Free RAW Photos for Editing

I shoot RAW almost exclusively, and I always encourage my students and readers of my blog to do the same.

And it is not surprising that my Lightroom editing teachings are based on exploring RAW files’ power and flexibility. Even all my Lightroom presets developed with RAW images in mind.

But many beginner photographers pointed to me that they do not have quality RAW files or do not have any at all. It makes it difficult for them to get involved in RAW editing and retouching.

To help newcomers, I created a free library of RAW photos and shared them with the photo community. These RAW files can be used to practice photo development and editing.

Downloading Free RAW Files

It is straightforward, just click the Raw Image Download button and start downloading. I do not ask for your email.

What Is RAW Image?

A RAW file is not actually an image. You can not print it or post it to Instagram. It is a set of data collected from the camera’s sensor.

When you press a shutter button, the light hits the camera sensor and depending on its intensity, the photons of light change the voltage inside each pixel. The voltage information is collected from every pixel and saved to a RAW file, nothing else. In a nutshell, a RAW file is voltage information from a camera sensor.

To covert (rasterize) RAW files to image format, we need a RAW converter. Lightroom and Photoshop are two of the best RAW converters on the market today.

Why Are They Called RAW Files?

RAW files are unprocessed, raw data that requires further transformation to become an image.

Editing Free RAW Images 

You can use any RAW editing software to edit my free raw photos, but I recommend Lightroom.

You have a few options on how to edit the raw photos. You can use the “freestyle editing” approach when you start editing every image from scratch. Another option is to use a preset-based system where you begin RAW development with a series of prerecorded edits.

On top, I am going to include my editing version for every free RAW file I share. If you are a Lightroom user, you can access my recorded editing steps from the Snapshot panel.

What About Copyright?

All free raw images I share, I took myself, and they belong to me. They are not sourced from the public. But they are still copyrighted. 

You are free to edit my RAW photos. And if you want to share them on your blog or social media, go for it; all I am asking is to credit me with the link to my site. And you can not use them commercially.