Why I’m starting to choose JPEG over RAW

For most of my decade-long career as a professional photographer, I’ve followed the golden rule: always shoot RAW.

Like many of us, I was taught that RAW files were the only serious option, offering maximum flexibility, better dynamic range and more latitude in post-processing. It was about control, precision, and keeping every editing possibility open.

But that mindset started to shift when I noticed something in my personal work. I was editing far less than I used to. With Fujifilm’s Film Simulations – typically Acros for black-and-white and Classic Chrome for color – I was getting images I loved straight out of the camera.

I even started creating my own custom film recipes in-camera, refining tones and contrast to match how I wanted the image to feel. Slowly, post-processing became almost unnecessary.

That raised an obvious question: if I wasn’t editing much, why was I still shooting RAW?

Especially when using the Fujifilm GFX system, where RAW file sizes are huge, I began questioning the need. So I did something I never thought I would: I started shooting in JPEG, and not just casually but intentionally. It felt liberating.

The images looked great and were certainly more immediate. I wasn’t dragging files into Lightroom or wrestling with color grading. I was simply shooting, enjoying the process, and moving on. The discipline of getting it right in-camera brought back something I hadn’t realized I’d lost awareness of: trust in my eye, and instinct.

Let me be clear, for commercial photography I still shoot RAW 100% of the time. When a client needs options, flexibility, and post-production leeway, RAW is essential. But for the slower, more personal, observational kind of work I do just for me, JPEG has become a real and reliable option.

It’s fast. It takes up less space. It’s closer to film than I expected. And most importantly, it reconnects me with the joy of making photographs – not files.

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For more information on RAW and JPEG, check out our articles What is RAW? and What is JPEG?, and RAW vs JPEG.