The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion

CHAPTER 11

PROCESSING YOUR RAW FILES

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However, the white balance setting you choose is stored in the image’s metadata.

Later, your raw converter will read this setting and use it as the default white

balance for that image. Because white balance in a raw file is completely editable

after you shoot, you’re free to change it any way you want. When shooting raw,

the white balance you set on the camera is simply a way to have a more conve-

nient postproduction workflow. If you get white balance right in-camera, it will

save you a couple of editing steps later. (is is as opposed to JPEG, where if you

get white balance wrong, there’s probably no way to correct it later.)

e picture style you choose is also embedded in the raw file. However, the only

raw converter that reads this picture style data is Canon’s Digital Photo Profes-

sional, which is included on the EOS Digital Solutions Disk. If you’re not going to

use DPP for your raw conversions, then there’s no need to use picture styles when

shooting raw. If you’re shooting Raw + JPEG, then the white balance and picture

style choices you make are more critical, because they will be applied to the JPEG

file that is saved alongside the raw file.

Processing Your Raw Files

When you’re done shooting, copy your raw files to your computer using whatever

technique you normally use for JPEGs. If you’re using a version of Photoshop o