Software plus Experience

Below are 2 versions of the same photo, taken 2-1/2 years ago and shot in RAW format.  The top frame was converted in DxO Optics Pro and edited the day after I shot it.  The lower frame was converted today using Lightroom 3.  I think Lightroom is a much better product than DxO, and I think my editing has improved in the last 2 years, also.

And that's two of the most important reasons I shoot in RAW.  If your files are shot and saved in RAW, you can always go back to them later and rework them as your skills improve, and you can also take advantage of software improvements as they are developed and added to programs like Lightroom or Photoshop.

The building is the Vista House at Crown Point in the Columbia River Gorge.  The photo was taken with the Sigma 10mm fisheye.