# Where to get RAWs for edit practice



## trevburley (Jun 30, 2017)

I've been editing my own photos now for a while and I'd like to try editing other people's shots - are there any resources out there that supply RAW files for people like me to play with?

I'm after a couple portrait shots of any genre with males and females that fill the frame whether they are head, head and torso or even full body strictly for personal practice.

Anyone know of any such place / site?

Cheers - Trev


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## zombiesniper (Jun 30, 2017)

I would suggest you don't need others RAW files.

The process of taking the picture is also a learning experience. To me it's pointless to learn editing photos that are not your own while in the learning process. The reason for this is that if you need to practice editing photos I'd be willing to bet you need to practice taking them. I'm in this same situation. I sometimes go into the studio and shoot self portraits just for the learning curve.


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## jcdeboever (Jun 30, 2017)

trevburley said:


> I've been editing my own photos now for a while and I'd like to try editing other people's shots - are there any resources out there that supply RAW files for people like me to play with?
> 
> I'm after a couple portrait shots of any genre with males and females that fill the frame whether they are head, head and torso or even full body strictly for personal practice.
> 
> ...


I would challenge you to get it right camera. I took this challenge on as a resolution and it teaches you a lot about your hardware. When you are getting consistently good images in camera that require little to no editing, then move into creative controls in camera. Lastly, this gives you a body of work to study, edit, and find your style. 

I shoot a lot of film and this can be expensive but, and the big but, is it forces you to slow down and that discipline transfers to digital or it has for me.


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## trevburley (Jun 30, 2017)

jcdeboever said:


> I would challenge you to get it right camera. I took this challenge on as a resolution and it teaches you a lot about your hardware. When you are getting consistently good images in camera that require little to no editing, then move into creative controls in camera. Lastly, this gives you a body of work to study, edit, and find your style.
> 
> I shoot a lot of film and this can be expensive but, and the big but, is it forces you to slow down and that discipline transfers to digital or it has for me.



I pretty much only crop, saturate and de-blemish in post at the moment but I've bought an iPad Pro with the new Affinity Photo app and want some more intensive projects to test myself with. I can of course go out and get these but I've only got my other half to model for me and she's getting rather tired of it.

Trev


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## zombiesniper (Jun 30, 2017)

Then take photos of yourself, friends, family heck anyone that'll stay still long enough.

P.S. If the model is tired of her photo being taken.....she's not going to make it.


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## trevburley (Jun 30, 2017)

zombiesniper said:


> Then take photos of yourself, friends, family heck anyone that'll stay still long enough.
> 
> P.S. If the model is tired of her photo being taken.....she's not going to make it.



My other half isn't a model, she's just my partner doing me a favour


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## Ysarex (Jun 30, 2017)

trevburley said:


> I've been editing my own photos now for a while and I'd like to try editing other people's shots - are there any resources out there that supply RAW files for people like me to play with?
> 
> I'm after a couple portrait shots of any genre with males and females that fill the frame whether they are head, head and torso or even full body strictly for personal practice.
> 
> ...



Many of the camera review sites post samples including raw files. You don't get to specify the subjects or control how the file was exposed.

Affinity Photo is great for editing RGB image files -- a clear best choice -- however, Affinity Photo may be the single worst raw file processing software available.

Joe


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## trevburley (Jun 30, 2017)

Ysarex said:


> trevburley said:
> 
> 
> > I've been editing my own photos now for a while and I'd like to try editing other people's shots - are there any resources out there that supply RAW files for people like me to play with?
> ...


Can you elaborate? Why do you think the RAW processing is bad in affinity?

Trev

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## astroNikon (Jun 30, 2017)

have your partner take pictures of you modeling, in the RAW format.  Then you should have plenty of samples.


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## trevburley (Jun 30, 2017)

astroNikon said:


> have your partner take pictures of you modeling, in the RAW format.  Then you should have plenty of samples.


That would need extensive retouching work! Good idea!

Trev

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## Ysarex (Jun 30, 2017)

trevburley said:


> Ysarex said:
> 
> 
> > trevburley said:
> ...



Processing from raw originals has some important critical advantages. One of those most critical advantages is the possibility, to the extent the software supports it, to accomplish a completed edit parametrically using only the raw conversion software. When this is possible, which is often the case using LR or C1 or a few other titles, you have the ideal circumstance of a processing edit that is entirely non-destructive, and entirely re-editable. Affinity does not support a similar workflow. Affinity does not save any raw processing work you do in a non-destructive re-editable form. It in fact forces you to work with raw files destructively. In other words if you wake up sober in the morning and look at the work you did and say, oops, what was I thinking, Affinity will likely force you to start over. I'm sorry but that can only be described as stupid.

As an RGB pixel-level file editor Affinity is great. But if you're seriously trying to work with raw files one of your goals is to not have to use an RGB pixel-level editor.

Joe


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## trevburley (Jun 30, 2017)

Ysarex said:


> trevburley said:
> 
> 
> > Ysarex said:
> ...


Fair point. I do like Lightroom but I prefer the workflow in Affinity. I haven't been bitten by it yet and after using Lightroom I would only take it into Photoshop afterwards anyway at which point it is destructive anyway. 

I like to mess around and become creative with the images rather than just crop and process them.

Trev

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## Light Guru (Jun 30, 2017)

Shoot your own photos!  I have even heard of people getting a mannequin to practice with, this lets them spend all the time they want experimenting with lightning.


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## snowbear (Jul 1, 2017)

I have a few you could buy, but it would be much cheaper to take your own.


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## trevburley (Jul 1, 2017)

It's ok, all I wanted was some RAWs to play around with and create some creative style shots, the kind you couldn't get with a camera. I wouldn't be using them in any public way. 

I found a load on model mayhem so I'm all sorted now anyway.

Trev

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk


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## chuasam (Aug 8, 2017)

Ysarex said:


> Affinity Photo is great for editing RGB image files -- a clear best choice -- however, Affinity Photo may be the single worst raw file processing software available.
> 
> Joe


noooo don't say that! I just purchased it an hour ago


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## jpross123 (Aug 8, 2017)

Go out and shoot some pictures! That's the best way to get raw photos  

But if you insist on getting others raw pictures, Jared Polin, the photographer some hate or some love, he always has some raw photos on his website for others to edit. JARED POLINNN froknowsphoto.com


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## trevburley (Aug 9, 2017)

Thanks, and with the other half working late and a young child to look after finding the time is pretty hard and arranging models is even harder since I can't commit to availability right now.

I have managed to pick up a few RAWs from Model Mayhem so I've got plenty to play with although I am finding that there's nothing quite like working with your own shots. Affinity however has been fantastic, I haven't used PS since getting it.

Trev


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## jpross123 (Aug 13, 2017)

trevburley said:


> Thanks, and with the other half working late and a young child to look after finding the time is pretty hard and arranging models is even harder since I can't commit to availability right now.
> 
> I have managed to pick up a few RAWs from Model Mayhem so I've got plenty to play with although I am finding that there's nothing quite like working with your own shots. Affinity however has been fantastic, I haven't used PS since getting it.
> 
> Trev


If you havent used Lightroom yet to edit your photos, I recommend it! Its so easy to use, and the results are great when you see all the things you can do to a photo.


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## trevburley (Aug 13, 2017)

I've been using lightroom for years. It is very good but I'm heading down the more creative route which requires Photoshop or Affinity. Affinity just means no more subscription payments (when my subscription finally ends).

Trev


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## jpross123 (Aug 15, 2017)

trevburley said:


> I've been using lightroom for years. It is very good but I'm heading down the more creative route which requires Photoshop or Affinity. Affinity just means no more subscription payments (when my subscription finally ends).
> 
> Trev


That is one of the downsides to Adobe, you have to pay for a monthly subscription


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