Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time reprocessing many of my older photographs using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) in preparation for my website’s stock gallery. Of all of the Raw processing software I have tried (others include RawShooter Essentials, Nikon Capture NX, BreezeBrowser, and Canon Digital Photo Professional), I like ACR the best for the amount of control it gives, overall image quality, and streamlined workflow with Adobe Photoshop CS3.

By using ACR with Raw files, I have been able to rescue quite a few shots that might never have been usable otherwise. This shot, of two Laughing Gulls, is one such image. The original file is quite a bit underexposed, but thanks to ACR and the overall lightness of this photo (light colors show less noise than dark colors when increasing exposure during post-processing), I was able to bump up the exposure by nearly two stops and end up with this final image. The result is actually a new favorite of mine, as I like the interaction between the two gulls and the dynamicism (is that a word?) of the shot.

To order this print, purchase stock rights, or view other photos I have for sale, please visit my website at www.karipost.com.