Someday take the time to look up RAW vs Jpg. It will boggle your mind. There are more opinions than you thought possible. Now, some of them were written years ago when things might have been more difficult with RAW, and some of them are more current. Some people just hate RAW and will let you know in no uncertain terms. A lot of people will have pro's and con's of each.
Oh ya, what is RAW? In short, if you turn you camera to your manual setting, and go to your menu, you will find a setting for RAW and I know Nikon at one time at least called it NEF. They may use RAW as well now, I'm not sure. One of the first things it will do for you is actually give you the full ability of your camera. When people see each other with a DSLR anymore, the like to start asking what megapixel your camera is. If you have an 18 megapixel camera, and you aren't shooting RAW, you aren't getting that 18. Sorry, I'm not making it up. Get out your instruction book, and it will show you how many megapixels you are getting with each setting. RAW is traditionally the only way you are going to get the full bang for your buck. Remember earlier where I mentioned the Canon 21.1 where the jpg did give the same number of megapixels, but the megabytes were way less? Well, it doesn't matter if the mpixels are the same. Anyway, if you are shooting the highest jpg, your camera is shooting smaller images. It's still going to be shooting high, but not the 18 your think you're getting.
The best way RAW was ever explained to me was imagine you have a box of 500 crayons; everytime you take a picture in RAW, those crayons are thrown in the air and are mixed up. When you go in and download them, you get to go in and reposition them how you want them. They are going to be in the order so you can see the picture as you want them, but you get to easily manipulate them. Now, your image should be on exposure and such right out of the camera, but RAW is going to allow you to manipulate those images in batch format in your RAW window. It's incredible. You can set saturation, contrast etc... several at a time. Now, with JPG, you take your picture and the crayons stay in nice neat rows. When you download your images, they are there. In order to manipulate them, you open them up one at a time, and it takes a lot longer. You do lose a little image strength, and a little (just a little) quality everytime you manipulate a jpg image.
People usually don't like RAW because they have to shoot in Manual mode, and that scares the heck out of them. They have this incredible DSLR, and they leave it in auto mode, with auto focus, and never have taken it out. It's a pet peeve of mine. By doing that it's kind of like having a real fancy point and shoot. You usually buy a DSLR so you can be more creative, if you think so or not. To shoot Johnnies football game, Susies volleyball game, etc... If you still aren't getting the pictures that you think you should be and you are shooting auto, try manual, mess with your ISO, and play around with your depth of field, and shutter speed, and you'll probably get what you're looking for. Also, if they are looking yellowish when you are shooting indoors, if you are shooting RAW, that's easily fixed. So, don't be afraid to take that great new camera and use it to it's fullest extent.
The one thing with RAW however, is there is a special program you need to read the files, or to see the pictures on your computer. BUT, it doesn't cost anything. If you already have a program like Photoshop, you have it. But if you transfer your images and you can't see them on your screen, go in and do a search for a RAW reader, and you'll find them as a free download. If you have windows, you'll find them on the Windows site. I would think that Apple has them as well, I don't know. It's a simple download, nothing fancy. But you will still need a photo enhancement program that can open RAW files. If you don't have one, and want a great program that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, Photoshop Elements is a great program. I think the newest version if $99.00. Elements will basically do everything a portrait photographer will need, plus more. Not only that, but if you are going to be a competetive photographer in todays world, you are going to have to be familiar with how work your way around something like Photoshop. if you aren't working your images before they leave your studio whereever it is, you are going to sink yourself.
So, RAW or jpg, it's up to you. BUT, i do recommend shooting on Manual either way. You've got the camera, stop shooting auto so much. Use that camera for everything it's worth. Oh, and stop shooting like you've got an automatic rifle in your hands. Coming from the days of film, we knew that everytime we pushed that shutter down, it was costing us money. We bought the film, had to have it proccessed, etc... We couldn't look at the back of the camera. So, in a way digital was a good thing. But, to this day, i don't think I really look at the back of the camera. My point is that if you are going to be a professional, you have got to stop looking at the back of the camera after every shot. You should exude confidence, and one way to do that (just my opinion) is to have confidence in your own abilities, that you have framed the image in the camera, that you have your exposure correct, etc... When you are shooting, and practicing, place a sticky note or something over the back of the camera. Don't let yourself see what's going on back there. Just like in the days of film, give yourself an assignment, and don't shoot anymore than 24 or 36 images that day. Don't look at the back of the camera, and trust that you are getting it right through the camera. Trust yourself and your abilities.
