file formats and work flow

[rdtindsm]

I've read articles that suggest that a standardized file suitable for editing would be a good idea to work across different with the suggestion being .dng. Sounds good to me and photoshop acr will let me save my work as a .dng file and open the file to work in photoshop. But I can't save it from PS as a dng file. Also, the file name shown on the tab in PS still has an arw extension (sony). I've decided to do my initial save from acr as a .psd since PS won't let me save as dng, but I don't fully understand the process because of the file extension that photoshop displays (the arw).

Please explain what is going on. When I go into PS from arw, I assume that I am working in the file format that I saved (PSD), but might still be working on the raw file directly. I might be better off just getting rid of the arw file once it gets into another lossless format, but am not comfortable in modifying the source document. I do realize that the changes I make in acr are copied to a xmp file.

Can you suggest an efficient workflow that addresses these concerns. Doesn't make any sense to save the raw file as a .dng if the only editor I am using won't let me save it.

 

[Steve]

I've read articles that suggest that a standardized file suitable for editing would be a good idea to work across different with the suggestion being .dng. Sounds good to me and Photoshop acr will let me save my work as a .dng file and open the file to work in Photoshop. But I can't save it from PS as a dng file.

That's right DNG is an open source "Raw" format maintained by Adobe.
The thinking is that Raw formats come and go and constantly change but as long as there is an Adobe there will be a standard, a DNG raw format.

That's why you can't save as a DNG in Photoshop, you've just converted from one raw format to another, anything you save in Photoshop is an image file not a RAW data file.

Also, the file name shown on the tab in PS still has an arw extension (sony). I've decided to do my initial save from acr as a .psd since PS won't let me save as dng, but I don't fully understand the process because of the file extension that Photoshop displays (the arw).

You've save a "copy" of the original ARW as a DNG on your computer, but you still have the ARW file open and active. If you click on open image, you're opening the ARW file..

Please explain what is going on. When I go into PS from arw, I assume that I am working in the file format that I saved (PSD), but might still be working on the raw file directly.

No you're not worrying on the raw file any more, actually you never worked "on" the raw file.
Any changes you made in Adobe Camera Raw were data instructions stored in the xmp file. The raw file is the same "data file" that came out of the camera.

I might be better off just getting rid of the arw file once it gets into another lossless format, but am not comfortable in modifying the source document. I do realize that the changes I make in acr are copied to a xmp file.

Can you suggest an efficient workflow that addresses these concerns. Doesn't make any sense to save the raw file as a .dng if the only editor I am using won't let me save it.

IMHO, it's not a good or bad idea to convert your raw file to DNG, but if you do, and you're positively sure they're OK and not corrupt, delete the ARW's.
You can batch convert your raws to dng with the Adobe DNG Converter .

I don't convert them to DNG and I never, ever delete my raw files.
What I do is something like this.
I shoot only RAW and open the file in ACR.
Since any changes done in ACR are non destructive I do as much as possible including white balance, cropping, straitening, etc.

I finish up in PS and save as a PSD file.
It's compressed but lossless.

 

[rdtindsm]

Thanks, that is helpful.

Given that my status as a photographer is strictly amatuer, I will probably never be bothered if psd is not longer supported at some point in time. I do find it annoying that any time I open a dng file, I have to load it into PS through ACR. I'd already decided to work mostly with PSD and can convert it to a dng if anyone else really needs that format.

 

[Steve]

Thanks, that is helpful.

Given that my status as a photographer is strictly amatuer, I will probably never be bothered if psd is not longer supported at some point in time. I do find it annoying that any time I open a dng file, I have to load it into PS through ACR. I'd already decided to work mostly with PSD and can convert it to a dng if anyone else really needs that format.

I didn't say PSD will not being supported, I was talking about RAW files.
Every camera manufacturer has there own proprietary RAW format.
A single brand will have a dozens of different RAW file types over the years.

Some of those old Raw type may not be supported in the future, that is you may not be able to find new software that will work with those files.
That's the purpose of DNG.
Convert you're RAW files to DNG and Adobe says they will always support it.

The biggest benefit in shooting RAW is the ability to use the powerful tools in ACR and it's all non-destructive.
If you're finding it annoying you're telling me you don't understand the power of ACR.

As for your last comment:

I'd already decided to work mostly with PSD and can convert it to a dng if anyone else really needs that format.

You can't convert a PSD an image file, to a DNG a data file.
If you want to share the image with friends save it as a JPG

PSD, JPG, TIFF, and many others are "Image file types" and they all have different positives and negatives.

DNG, ARW, CR2, along with dozens and dozens of other file types are "Data files types".

The RAW file is a collection of the data gathered when you took the picture, but it's not yet processed as an image with all the settings locked into the image.

With a raw file you can adjust exposure, change white balance, adjust for clipping and much, much, more and it's all non destructive.

I'll look for more information, maybe a video tutorial.
If I find something useful I'll post it here and if you have more questions please ask,
Steve

 

[Steve]

This ACR tutorial is by Deke Mcclelland a very talented PS expert.

He covers some of the things I've already mentioned and shows some of the tools available in ACR.

He shows the kind of non destructive adjustment you can make before you even get to Photoshop.