RAW vs JPEG. RAW What? JPEG What? What Is This Nonsense?

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Ever opened a RAW file on your computer and thought you'd ruined the photo? You haven't. In this episode I explain exactly what RAW and JPEG actually are, why your camera's screen has been showing you something that isn't your real file, and why I shoot RAW myself - plus the genuine irony that every RAW file ends up as a JPEG eventually anyway. Perfect if you've ever wondered what all the fuss is about. 📝 What's covered: ●        📸 A JPEG is a finished, plated meal - cooked by your camera in an instant ●        🥕 A RAW file is the raw ingredients - completely unprocessed ●        🖥️ Your camera screen shows you a JPEG preview, even when shooting RAW ●        ✅ JPEG photos can look genuinely great, and choosing JPEG is not a mistake ●        🎛️ RAW gives you far more room to fix brightness and colour without it falling apart ●        💾 Why RAW files are so much bigger than JPEGs ●        🤝 Shoot RAW and JPEG together - you lose nothing and gain the option ●        ⚙️ Where to actually change this setting on your camera ●        🔄 The irony: every RAW file ends up exported as a JPEG anyway - just a properly made one 📖 Read the full blog post, with photo examples and more detail: RAW vs JPEG. RAW What? JPEG What? What Is This Nonsense? 🔗 Related episodes: Episode 226 - Why Are My Photos Too Dark? Understanding Exposure for Beginners - the exposure fundamentals that RAW editing gives you so much more room to correct. Episode 227 - White Balance Explained - Why Your Photos Look Too Orange or Blue - goes deeper into fixing colour casts, which this episode also touches on. 🔮 Next episode: What on Earth Are the Letters and Symbols on the Turny Dial? That dial on top of your camera is covered in letters and symbols that mean nothing to you yet. It has a name, and a purpose. Find out just enough to be properly curious, before the full explanation in the episode after that. Out Friday 23 October 2026. 📺 Find me on YouTube by searching Rick McEvoy 🌐 Website, courses and resources: rickmcevoyphotography.com rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses rickmcevoyphotography.com/resources Support the show **Get your question answered** This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography. Thanks very much for listening Cheers from me Rick