Only a few short years ago most photographers had not been persuaded to adopt the Raw file format in any great number and of those who had, it tended to be pulled out just for special occasions. The hefty overheads that came with Raw files, together with the less than ideal post production software of the era, made it a very time consuming proposition. High quality JPGs were so much easier to deal with that they tended to win the argument on most occasions.

In the years since we have acquired much better computers, far cheaper storage media and hugely improved software. Together, all of this has reduced those overheads to the point that working with Raw files has become akin to handling JPGs. Now that they can enjoy all the benefits and few of the constraints, it has come to be that for most of the photographers that I know at least, shooting in Raw is now standard.

But while Raw certainly helps them make better pictures, a seldom realised danger has arisen as an unintended consequence of this mass-migration.

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