As a property photography company, we always capture photos in RAW format rather than JPEG. What exactly does that mean and why does it matter to you as a client? Read on to learn more about the advantages of shooting RAW images for property listings.
What is a RAW Photo?
Unlike JPEGs which are processed and compressed into a standard final image format, RAW photos contain all of the unprocessed data that comes directly off the camera’s image sensor. They haven’t been adjusted for colour, contrast, white balance and so on. RAW images require post-processing on a computer to convert them into viewable photos.
So why bother shooting RAW? Why not just let the camera process the image into a JPEG that is immediately viewable? There are some key benefits of RAW that are important for property photography:
More Flexibility for Post-Processing
The unmodified data in a RAW file allows for much more flexibility when editing and perfecting images. With robust photo editing software, we can make significant adjustments to exposure, white balance, shadows, highlights and more without damaging the image quality. This allows us to compensate for difficult lighting situations and ensure every property looks its absolute best.
Higher Image Quality
Because RAW data is uncompressed, it captures higher levels of detail and colour depth than JPEG. This allows for larger, crisper photos that show off all the best features of a home or commercial space accurately and stunningly. Even small details like fabric patterns and wood grain come through beautifully from RAW image data.
Better Colour Accuracy
The default colour adjustments and compression applied to JPEGs can distort colours or cause banding issues in gradients. With RAW processing, we have total control over white balance and hues for truer, more accurate colour in every photograph. That makes textures, finishes and paint colours appear exactly as they are in real life.
Lossless Editing
JPEGs use lossy compression that permanently deletes image data, limiting how much you can adjust brightness, contrast and colours before quality deteriorates. With non-destructive RAW editing, data remains intact no matter how many edits you make. We can deliver multiple revised photos tuned exactly to your liking without any penalty to resolution or clarity.
Correct Common Photography Problems
No matter how skilled the photographer, issues like over or under exposure, inaccurate colour or improper focusing can happen. The data levels in RAW images allow fixing these problems in post-production much more effectively than attempting to rescue a compressed JPEG image. If we capture RAW, we can deliver stunning, ideal photos regardless of shooting conditions.
By capturing RAW images and taking the time to edit them properly, we’re able to deliver the very highest quality property photography showcasing your property accurately and beautifully. The flexibility of RAW ensures the best-looking listing photos possible, accurately conveying rooms, finishes, textures and lighting to prospective buyers. This is vital for making great first impressions online and helping drive more showings and faster sales.
So, while RAW photo files might seem like a technical photography term that only matters to the pros, their uncompressed high quality directly translates to better representing and selling your property. By insisting on RAW capture and processing, our photography provides you the most stunning, true-to-life marketing assets to reach buyers and maximise your ROI.