What’s the difference between RAW and JPEG files? One gives you options, the other locks you in.
Think of it like bread dough.
When you shoot in RAW format, you’re working with unbaked dough. You can add raisins. You can fold in chocolate chips. You can shape it into a baguette or twist it into a pretzel. The possibilities stay open because nothing’s set yet.
JPEG? That’s the finished loaf. It’s already baked. You can slice it, toast it, maybe butter it—but you can’t unbake it and add cinnamon. Those decisions are done.
What This Means for Your Photos
RAW files hold all the data your camera captures. Every bit of light, color, and detail sits there waiting for you to decide what to do with it.
With RAW photography files, you can:
- Brighten shadows without destroying detail
- Shift white balance completely
- Adjust colors without degradation
- Recover overexposed areas that still have detail
JPEG files compress that data down. Your camera makes decisions about color, contrast, and sharpening, then discards information to make the file smaller. What you see is pretty much what you get.
RAW vs JPEG: Which Format Should You Use?
If you’re learning photo editing or want maximum control over your images, shoot RAW. You’ll need Lightroom or similar photo editing software, and the files are bigger, but you’re keeping your options open.
If you want photos ready to share straight from your camera, JPEG works fine. Just know you’re letting your camera do the baking.
The key: you can always convert RAW to JPEG. You can’t go backward.
Once it’s baked, it’s baked.
Want to Learn More About RAW Photography?
I teach this in my Lightroom classes in Chapel Hill, NC—how to work with RAW files, what all those sliders actually do, and how to get your photos looking exactly how you want them.
Check out my photography class schedule or reach out if you have questions about RAW vs JPEG photography.