A Learning Tool -Photography extract from VividlightPhotography.com

The ability to change camera settings later can also be a great learning tool. With so many variations available using in-camera settings, it's no longer just a matter of bracketing to see the effects of different exposures.
Let's say you shoot mostly landscapes. It's near sunset and the light is tricky. You set up on a tripod and bracket at 2/3rds of a stop above and below the meter reading in raw mode.

Now back at your desk load the images in and choose the one you feel is the best starting point. Most photographers use different films in different situations to control saturation and mood in their photos. Experiment with tone and saturation of your image to get a combination of settings that imitate a favorite film or films. Record those settings so you can choose what kind of "film" you want to use in the field - just as you would with a film camera.
Next, experiment with the white balance. White balance is probably the most misunderstood setting in digital photography and the accuracy of white balance settings varies greatly from camera to camera and under differing conditions.
Is auto white balance the best answer with your rig - or do your images look better with some white balance compensation dialed in? How about sharpness? Are you better off doing some sharpening in-camera, or doing it all in PhotoShop? If there's no difference let the camera do it to save you a step later. But beware! The amount of sharpening you want to do may change with the subject you're shooting.