We spend hours and hours, taking the best photographs
we can, and when we\'re done - we apply special techniques to them with
a special editing software to enhance what we\'ve originally seen. When
we are done, we try and save them in the correct format to preserve the
image in the best way possible, but most people have no idea what the
differences are.

The three main files a digital camera uses to
store its digital images are JPEG, TIFF, and RAW formats. We need to
understand what these digital image formats are and their properties -
only then will we be able to get a high quality photograph.

The
first format, and the one used in graphic design and photography quite
often, is JPEG - a commonly used standard method of compression of
images. In fact, the majority of photographers use this as their
primary image mode. One of the main reasons is because it can be used
right out of the camera with no editing, as it is considered a
high-quality first use image. It also transfers easily across the
Internet, and as email attachments. Plus it is fastest writer from the
camera memory buffer to the memory card storage.

On the other
side, it is not as sharp out of the camera as TIFF or RAW modes, and
every time the JPEG is manipulated more than once or twice, it will
eventually become unusable. But more than any of this, every time the
JPEG image is modified and resaved, it will lose more data.

PEG
stands for \"Joint Photographic Experts Group\", named after the joint
committee which created it in 1986. The JPEG (file extensions are .jpg,
along with .jpeg, .jfif, jpg., .JPG, and .JPE) format provides for
lossy compression of images, which means that when data is compressed,
and then decompressed, the data that is decompressed may be different
than the original. Yet, it is sufficient to be useful in some way or
another.

JPEG/JFIF is the format that is used when photographs
are stored and transmitted on the Internet. It is preferably over GIF,
which is limited to 256 colors that are not enough for colored
photographs, or PNG, what produces larger image files.

But then,
just as many photographers use TIFF as their primary usage. The TIFF is
a file format used for storing images such as line art and photographs,
developed by Aldus, now Adobe Systems, and Microsoft. A popular format
for high color depth images, it is supported by many image-manipulation
programs such as Pagemaker, QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, PhotoShop,
Paint Shop Pro, etc. It is extremely high in its image quality, with
excellent compatibility with the publishing companies.

Tiff can
be modified and resaved, with the images being used an endless number
of times without throwing away any image data. Plus the image is
extremely usable, as it does not require software post-processing
during or after its download from the camera. It is a flexible and
adaptable , with an advantage of no picture loss, which makes it
acceptable to the publishing industry.

Compared to the RAW
format, it uses less storage space, and is suitable for changes from
any photo-editing software. A big disadvantage is its very large file
size, still choking small e-mail boxes. During photography shoots,
memory cards are needed if using TIFF images, but more pictures can be
taken with the same amount of memory space.

The RAW mode is a
picture format where the camera has made absolutely no changes; the
files are not yet processed or ready to use with an editor, etc. Not a
whole lot of professionals use this mode, other than camera purists, or
weird website article writers. In order for it to be manipulated, the
image needs to be processed and converted to an RGB format that is
either TIFF or JPEG. This means that each and every pixel that was
captured by the camera is now on the image.

You can now download
this image on your computer for processing. Its advantages are that a
huge amount of control over the final look of the image is yours.
Additionally, all original details stays in the image for any and all
future processing needs.

However, when you do so you will notice
that this is a very large image, probably a few MBs. This means that
you will need a very large storage area or memory space if you are
going to shoot images in RAW format. Your advantage is that you can
sharpen, size, or crop the picture without losing any picture quality.

But
your disadvantage is the file size. You cannot transmit it easily
because it needs high bandwidth connections. Also, you can shoot very
few photographs if you select the RAW mode. After that, you have to
change the memory card or make space by erasing a few photographs.
Also, this mode is generally not accepted by the publishing industry
because it produces a 12-bit image. The photographer needs to modify it
using photo-editing software before submitting it for publication.

Overall,
if a photographer wants to keep all the original image data that was
recorded, the image must be stored in RAW format. It is the closest
thing that we will be able to see in a film negative or a transparency
that the digital camera can make.