The Digital Negative, 2nd edition
If you shoot RAW camera files (and you should), this essential book should be at the top of your list. It is far and away the best of the best. You will be amazed at what you can get out of your RAW files. Your images will thank you.
A lot of the quality of your final image will be determined by what you do with your RAW files when you open them in Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) which comes with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and Adobe Lightroom.
Article posted Nov. 30, 2016. Revised and re-posted Nov. 27, 2017.
If you aren’t already shooting RAW files with your digital camera (as opposed to JPEG files), you should think about the advantages of shooting in RAW. Read the articles RAW vs JPEG Camera Files and The RAW vs JPEG Exposure Advantage at my photography web site.
When it comes to ACR, the names you need to is Jeff Schewe, an internationally known Photoshop experts. If you are using Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC or Lightroom 6 the book to get is The Digital Negative: Raw Image Processing in Lightroom, Camera Raw, and Photoshop (2nd Edition) by Jeff Schewe.
When you buy The Digital Negative you get access to password protected RAW files that are used in the book. As the book guides you through the process of developing the RAW files, you process the same RAW files on your computer.
Turret Arch, processed and original files.
Turret Arch is one example of a RAW file you will work on. The difference between the processed file and the original file is remarkable. Once Schewe shows you what to do in one example after another, you will be amazed at what you can get out of your RAW files.
Cover photo, after and before images.
This example is the cover photo for edition two of The Digital Negative. The original “out of the camera” file is on the right. With the book as a guide, you work right alongside Jeff on your own computer to create the cover image on the left.
Russell Preston Brown, Senior Creative Director for Adobe Systems: “If you want to understand Camera Raw, then look no further than this book. Trust me on this one.”
This article is part of the Mastering Photoshop Series. The rest of the articles are linked below.
Jeff Schewe and Bruce Fraser’s older books on ACR
If you are using Photoshop CS6 and/or Lightroom 5 or Lightroom 4, get The Digital Negative: Raw Image Processing in Lightroom, Camera Raw, and Photoshop (1st edition) by Jeff Schewe.
For Photoshop CS5 look for Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS5 by Jeff Schewe and Bruce Fraser.Â
Purchase Links
The Digital Negative: Raw Image Processing in Lightroom, Camera Raw, and Photoshop (2nd Edition) by Jeff Schewe
You can find all the books on this page in the Digital Photography Books section of my photography store which has direct links to Amazon.com. You get Amazon’s great prices, delivery, and guarantee.
Mastering Photoshop Series
The “Mastering Photoshop†Series – Series Overview
Mastering Photoshop & Lightroom: Adobe Camera Raw (ACR)
Mastering Photoshop: Advanced Color Correction, Part One
Mastering Photoshop: Advanced Color Correction, Part Two
Mastering Photoshop: Retouching, Part One
Mastering Photoshop: Retouching, Part Two
Buyer’s Guide Series
The Mastering Photoshop Series is part of a larger series of over 60 articles that guide you to the best of all things photographic. The rest of the series is here: Buyer’s Guide: Recommendations For The Best Photography Equipment, Software, Books, Magazines, DVDs, Online Photo Labs and More.