How I use my iPad for photography
Dean Shanson over at the Photopreneur Blog recently sent me a list of questions on how I use the iPad in my photography work. Dean did a good job of highlighting the pros and cons of my answers. See the article: The iPad for Photographers. Not long after he posted the article, I received a couple of emails asking for a detail list of my uses and apps.
What I have and How I use it:
I use the 3G/WIFI 32gb version of the iPad. I currently have 200 songs, 22 videos, 813 photos and 84 applications installed. 15.9gb of 29gb space available.
The iPad has become much more useful than I expected when I purchased it. I use it in several ways:
- A portfolio of my work to include a running slideshow when that is appropriate.
- A visual posing example book for clients and models.
- Property releases.
- Model releases.
- Remote camera control.
- Music at a shoot with small external speakers.
- Show image collage videos I produce.
- Educational videos to watch when waiting or traveling.
- Educational books to read when waiting or traveling.
- Sunrise/Sunset information and direction when in a new area.
- Find locations when traveling.
- Take notes on shoots and locations.
- Find nearby food, gas or shopping.
- Give the MUA/Stylist something to play with when I’m shooting.
- Give me something to do (games, email, surfing, etc) when waiting on the model to finish ‘getting ready’.
- As a prop within the shoot.
- Checking the weather.
- Taking credit card payments.
Apps I use now:
Built-in apps I use aside from browser, email and calendar;
- Videos
- Photos (very nice slide show feature too)
- iPod
- Notes
- iBooks
Third party apps:
- Maps (Locations and directions)
- Easy Release (Model and Property)
- Portfolio to Go (links to Flickr)
- Square (Credit Card payments –iPad version has a couple of features the iPhone does not)
- YellowPages (finding nearby resources)
- Weatherbug (weather – current and forecast)
- MyRadar (weather)
- PS Express (for a quick edit/adjustment)
- Sunlight Tracker (Sunrise/set)
- Loc Scout (Locations)
- DSL Remote (to control camera; not used much – but it does work
How I get a model release signed and emailed using the iPad?
I use Easy Release which is great at want it does; the process below is a limitation of the first generation iPad and not Easy Release.
Easy release sample
This is a bit cumbersome but here’s how I do it.
- Take a iPhone picture of model or property.
- Email it to myself.
- Give model iPad to fill in their information
- Get to photo screen
- Open email on the iPad
- Save image to photoroll
- Open Easy Release and select the image
This process works but it ain’t pretty. The new iPad 2 with a built in camera will solve this problem.
iPad for editing – nope.
A complaint I hear often but makes no sense to me.
I have a desktop and a couple of laptops for post processing and other than a quick and dirty crop or adjustment of a photograph I don’t even attempt to do a serious edit with the iPad. If I think I’ll need to do on site editing I bring a laptop.
Advice for other photographers thinking of using the iPad in their photography?
Think it through; how will it assist your photography in a way that makes sense and works for you? Don’t get it just because you can. Technology is not a replacement for basic business or photography skills.
IF you decide to get it spend the extra money for the 3G/WIFI version – WIFI only is useless in the field.
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