Why shoot JPEG?
Why shoot JPEG instead of raw is not a question I ever really asked myself. I was sold on RAW when I purchased my first DSLR and the salesperson explained the concept of RAW files to me.
I am a self-confessed lazy photographer. I rarely, if ever, plan a photographic outing and tend to rely on an opportunistic approach that sometimes works for me and sometimes (as in most times…) doesn’t.
I cheat too. I don’t strive to get my images correct in camera. I use DxO Photolab and the Nik Collection to correct the errors of my exposure ways, and as a result, spend far too much time in front of my computer correcting RAW files and converting them into JPEGs.
But just a couple of days ago I decided to stop shooting RAW and concentrate on shooting JPEGs only.
The two main reasons for this decision are essentially time and space.
I need to spend more time making images and less time tweaking them; and JPEGs don’t take up so much space on my SD-cards, on my computer, on my back-up, and so on.
In addition to those reasons, I am considering upgrading my trusty old Nikon D5100 – now 8 years old, and showing its age – to a modern mirrorless marvel.
Upgrading my camera creates another dilemma for me! If I go to a modern camera that has too many megapixels then my Mac won’t handle it – speed-wise and storage-wise. So it’s either a new Mac or a new camera – and I know which I prefer, or rather can afford, to upgrade.
I am also hoping of course, that my photography overall will benefit from shooting JPEG only. Now I will need to concentrate more on getting better results SOOC (straight-out-of-camera).
I remember listening to a talk quite some time ago from award-winning, NZ photographer Ron Willems about his approach to photography and was surprised when he said he shot virtually all of his photographs in JPEG only. I’ve never forgotten that!
So I figured if he can win awards with his JPEGs, I can produce quality JPEG images as well. Award winning too maybe…yeah, right!
So here is my first batch of shooting-in-JPEG-only photographs from my stay in Greymouth.
Essentially these are SOOC. All that I have done in post-processing is run them through DxO Photolab to correct optical distortions, straighten horizons (I can never hold my camera level…), then resize and rename for the web.
![world famous in greymouth santa fe dairy](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/world-famous-in-greymouth-santa-fe-dairy-1024x678.jpg)
![tainui street greymouth as seen from the floodwall](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/tainui-street-from-the-flood-wall-1024x678.jpg)
![the building that used to be the home of #ZA radio Scenicland](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/old-broadcasting-buldin-greymouth-1024x678.jpg)
![old bnz building greymouth](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/old-bnz-building-greymouth-1024x678.jpg)
![looking towards the mouth of the grey river nearing sunset](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/looking-towards-the-grey-river-mouth-late-in-the-day-1024x678.jpg)
![kells hotel cobden greymouth](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/kells-hotel-cobden-1024x678.jpg)
![disused royal hotel greymouth](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/disused-royal-hotel-greymouth-678x1024.jpg)
![cobden bridge over the grey river](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cobden-bridge-over-the-grey-river-1024x678.jpg)
![award winning dpi cafe greymouth](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/award-winning-DP1-cafe-1024x678.jpg)
And to finish this story about why shoot JPEGs – a series of photographs taken on the Grandjeans Creek Walkway which has been the stomping ground for me to walk our three dogs over the past week and a half. For those of you familiar with the Greymouth of old, the Grandjeans Creek Walkway runs off what used to be Perotti Park which is now, unfortunately little more than a privately-owned, neglected mud bath area.
![grandjeans creek walkway](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/grandjeans-creek-walkway-1024x678.jpg)
![deep in the grandjeans creek walkway](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/west-coast-bush-grandjeans-creek-walkway-1024x678.jpg)
![typical west coast bush grandjeans creek walkway](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/grandjeans-creek-walkway-bush-1024x678.jpg)
![grandjeans creek - why shoot jpeg instead of raw](https://apertureprioritynz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/grandjeans-creek-1024x678.jpg)
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