When you first open a raw image in Photoshop, you’ll see a dialog box asking if you’d like to open the image with Camera Raw. If you choose “Yes,” the image will open in the Camera Raw interface.
If you choose “No,” the image will open in Photoshop as a flat, unedited image. You can always go back and edit the raw image later by opening it in Camera Raw from within Photoshop.
Once you have a raw image open in Camera Raw, you can make all sorts of adjustments to improve the image. The interface is fairly self-explanatory, but here are a few things to keep in mind:
White Balance: This setting adjusts the overall color cast of the image. You can either select a preset option from the drop-down menu or click on the white balance eyedropper tool and then click on a neutral area of the image. Neutral areas are usually grayish in color.
Exposure: This slider adjusts the overall brightness of the image. Be careful not to overdo it, as this can cause the image to look washed out or artificial.
Contrast: This slider increases or decreases the difference between light and dark areas of the image. Again, be careful not to overdo it.
Saturation: This slider adjusts the intensity of colors in the image. Higher saturation means more vibrant colors, while lower saturation means more muted colors.
Sharpening: This setting helps bring out details in an image. Be careful not to overdo it, as too much sharpening can make an image look artificial or grainy.
There are many other settings in Camera Raw, but these are some of the most basic and important ones. Play around with them until you get a feel for what they do and how they affect your images.
The above article was originally published on Photography Tuts+. It has been republished here with permission.