Beautiful reflections in this. You asked if I always shoot in RAW. Yes, I do; I started earlier this year. I have my camera set to take each capture in both JPEG and RAW, because the JPEG files are so much quicker to look at. If I like what I see in the JPEG, I then open the RAW in PS CC, and that's the one I edit.
@tristansmum thank you Stephanie that's a great idea, I have been toying with the idea of shooting in Raw for awhile. The other issue is how much room a raw file takes...........do you delete the raw files if your not using them?
When editing in PS, do you have a general list of adjustments that you do on each photo?
@radiogirl You're welcome, Kathy. Yes, the RAW files do take a lot of room. If I decide I don't want to keep a shot, I delete both the RAW and JPEG files. I have certain things I do to most but not all RAW files when I first open them: emphasize the whites and blacks, add contrast, add sharpening. I then open the file as a JPEG and do various things to it, depending on what I want and what I think is appropriate. Then I often click on the RAW filter and go back and do other things: possibly I adjust the highlights and shadows, add clarity, reduce noise, are some of them--it all depends on what I'm trying to do. I may reduce the clarity if I want a soft look, as in some flower captures. On thing I've found out about converting a coloured shot to b&w: I prefer to do it after I've opened the file as a JPEG rather than in RAW. If I do it in JPEG, I can then go to the RAW filter and use the temperature slider to add warmth or coolness and get a sepia or a blue look (I generally prefer the sepia). If I've converted to b&w in RAW, it won't let me use the temperature slider. There are all sorts of other things one can do in RAW, I think, but I don't understand them yet--maybe someday! As with all post processing, it's important to play and experiment and perhaps get some instruction--there are useful online tutorials.
When editing in PS, do you have a general list of adjustments that you do on each photo?