Should you be using Camera RAW?

In a previous post I mentioned the fact that there has been an increased interest in Adobe Camera RAW. However, I have also noticed that a lot of people who venture into RAW territory are disappointed with the results. I find this unfortunate as RAW processing can be a fabulous tool in the right hands. I suspect there are several reasons for this problem and I propose we try to set a kind of bar for when you are ready for RAW. Oh, start any time you like, no one is going to stop you, but ask yourself the following questions to see how likely you are to succeed in your quest.

Do I have the requisite skills?
You are most likely to succeed in learning RAW if you are thoroughly familiar with your camera and the software to make adjustments to your images. It doesn't really matter which program you use as long as you are quite familiar with making adjustments like cropping, levels, curves, etc. You will find that the knowledge you have in these areas will help you when you start learning RAW so the more you know going in the easier it will be.

Do I have the time?
Even if you do your homework and master the skills mentioned above, the learning curve for mastering RAW is pretty steep. I would suggest you set aside time to gain for practice and experimentation. No, you don't need to quit your day job, just be aware that this is going to take some time, weeks or months, and make sure you are willing to make that kind of investment.

Do I have the resources to learn?
I started by reading several books on Camera RAW, but made the biggest improvement in my skills after viewing the video series available from Luminous Landscape. There are also free tutorials available on YouTube and other places (including my own). My suggestion is that you assemble the necessary resources as it is likely going to require more than a single book or video to get any good at RAW.

Do I have the necessary software?
Adobe Camera RAW is shipped with all the new versions of Photoshop, Lightroom and Photoshop Elements. Camera manufacturers also often ship the requisite software for working with RAW images with their cameras. Plus, there are also free open source version available on the web. UFRAW is fairly robust and works well with the open source imaging software GIMP.

Do you understand what you will get?
Contrary to what many might say on the forums, RAW is not the Holy Grail of great photography. It is merely a new set of tools for working with images. As a matter of fact, everything you can do in RAW can be done it jpg. The tools may be a bit better and faster in RAW, but believe me when I tell you, you could have a long and successful career in photography and never learn RAW. The real Holy Grail in photography is learning to "see" better, but that is a subject for another posting.