If you’re not sure what aperture to choose, just experiment! There’s nothing wrong with trying out a few different values to see what you get.)
15. Explore your neighborhood
If your neighborhood is anything like mine, then you have a near-unlimited number of photographic opportunities all around you! Christmas carolers, houses covered in Christmas decorations, shopping malls filled with festive cheer; it all makes for great photos.
So get out there with your camera and capture the fun. Christmas really is a wonderful time of year to spend time behind the camera!
Christmas photography tips: final words
Well, there you have it:
15 tips to improve your Christmas photos! So grab your camera, do a bit of preparation, and enjoy your Christmas gatherings!
Now over to you:
Which of these techniques do you plan to use first? Do you have any other tips that I missed? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
It’s not a ‘white Christmas’ here in Australia, it’s actually finally warming up down here in Melbourne (I talk about the weather a lot, don’t I! What’s the weather like where you are? Comment below!)
You should use the hashtag #dPSWeeklyChallenge and #dPSWhite in this week’s posts wherever you choose to post them.
This week your theme is white, and it’s not because it’s ‘Christmas’ and in some parts of the world there are magically snowy scenes with Christmas lights and elves and stuff… It’s because for the last three days I’ve been cooped up in the spare bedroom with THREE different tins of white paint, preparing it for guests – who knew there were so many white paints! Anyway, YOUR #dPSWhite certainly can be about Christmas, it can be about nothing at all – it’s up to you.
Here’s a photograph (From Unsplash) of what you could achieve, maybe it’ll spur on your creativity?
And because I was stuck in that room with paintbrush in hand, I had no time to make a ‘white’ photograph, so I’m going to share an iPhone shot of a creative moment I had while painting (and now need to scrape off the glass!) and a screen shot of my friends Adam & Kate and their kids who are travelling and messaged me to say “Check out Santa’s live stream quick!” – They were in Santa’s village in (I think) Lapland… if you can spot my friend Kate, you get bonus points (pro tip, she’s totally not out going and dancing in front of a load of people – Kate!)
THat left photo is a little Silence of the Lambs if you ask me, but hey, it’s white…
Well, enough of my rambling! It’s kinda the night before Christmas, almost, when all through the house the kids were running rampage, it’s really really grouse (that’s an Aussie slang for those shaking their heads)
Happy CHristmas to those of you that do celebrate, Happy Holidays to those of you that don’t, Happy Saturday to everyone else.
I’ve recently been creating AI images with Midjourney, and I’ve had some people push back on my work – so I thought maybe it’d be helpful to see the full process. My hope is that, after reading this article, you can see that working with AI to create images is not just about plugging in a few words and watching as the program spits out great photos.
I’m sure not everyone will use Midjourney this way, but for what it’s worth, I’ve included step-by-step instructions for producing AI images, and I’ve also included example photos to show the approach in action. Here is one of the images that I created using this process:
I should note that I don’t mind people pushing back on using AI. I think it’s a debate that needs to be had, and I, too, have some concerns about AI’s use and how it will impact artists. We need to continue to talk about it, but I would love for artists to see how AI can be used as part of their creative process.
I do hope this post helps with that! Also, I’d love to hear about other people’s processes and am happy to answer any questions in the comments below. And if you want to connect or see more of my work, I’m on Instagram. I don’t use this process for all of my shots, though.
1. Idea generation
For me, coming up with an idea is part of the creative process. The idea for the series featured in this article came from a brainstorming process as well as my recent time spent in Greece, where I visited numerous ancient ruins and wondered who the people who built them were.
Another AI-created image.
2. Prompting
I see the writing of words as a creative process, though some images take more creativity than others.
Over the last handful of weeks, I’ve learned how to order my words effectively and what words produce what kinds of images. I draw on my 40 years of experience behind the camera to use words related to photographic lighting, camera settings, etc., to tell the AI what I want. And I draw on my knowledge of composition, color, and what makes an image good.
I also try to bring some words into the prompts that will create an atmosphere or mood in my images. I then run these initial prompts to see what I get.
3. Refining and iterating with images and words
Once I see what the AI creates, I then refine the words, experiment with different ordering of the words, add new words, etc. This process takes many iterations to get a series like this (I’d estimate up to 100).
Sometimes I will add into the mix a photo that I myself have taken to see how that impacts the images that the AI is producing. In this case, I used a picture I took of one of my kids under studio lighting conditions to see if it might help create specific lighting effects:
The idea was to create a series of images taken under modern-day studio lighting yet depicting people from an ancient civilization.
4. Further refining
At that point, I take the best images that the AI produces and run some of them back through the program to teach it what I like (iterating it further).
Sometimes I take two, three, or more images and run them together with different prompts to see if I can improve the results.
In this case, some of the images that the AI gave me based on the image of my son were decent, but the subjects were a little too clean and perhaps younger than I wanted:
These images were too young and clean.
So I added words that made the subject look older, dirtier, and scruffier:
After a few more iterations, the program produced this set of photos:
But I wanted to take it even further:
My approach is to continue running the best images, together with various prompts, to evolve the shots the way I want them to go (developing the characters further). Here is my near-final result:
5. Post-processing
I then take the images I’m most happy with and sometimes tweak them in Photoshop. I rarely add much, but I do sometimes heal blemishes or retouch the images (as I would adjust a photo that I captured with my camera).
6. Upsizing and additional adjusting
Before I’m ready to share my photos, I’ll run them through Topaz’s AI software. I’ll do upsizing, sharpening, denoising, etc., until I’m happy with the result.
7. Publishing
I then publish the images to my Instagram, which sometimes involves creativity, as I’ll describe the images or what prompted me to produce them.
Creating AI images: final words
So yes; I see this as a creative process. It usually takes hours and is something I will often do over days.
The series of images that I ultimately produced took hundreds and hundreds of iterations and many hours. Not all of them evolved from the image of my son that you see, but most did draw on it or other images I have taken.
I hope this process helps those who are using the tool to develop their images and offers some insight for those who doubt that AI photography can be a creative process.
I’m sure other people are also using AI creatively, and I hope this might stimulate some interesting discussion. So be sure to share your thoughts (and your AI images) in the comments below!
More often than not, it seems photographers become content creators, whether it’s just to document family or friends, or whether it’s something a little more intense, like filming a small video for a business for which you’re also creating photographs. It might even involve larger products where you’re doing multimedia, short films, and stills – the whole nine yards, so to speak!
Those of us who started with stills photography and then added moving pictures to our arsenal will likely have that one memory where we simply put our camera into Video mode and tried to create an epic cinematic masterpiece, only for it to turn out a shaky mess (albeit a shaky mess we were proud of!).
Skip forward, and it might be time to up your production value and add a stabilizer to your rig. There are many options out there, and many good options at that! We were offered the Zhiyun Crane-M3 Combo to try out, and here are our thoughts on the snappy little unit!
The Zhiyun Crane-M3 Combo: Overview
The Zhiyun Crane-M3 Combo comes in its own bag/mini-backpack and packs in as a perfectly compact kit with everything you need to create stable films on your phone or mirrorless camera. Included in the bundle is a compact tripod as well as an adapter to mount your phone on the M3.
The M3 is what can only be described as a compact gimbal. It’s not quite as large (or heavy!) as those I’ve used in the past, but it still manages to hold a medium-sized rig just fine, like my Sony a7R III with the highly underrated Tamron 28-75mm lens (a very versatile combination for filming!).
The Zhiyun Crane-M3 Combo: Features
The Zhiyun Crane-M3 has some great features that cross over from photography to filmmaking, including slow-motion, motion-lapse, time-lapse, hyper-lapse, and panorama, as well as its SMART mode, which allows you to choose from a range of built-in templates. By using the SMART mode, you can automatically add certain camera movements, color grading, transitions, special effects, and music, depending on the template.
The gimbal also has a Portrait mode, which does exactly that: It switches the camera to record in portrait mode. Therefore, if you’re on a shoot and you want to create some content for social media, Reels, or TikTok, you don’t have to do that nasty 16:9 to 9:16 crop afterward; you just shoot how you want it! There’s also a Vortex mode, which sets the camera to point straight up. You can then have the camera spin as you film – kinda like it’s in a vortex – to create some awesome-looking footage.
As a photographer who likes to create a little video from time to time (rather than a filmmaker who takes the occasional photograph), what makes the Crane-M3 a great tool to have is that it’s compact! It can take a camera phone, an action camera like the GoPro, or even a mirrorless camera. I felt like the Sony a7R III with my 28-75mm Tamron lens was as big as I’d like to go with the Crane-M3; that said, I have no complaints about how it performed!
You spend a little time making sure to balance the three axes of the gimbal as best you can (made much easier by the included tabletop tripod), and the M3 will handle the load fine. When I set the camera up with the Sony a6300 and Tamron 20mm lens, it was a super snappy and very responsive little unit! In “Go” mode, the gimbal is quicker to respond, but I’d imagine that it gives the onboard battery a bit more of a workout.
The battery isn’t replaceable, but you can charge it on the go, so you can always attach a USB-C battery bank and stuff it in your pocket if you’re getting low on power. Zhiyun claims the Crane-M3 should last around eight hours during normal use, which is a long time to be filming, so you should be just fine!
I also tried the Zhiyun Crane-M3 with my iPhone 14 Pro Max, and while it felt like I was sailing a small ship (the iPhone’s kinda wide, come on!), it worked like a champ. Paired with Filmic Pro, it’s a great little content-creating rig! I will add, though, that it took some setting up. Getting the iPhone even and stable on all axes was a task that took an extra-strong coffee, but I got there in the end.
I’ll mention that you can add a Bluetooth module (sold separately) to the Crane-M3 that allows you to control other cameras than those for which the kit includes a cable (there’s a camera-compatibility list here). I was fortunate to have two cameras on the list, so I can’t speak to the Bluetooth functionality.
You can also adjust many functions using the Zhiyun Play app. I found it super handy when setting up things like time-lapse – my thumbs and the small screen were not always friends, but the screen on the gimbal works fine, is responsive, and is bright in regular daylight.
The M3 also hosts a front-mounted LED light (let’s call it a modeling lamp). It’s not super bright, and as it’s a small source, it’s not going to be the most flattering. It is adjustable in terms of output and color temperature, and you can magnetically snap on the included filters to create a different look. However, if you’re hoping to actually light a subject, I’d maybe consider external lighting.
The Zhiyun Crane-M3 Combo: Final words
Overall, the flexibility of the mounting options, the ability of the Crane-M3 to take multiple cameras, and its small (but strong!) size were real wins for those looking to add a little video (we should call it “filmmaking”!) to their bag of tricks.
(Remember, your video is only as good as your audio, but I’ll cover that in a future review.)
There is a longstanding trade-off in digital photography: If you want the freedom and flexibility of shooting in RAW, you have to contend with large, unwieldy file sizes that take up lots of space. A typical RAW file is often dozens of megabytes, which means that photographers who shoot in RAW need to spend more money on memory cards, not to mention storage space and backup plans.
Of course, you can always use the much smaller JPEG file format instead, but the decreased file sizes generally aren’t worth the loss of editing flexibility. So if you want to save on storage without significantly reducing your image quality, what can you do?
That’s where Rawsie comes in. It’s a program that aims to provide the best of both worlds: The flexibility of RAW files with the size of JPEG (and with no data lost along the way). But can Rawsie live up to these lofty goals? Let’s find out.
Reducing RAW file size
I have shot in RAW for over ten years both personally and professionally, and I appreciate the many advantages the format offers for both me and my clients. The ability to manipulate colors with pixel-perfect precision, lift details from the shadows, recover overexposed highlights, and edit every possible element of each image is well beyond what I could do with a JPEG. However, the storage demands of RAW do present a problem, especially when you have hundreds of thousands of images to manage.
Rawsie solves this by using complex algorithms to reduce the file size of RAW files for specific cameras based on processes that are designed to take advantage of the unique characteristics of each camera sensor. It’s not the one-size-fits-all compression process; instead, Rawsie employs a more subtle, nuanced approach where the compression is applied differently for each camera model. (Rawsie creates a model of the image based on the properties of light and the camera sensor; the program detects information and noise, then compresses the information losslessly and the noise lossily.)
As a result, not every camera is supported, but if you do use one or more of the 50 cameras that Rawsie does work with, you could gain incredible benefits for your overall post-processing workflow and storage solution.
This diagram, provided by Rawsie, gives an overview of how the program’s compression algorithm functions. And in my tests, it works very well.
Rawsie’s promise is simple: It will significantly reduce the size of RAW files without any loss in quality. The program follows the old adage of “Do one thing and do it well,” and in my experience, it fulfills that promise quite nicely. While it’s impossible to test a program like Rawsie with every type of image created in every single camera it supports, the results I got were impressive. I shot and edited many images in a variety of challenging situations, and in every scenario, the files processed in Rawsie showed virtually no differences from their original counterparts.
Rawsie claims that it applies up to 5:1 compression, and while I never got quite that level of size reduction in my images, I did see a huge improvement over the original RAW files. (According to Rawsie, the larger the original file, the greater the compression; the Sony a1, for example, creates 100 MB files, and Rawsie compresses them to around 20 MB).
Rawsie reduced the size of 127 RAW files by more than half. If your library contains thousands or hundreds of thousands of RAW files, your storage savings will be huge.
The Rawsie workflow
I had a handful of reservations when I started using Rawsie, mostly because I am highly resistant to change in my photography workflow. I use a process I have refined over many years, and I don’t like introducing new and unknown elements, especially when those elements involve altering my original RAW files.
Thankfully, most of my fears were unfounded. Rawsie does not delete any of your files; it simply moves the original RAWs to another directory that you specify after the compression process is complete. It also backs up your Lightroom catalog so you can revert everything to its original state any time you want.
You have several options at your disposal when performing the Rawsie compression operation. None of your original RAW files will be deleted, so you can decide what to do with them (and delete them manually later if you choose).
While Rawsie’s compression algorithm is proprietary, the results are not. All your compressed RAW files are saved in DNG format and can be opened, edited, copied, and shared without any additional software. There are no limitations on your newly-reduced RAW files, and even if you uninstall Rawsie, you can still access the compressed files without any worries or limitations.
Using Rawsie is fairly straightforward, but upon launching the program for the first time, you will be prompted to install the Adobe DNG converter (if you don’t already have it on your computer). The DNG converter is used to convert proprietary RAW files into DNGs before Rawsie applies its unique set of compression algorithms. Rawsie handles the entire process and it won’t affect your normal photography workflow at all, but it might throw you for a bit of a loop if you aren’t expecting it. I promise that nothing nefarious is happening; Rawsie is simply making sure your computer has the software needed to properly perform its conversion process.
Rawsie requires a particular version of the Adobe DNG converter, which must be installed prior to compressing your images. It’s a fairly simple, straightforward process and only happens the first time you use Rawsie.
After you finish installing the Adobe DNG Converter, you will see the normal Rawsie interface. You can either have the program compress specific Lightroom catalogs, or you can convert files manually by dragging and dropping individual files or folders.
Rawsie lets you decide what to do with your Lightroom catalog, where to store your compressed images, and where to put the original RAW files. Nothing is deleted, and you can revert back to your original images any time you want.
If you’re a bit nervous at the thought of handing all of your carefully culled RAW files over to Rawsie, you can always take things slow and put the software through its paces before pulling the rip cord and compressing tens of thousands of images. Just remember that nothing is destroyed or deleted when you run Rawsie. All your original images are kept intact; they’re just moved to another location for you to delete or keep backed up at your leisure.
The actual compression process happens fairly quickly. Rawsie handled several hundred RAW files on my M1 iMac in under a minute, though if you are compressing an entire Lightroom catalog with thousands of images, you might want to get yourself a coffee and find something else to do while you wait. (That said, you can speed things along by selecting the “medium-size previews” option!)
Rawsie doesn’t work with all cameras, but the program supports more than 50 models. Also, it only works with RAW files that are uncompressed or compressed in a lossless format. Some cameras have have an option to record lossy-compressed RAW images, and these files will not work with Rawsie. If Rawsie does not compress your images, check your camera for compatibility and make sure you are not using a lossy-compressed RAW format.
Editing the images
Rawsie’s compression claims are admirable, but the editing process is where the rubber meets the road. It’s not until you load your pictures into Lightroom, Luminar, Photoshop, or another editing program that you can learn if Rawsie is truly as effective as it sounds or if it is simply too good to be true.
I took lots of photos to see how Rawsie performed in three specific editing tasks where the RAW format is highly useful, and I came away impressed. Even though the Rawsie-compressed RAW files were about 1/2 to 1/3 the size of their uncompressed Nikon RAW counterparts, the results were quite good. Whatever secret sauce the Rawsie imaging experts and developers are using, it sure seems to work.
Texture detail
First, let’s take a look at how Rawsie handles a traditional editing operation. For this example, I took a picture of a red hat sitting on a table, then I looked closely at the fine texture detail in the fabric to see how Rawsie-compressed files would fare after undergoing subtle edits that closely resemble what most photographers do on a normal basis.
The original image was fine but needed a bit of cleanup, and if Rawsie’s algorithm softened the textures in the fabric or lost important color information from the white and red folds, it might be a deal-breaker.
Nikon D750 | 105mm | f/11 | 2s | ISO 100
The original image, shot in RAW and compressed by Rawsie.
Fortunately, Rawsie fared very well. The original Nikon RAW file was 21.9 megabytes, whereas its compressed counterpart clocked in at 9 megabytes (a space savings of more than 50%). Despite such an extreme reduction in file size, I didn’t detect any loss of data that interfered with my edits.
Edits included white balance, highlights/shadows, saturation, vibrance, and tone-curve adjustments. The Rawsie file retained all the detail I needed.
A closer look at the original Nikon RAW file and the compressed Rawsie file, with the same edits applied to each one, shows two images that are virtually indistinguishable from one another:
Left: Edited Nikon RAW file. Right: Edited Rawsie.
The Rawsie version contained all the same texture detail as the original.
I performed similar tests with other images and came away with the same results each time. In fact, I never encountered a situation in which the Rawsie compression affected the texture detail in any significant way – or at least in any way that I could detect. Texture detail is essential, especially when shooting for clients, and if Rawsie is tossing out data that degraded the images, it wasn’t anything that I could notice.
Color grading
One of the most practical reasons for shooting RAW is that it allows for nearly infinite flexibility when working with the colors of an image. Since RAW gives you access to literally all of the color data captured by your camera’s image sensor, you can edit and manipulate that data as much as you want. To test Rawsie’s effectiveness, I took several pictures of a basic landscape scene, edited the original Nikon RAW files, copied the same edits to the compressed Rawsie files, and compared the results.
The original image is fine but needs a lot of processing before posting, sharing, or printing:
Nikon D750 | 100mm | f/16 | 1/180s | ISO 640
Original image, shot in RAW and compressed by Rawsie.
I used Lightroom to mask the sky and applied several edits to the compressed Rawsie file, including exposure and white balance adjustments. Then I inverted the mask to perform additional edits on the foreground. I adjusted highlights and shadows, used the color grading tools to change the color balance of the midtones and shadows, adjusted the tone curve for a bit more contrast, and increased the saturation of the entire shot. This is the kind of editing most photographers do on a daily basis (as opposed to raising the exposure by +5), and the results were exactly what I would expect with any RAW file.
The same image, but after editing in Lightroom.
I then copied the edits to the original Nikon RAW file and compared the two. They looked virtually identical in a side-by-side comparison:
Left: Original Nikon RAW. Right: Rawsie file.
I didn’t see any differences whatsoever.
To examine the images more closely, I zoomed in to 300% and compared several regions of both shots. Even at this intense level of comparison, I did not find any instances where the edits produced different results. As far as I could tell, everything was exactly the same.
Left: Original Nikon RAW. Right: Rawsie file.
Zoomed in to 300% in Lightroom.
I didn’t see any compression artifacts, and these nature shots are representative of the kind of editing I – and most photographers – likely do on a daily basis. In this regard, Rawsie essentially performed flawlessly.
I did want to see how well Rawsie handled another editing situation that involved a great deal of color. I took a close-up shot of an eye in order to see how well the Rawsie file held up next to its original Nikon counterpart when doing some intense color grading.
Nikon D750 | 105mm | f/11 | 1/180s | ISO 640
Original Rawsie file with a +1 exposure adjustment but no color edits.
I used the Brush in Lightroom to create a mask for the iris, and then I used a Hue adjustment to change the iris from brown and hazel to an intense green. I also adjusted the sharpening, contrast, and texture to give the eye a more visceral and impactful appearance.
There was plenty of data in the Rawsie file to perform some strong edits to the iris.
As with the landscape scene, Rawsie’s compression algorithm left plenty of room for editing. At no point did I feel like the integrity of the image had been compromised, and I was very pleased with the sheer amount of editing headroom I had available. When I copy/pasted my edits over to the original Nikon RAW file, the results were basically identical.
Left: Original Nikon RAW. Right: Rawsie.
The two shots are essentially identical, and I could not find any way in which the Rawsie file was lacking compared to its Nikon RAW counterpart.
As before, I zoomed in to see if I could detect any differences between the two files. If differences were present, I certainly couldn’t tell. Even upon very close inspection, I found no issues with the compressed Rawsie image. Colors were clean, eyelashes were sharp, and the reflected sky was clear with no visible compression artifacts.
Left: Edited Nikon RAW file. Right: Edited Rawsie file.
The Rawsie file had just as much information for editing as the Nikon file, at least as far as I’m concerned.
My tests with color grading the Rawsie images were extremely promising. At no point did I feel as though the Rawsie files gave me less editing freedom than the normal Nikon RAW files – despite their smaller size.
Recovering shadows
One of the most challenging tasks when editing images is recovering shadow detail. It’s the type of operation that makes JPEG images cry, and it’s where you can really see what the RAW format has to offer. It’s also where you can start to see the cracks in the foundation of some compression algorithms, which tend to toss out shadow detail in order to save file space.
To find out how Rawsie fares in these situations, I shot a variety of images with -5 EV exposure compensation, converted them in Rawsie, and brought them into Lightroom along with the original RAW files. I then edited the original RAW images, synced the edits to the Rawsie versions, and compared the results.
My first test involved a Christmas ornament, photographed with my Nikon D750 and 105mm macro lens. The original image was so dark it was nearly unusable, but this is where RAW files really shine.
Nikon D750 | 105mm | f/4 | 1/125s | ISO 100
The original image, shot in RAW and compressed by Rawsie.
I adjusted the exposure of the compressed Rawsie file in Lightroom and was pleasantly surprised to see the results. The image was clean and retained plenty of usable data in the shadows. I’m not sure I would print this and hang it on the wall, but it would work just fine to share online.
The same image, but with the exposure lifted by +5 in Lightroom.
Comparing both the original Nikon RAW file and the compressed Rawsie file side by side showed very similar results. Clearly, the Rawsie algorithm did a great job and didn’t toss out any data needed for this kind of extreme editing situation.
Left: Original Nikon RAW. Right: Rawsie file.
The same +5 exposure adjustment was applied to both images.
It wasn’t until I examined both images at 400% magnification that I noticed anything different about the Rawsie file. In some areas, smooth color gradations were replaced with more uniform swaths of pixels, such as on the cheek of the figurine (as you can see in the comparison below). I also exported both images just in case this was an issue with how Lightroom was rendering the image previews, but the color artifacts were identical in the exported images, too. It might seem like a deal-breaker, but remember: This is an extreme editing situation, one that most photographers are not likely to encounter on a regular basis.
Left: Original Nikon RAW. Right: Rawsie file.
The cheek color was a bit more patchy and splotchy in the Rawsie image.
Another comparison yielded similar results and shows some of the limitations of the algorithm used by Rawsie to shrink file sizes. For this shot, I used a jar of pencils shot at -5 EV, then lifted the exposure in Lightroom. Again, the original image is almost entirely black, but thanks to the magic of RAW, there is actually a perfectly good image. It just takes a bit of work to find it!
Nikon D750 | 105mm | f/11 | 1/15s | ISO 100
The original image, shot in RAW and compressed by Rawsie.
Believe it or not, the image below is the same file as the apparently detailless image above. I adjusted the exposure by +5 in Lightroom, and – lo and behold! – the jar of pencils appeared. This illustrates just how much data the RAW format records and why it is so useful for photographers who require the most from their images. The picture below is the Rawsie compressed file, so the algorithm clearly retained a huge amount of data for editing.
The same image, but with the exposure lifted by +5 in Lightroom.
Comparing the edited Rawsie file and the edited Nikon RAW side by side shows how well Rawsie can hold its own when pitted against the original uncompressed files. Both shots, with the exposure lifted by +5, are nearly identical. Whatever data Rawsie is discarding, it’s clearly not enough to affect the result. Almost.
Left: Original Nikon RAW. Right: Rawsie file.
I applied the same +5 exposure adjustment to both images.
Things start to look a little different when zoomed in to 400%, however. The finer detail is present in both images, but you can see some compression issues where the red transitions to purple and gray. Instead of a smooth gradient, the colors are a bit mottled and washed out, which indicates that some data has been lost in the Rawsie conversion. Once again, I compared the exported images just to make sure this was not an issue with the Lightroom previews, but the results were the same.
Left: Original Nikon RAW. Right: Rawsie file.
The colors of the pencil were fine, but there is some banding in the blue and purple next to it. Instead of a smooth gradient, the colors are more patchy.
Before anyone decides to ditch Rawsie based on this comparison, I think it’s important to take a step back and really consider the scenario at play. Most people will never need to push the exposure by 5 stops to get usable images. Even if you did need to do this to salvage some shadow detail in your shots, you would still need to look really hard to find any issues with the Rawsie compression process. And in the meantime, the storage savings offered by Rawsie’s process are incredible, which might make the trade-off worth it for you.
Rawsie disadvantages
While there is much to like about Rawsie, there are a couple of caveats to keep in mind before you rush to install it. First – and perhaps most importantly – Rawsie only works on Macintosh computers. A Windows version is being developed, but for photographers who want to take advantage of Rawsie’s features right now, the Mac-only nature of the program is certainly something to consider.
Additionally, Rawsie does not have mobile support. There is no phone or tablet app, and none are currently planned for release. This likely won’t matter to most photographers who use DSLR or mirrorless cameras with a traditional desktop-based workflow, but it is something to consider for those interested in what Rawsie has to offer.
Nikon D750 | 105mm | f/4.8 | 1/180s | ISO 250
Verdict: Who should use Rawsie?
Rawsie is an incredible piece of software. It does an amazing job of significantly reducing the size of RAW files while retaining nearly all the data required for all but the most demanding editing situations. It’s simple, easy to use, and performs its compression operation quickly and efficiently.
In almost every testing scenario I performed, I could not detect any notable differences between the Rawsie files and my original Nikon RAW files. Even when examined side by side at very high magnification, the Rawsie images held their own against their uncompressed counterparts very well.
Nikon D750 | 105mm | f/11 | 2s | ISO 100
Original Nikon RAW file converted to Rawsie without any edits.
However, for photographers who frequently shoot in extreme conditions and who regularly perform very demanding edits to their images, Rawsie might not be the best solution. Also, Windows users will have to wait until a compatible version of the software is available, and you need to make sure your camera is among the 50+ cameras that Rawsie supports (you can see the full list here!).
Despite these limitations, Rawsie is well worth investigating, especially for the price. The free version contains no functional limitations whatsoever but is limited to 30 RAW conversions a day. That’s plenty for casual photographers or those who just want to try out the program to see what it can do. The full version is available for a $79/year subscription and includes unlimited RAW conversions along with free updates and support for new cameras as they become available.
Rawsie file with edits applied to the exposure, shadows, highlights, white balance, and more. The file size was much smaller, but there was more than enough data for a great deal of editing.
I can easily recommend Rawsie to casual and hobbyist photographers as well as enthusiasts and even some professionals, too. Storage space is less expensive than ever, but every hard drive, SSD, and cloud storage plan will fill up eventually; therefore, effectively increasing your storage capacity by up to 5x is a big deal. This makes Rawsie a practical and cost-effective solution to a very common problem – a solution that I think is well-suited to most photographers.
