Hi Katherine
I'm in a similar position having just started photography of a collection of historic textiles. We're shooting RAW because - and this is a purely personal opinion - I think that editing a RAW file it's an integral part of the whole process of digital photography: at least where image quality is paramount and both your camera and the objects you're photographing justify the effort.
It will make extra demands in terms of time and, if you're not already familiar with working with RAW files, acquainting yourself with the RAW processing capabilities of software such as Lightroom or, even better, Capture 1.
However once we've edited the RAW files were planning on saving them as TIFFs and once were happy, will probably delete them or at least archive them offline.
I think the decision really hangs on whether you regard the RAW file as something that you might return to in the future, or whether you're happy to use it as a means of producing a perfect final image and then moving on. Printmakers have similarly different attitudes to etching plates or wood blocks: some regarding them as an interim / sacrificial phase of the process of image production whilst others regarding them as works of art in their own right.
But there's no right or wrong answer :)
Best wishes, Tom
The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 0RN
www.courtauld.ac.uk
Now open at The Courtauld Gallery – Botticelli and Treasures from the Hamilton Collection
Until 15 May 2016
> On 30 Mar 2016, at 14:14, Katherine West <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I was hoping some of you might be able to give me some advice.
>
> I am working on a HLF project in the New Forest aiming to create a website which will be a portal to information on the New Forest. This includes digitising a large part of the New Forest Centre's museum and library collection to be uploaded to the website as well as forming a high quality digital archive.
>
> We have purchased a digital SLR camera and will be using it to digitise a range of objects, from maps to glass plate negatives and 35mm slides. We have a limited budget and will be storing digitised copies on the cloud and an external hard drive.
>
> We are currently discussing whether we should be saving the RAW files or whether TIFF files will be sufficient for a master digital archive. Our concern is that RAW files might take up too much space on our storage system, but also that we should be capturing the digital copies with as much detail and information as possible for the future.
>
> Has anyone else had any experience of this? Do other organisations often use RAW files instead of TIFF? What are the advantages either way? Any advice would be a huge help! Thank you.
>
> Katherine.
>
>
> Katherine West
> Digitisation Officer
> New Forest Knowledge Project
> Please note: My working days are Wednesday - Friday. I may not be able to respond to emails immediately outside of these days. Thank you for your understanding.
> New Forest Centre
> Lyndhurst
> Hampshire
> SO43 7NY
>
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