Thanks to Kiran and all who participated in RAWCOMP23. I'm so excited to have a chance to host RAWCOMP 24. (But….Wow…it's hard to pick out a picture!)
The challenge this round is going to be COLOR CORRECTION. Way too often I take my camera off the auto "White-Balance" setting, then forget to change it back…then take photos in another setting with totally different lighting, only to get an ugly color cast. So..what's to be done? RAW editing to the rescue? Let's see!
HOW TO "RAWCOMP"
For the veterans, and the new-comers:
- First download the dng image from the link below.
- Edit that photo using your RAW editor ONLY (eg Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW or the editing software that came bundled with your digital camera).
- Save the edited photo as a jpeg.
- Upload it to your 365 album
- Be sure to tag it RAWCOMP24.
- Deadline is Friday July 11 by midnight (whenever that is in your part of the world).
The challenge host (that's me for this round) will select finalists from the submissions.
Then 365 community will vote to select a winner.
Can this photo be saved? (Hint: the doll is white and blue)
Remember, you don't edit this jpg version, it is posted here so you can see what you're going to edit. Download the RAW image from the link above.

To find out more about RAW file format and the benefits of working in RAW, view
http://photographyconcentrate.com/10-reasons-why-you-should-be-shooting-raw/
The dng files can be read by any RAW software program – free or commercial. A sample RAW edit workflow is at http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/03/19/how-to-process-raw-images-the-right-way/
FINE PRINT
RAWCOMP Challenge rules are:
"All editing must be done with a RAW processor, using no other software or plugins" - so use either Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW, the RAW processing software that came with your camera, but nothing else that does anything more than RAW processing. There are some free RAW file processors available if you do not have one. see http://365project.org/discuss/general/19765/raw
This challenge is NOT about using ‘photoshop’ editing, plugins such as NIK or Topaz, or any other editing other than RAW processing. This differentiates it from WWYD, where any editing goes. Cropping the photo is allowed but must be done within the RAW processor."
Don't forget to tag your photo RAWCOMP24 and, if you wish, post your edited images here using the ‘share’ code from your album page.
This challenge has helped me learn to us a great new editing tool, and I hope it will do the same for you. Happy editing…and I look forward to seeing your entries!
It wasn't quite that simple on my editor: The auto white balance left it looking washed out. Custom settings could take to some interesting places...but which place looks good? And there's a lot of fun in the levels to brighten it up.
@houser934 Kathryn, I think this is a very unique and really important Raw Competition, what you presented us with. Color correction is something I need to learn more about. So, thanks for selecting that picture. We'll see how far we can correct in RAW.
I clicked on the link above and it says the file has been moved or deleted. Can you please check?
@skjgraphics@homeschoolmom Thanks for submitting your photos to RAWCOMP24. I can already see that there is quite a range in how the colors can be "pulled" this way or that in a RAW editor. This is going to be fun to watch. (Makes me want to do my own!)
I'm so please to see all the responses to the RAWCOMP24 challenge! There really is a range of interpretations on how to balance the colors.
For example, the band along the top of the face ranges from blue to white to silver to gold. Great work everybody!
@homeschoolmon Really? To my eyes there is a lot a difference between them. I'm really impressed. It's true that @mikegifford 's photo is most different from my described "blue&white," but still there is a lot of variety in the subtle colors. I'm really enjoying this contest.
@houser934@homeschoolmom Kathryn, I was coming too close to the other edits so I changed my approach and used the adjustment brush a lot with many areas of specific focus to get something that looked very different from the other edits.
Here's my first attempt with windows photo gallery software. Will try again with my Sony software. I didn't stick to the challenge guidelines by making the photo better, just different.
@houser934 I too didn't stick to the white and blue guidelines because it was pretty easy just with a minor temperature adjustment to correct the colors, and like Mike said it looked closer to other edits. So, I thought of trying something different by making it colorful. I hope that's okay. I learned a lot of adjustments in my raw editor that I wouldn't have used otherwise, thanks to you! :-)
@ikamera Absolutely! I admit that I phrase the challenge as a "color correction." I did that because I really do have this problem often, especially under artificial light. But the same tools can be used to bring in new and exciting color treatments. Thanks for experimenting.
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I clicked on the link above and it says the file has been moved or deleted. Can you please check?
I love Martyoshka dolls. I have several. Just had to try my hand at fixing this one!
For example, the band along the top of the face ranges from blue to white to silver to gold. Great work everybody!