Fiddling With RAW Meat

It seems I have tendencies to word things a bit differently. Oh the puns I play with. No, I'm not playing with food. Nor meat for that matter. No meat was fiddled with during the creation of this entry... But there were some cooked meat that were consumed.

Waiting For The Order. My buddy explores the whole room while we wait for the goodies we ordered. Yes, I have scary friends. He will cut you. Beware. LOL just kidding, he's a nice guy.

This has more to do with photography than with meat, though. In this case, the "meat" of the image file is the RAW data that comes from the sensor. And as for the JPEG output, well, I guess we can call it "processed meat", since this is output from the image processors from cameras. Notice how small the file size is compared to the RAW file. The reason is, some of the details and dynamic range has been lost in the name of having a smaller size and neat packaging. The control you have over the final image is relatively limited as the camera makes the decisions for you. Some "essence" has been lost along the way.

Darkened Halls. Not much crowd tonight. We're lucky that it's not crowded and not too noisy tonight.

Used to be that I'm contented with having JPEG outputs from the images. The outputs were decent to begin with anyway. At least for general viewing. However, it kinda made me a bit lazy. Sure, I can photoshop the stuff but it's too much trouble. And sometimes, the exposure corrections I need to do are so minor that I don't bother to edit it anymore. This worked fine for social shots, like somebody's birthday party or some social gathering. But for more creative work, it doesn't offer much WOW factor.

Quiet Eye. Notice the all seeing camera quietly watching in the corner. The witness to whatever fracas that may arise.

The desire I have for more detail, especially in night shots (See my recent ones here.) has compelled me to adapting to having RAW files for the image. And so having the right tools made it relatively painless. I have somehow outgrown the camera's built in filters, and I was looking for something more elaborate and something that I can have fun tweaking...

Chandelier. I can almost imagine Maddie Ziegler swinging up there with Sia singing. Also, we heard some noisy crowd upstairs. I was half hoping to see some random guy get tossed over the balcony and unto the tables below.

Vintage Decor. The look and feel reminds me of wild west saloons back in the old days.

... Also, having the RAW files means I can apply whatever filter I want. My only limitation is my creativity. This opens a new dimension for me. One that I'll have fun exploring.

Starbucks. My frequent hangout.

This set showcases the different image styles and filters I'm trying out, from a vast selection that's way more than what a single camera can muster.

Goodies. Ah the tempting selection of food beckoning for me.

Lots Of Tumblers. I never needed one though. My sister already gave me a huge 600mL mug.

Random Sign. Someone will run out the floor?

Empty Chairs. I wonder what were the stories of the people who sat there?

End Of A Weeknight. It was late in the night and almost closing time. These furniture bore witness to the comings and goings of a diverse number of people that went here day in and day out. If these had ears they'd have listened, known and understood the story of each individual that occupied these spaces.

Take Out. Care for  some bread? Buy one, take one after nine in the evening.

Until then, let's get lost and wander! :-)