Looking for high-quality free RAW photos to practice your retouching skills? Check out our list of the best websites to download RAW images.
As a photography enthusiast, you may be aware of the importance of RAW photos. RAW images are highly preferred because they contain more data than any other image file format, thanks to their uncompressed nature.
DSLR cameras have two main formats, JPEG and RAW, and the latter is the preferred choice for professionals who seek greater control and flexibility during post-processing.
When you capture an image in RAW format, the camera saves the image data from the sensor as an uncompressed file format. However, you cannot simply upload these RAW images on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram.
These files must first be processed with special editing software such as Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
Although RAW files have a high file size, making it difficult to store and transfer them, they provide a great advantage when it comes to editing and retouching. With more data available in RAW files, professionals can exercise greater creativity and improve image quality.
JPEG vs RAW For Learning Retouching and Editing
There is no denying the fact that editing and retouching can be learned and practiced with JPEG images. But if possible, you can and you should practice retouching on RAW photos.
RAW photos offer you a high dynamic range thus giving you the freedom to adjust and fix the white balance in your images to make them look more natural.
Also, you can fine-tune the sharpness and adjust the noise in post-processing to get clean overall images. To cut things short, you can retouch RAW photos with Lightroom Presets and then work your way up to give a different look and feel to them.
Free Raw Photos For Retouching Practice
Below we’ve listed some of the best websites where you can download free raw photos for retouching practice. Whether you’re a beginner or a professional, these websites offer an opportunity to hone your skills and improve your retouching abilities.
The Retouching Academy Lab
The sole purpose of this website is to help photographers and editors learn image retouching and coloring. Retouching Academy Lab offers free RAW practice files for beauty, portrait & fashion retouching.
You can download their RAW images and practice your retouching skills on them. Along with the free RAW images, their Photoshop extension “Beauty Retouch Panel” can also help you learn the art and process of image retouching.
Fix The Photo
Fix The Photo offers a special collection of studio and outdoor RAW photos to practice editing and color correction. Such free RAW photos are useful for beginner photographers and retouchers to try, practice and improve their skills and knowledge of post-processing.
Their RAW files are suitable for all versions of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
FroKnowsPhoto
FroKnowsPhoto.com is a website by Photographer and YouTube Jared Polin. He reviews all the latest cameras and equipment and often releases test RAW images for people to download and play with.
You can download Jared’s RAW files and learn editing/retouching along with his step-by-step guides and tutorials.
Wedding Retouching
Wedding Retouching is an online professional retouching service for photographers. Many photographers have contributed their work and given permission to use their RAW images for editing practice.
You can even showcase both the original and edited photos on your website, and social media or even include them in your portfolio without any copyright issues.
Spectacle
want to practice RAW image processing and retouching? Spectaclephoto.com offers a bunch of files for your to try out.
Their images are free to use for personal use only. But if you share them online, simply tag Spectacle Photo as the photographer.
Signature Edits
Signature Edits is a publicly contributed community with hundreds of free RAW files for photographers to download and upload RAW files for practicing.
All raw files published on Signature Edits can be used for free. You can use them for commercial and noncommercial purposes.
You do not need to ask permission from or provide credit to the photographer or Signature Edits. Although it is appreciated when possible.
Shotkit
Shotkit offers a collection of more than 100 free RAW photos for you to download and practice retouching.
Their RAW files are captured with the most popular camera brands and are separated into different categories such as Nikon NEF RAW files, Canon CR2 RAW files, and so on.
Currently, there are 138 RAW files available on Shotkit that you can download for free.
Detty Studio
Detty Studio is an online photo retouching agency that also offers free RAW photos to download and practice retouching skills. All the free RAW images on the Detty Studio are super high quality as they were all captured by professional photographers.
You are also allowed to display the original and retouched photos on your website or social media.
Signature Edits has created a HUGE library of free raw photos! Definitely should be added to this list. Check it out @ https://www.signatureedits.com/free-raw-photos
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for suggesting Signature Edits as a resource for downloading free RAW images. It has been added to our existing list of resources. Thank You!
Very helpful. Thank you
Most Welcome.