Maybe you are just getting into working with camera RAW files, and want to see some examples of Adobe Camera RAW in action. Or perhaps you are curious about how some of those popular Flickr photographers go about getting a certain “look” in their work. Well, you could ask. But if you don’t get an answer, here is another way to get answers: you can use Adobe Bridge to spy the camera raw adjustments made to many digital photos.
This is a fun method for people getting into digital photography who learn best by seeing real world examples. This method of “open source photography” lets you see how talented photographers approach post production. What seems like simple snooping is actually a great example of how technology and the Internet are able to make it easier for people to dive into a new hobby or think about their art a little differently.
What You Need
First, the software that enables us to snoop: Adobe Bridge, a file browser that ships alongside Adobe Photoshop. In this example, I am using Adobe Bridge CS3.
Second, the photographer’s original hi-res image file. On Flickr, click “All Sizes”, click “Original”, and download the Original size photo.
What to do
Using Bridge, browse to the location where you saved the image file. Click once on the image file, and go to the “Metadata” panel (if this panel isn’t displayed, click Window → Metadata panel).
In the Metadata panel you will see various information about the exposure, such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity. Scroll down to the section labeled “Camera Raw”, and you will see what the photographer did with each of ACR’s adjustment sliders during post production.
What you won’t see
If the photographer did any work in Photoshop proper (levels and curves adjustments, usm, etc…), you are obviously not going to see it anywhere here.
What if you don’t see anything?
Only the original hi-res image that was saved by Adobe Camera RAW will contain this information. If the photographer does not upload the original hi-res files, or does not allow them to be downloaded, this method will not work. The various downsized image files generated by Flickr’s resizing process do not contain this metadata.
Some photographers actively strip metadata. If that is the case with the image you download, this method will not work.
Not everyone uses Adobe Camera Raw. If that is the case with the image you download, guess what… this method will not work! Try it with another photo from a different photographer.
