When people ask me why I still shoot in RAW instead of JPEG or TIFF, I smile and say, “It’s about options.” But let me break that down a bit more, because the truth is—RAW gives me the latitude I need to tell better stories.

In photography, light is our paintbrush. But we don’t always have perfect light. You may shoot in mixed lighting, harsh sun, or an indoor scene where the shadows swallow your subject. That’s where RAW steps in and saves the day.

White Balance Fixes After the Fact

When you shoot in JPEG, your white balance is baked in. Miss it, and your colors are stuck in that decision. But a RAW file? It’s like a digital negative. You can shift the white balance in post without degrading your image. That means more accurate skin tones, true-to-life colors, and fewer frustrated hours trying to “fix it in Photoshop.”

Recovering Highlights and Opening Shadows

Have you ever had a blown-out sky or lost detail in someone’s face because they were backlit? A JPEG may be toast. A RAW file, on the other hand, holds onto way more detail, especially in the highlights and shadows. You can pull back that blown sky or lift the shadows under a brimmed hat without making your image look fake.

AI Tools Make RAW Even More Powerful

And here’s what’s exciting in 2025: I can now make complex, local adjustments with Adobe’s AI masking tools with just a click. What used to take me an hour or more—masking a face, background, or clothing individually—can now be done in seconds.

Want to brighten just the subject’s face without touching the rest of the photo? AI does it.

Want to open up the shadows in a forest scene without overexposing the sky? AI does it.

But here’s the kicker: these tools are only as powerful as the data you give them. If you’re shooting JPEG, that latitude—the dynamic range, the color depth—is already compressed and limited. AI can’t recover what’s not there. But with RAW, all those details are still in your file. The AI helps you bring it out.

Final Thought

I shoot RAW because I believe every story deserves to be told with depth, clarity, and emotion—and RAW gives me the room to do that. Especially now, when the tools are so good, there’s no reason not to take full advantage of what your camera can capture.

So whether you’re shooting for clients, nonprofits, or just making images you love—give yourself the gift of latitude.

Shoot RAW. Tell it better.