iPad Pro workflow

[gigabellone]

I have sadly given up the idea of having a proper workstation, as i'm forced to move often, and will be so for at least a couple more years. Keep in mind i'm not a professional, and for me taking photos is just a way to spend time in a meaningful and creative way. Given these conditions, the new 13" iPad Pro seems like an acceptable compromise to me.

I have been impressed by Affinity Photo for desktop, and was planning to make it my go-to editor once i get the iPad Pro. What's still not clear to me is how to the import and store photos. Affinity for iPad offers two importing tools: Import from Cloud and Import from Photos. Import from Photos doesn't look like a viable solution because, if i understand correctly, the app just extracts a jpg out of the raw file. If this is the case, i'm stuck importing from the cloud. But how do i import photos from the camera to the cloud without a computer? Would it be possible to use the companion app of NAS as a means of importing raws into Affinity?
If i'm forced to pay for cloud storage, would rather consider subscribing to Adobe CC.

 

[zim]

Why not just use a laptop?

 

[gigabellone]

There is no room for a desk in my current room, and i don't want to use other shared spaces over the house for this. Moving again is also not an option. ;D

 

[kennethsson]

Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MJYT2AM/A/lightning-to-sd-card-camera-reader?fnode=91

 

[JMZawodny]

... or just wait for iOS 11 and its new multitasking and file system features.

 

[c.d.embrey]

Why not just use a laptop?

Have you ever tried to hold a laptop with one hand ??? An iPad is like an artists sketch pad, not a computer.

 

[c.d.embrey]

If you have access to a WiFi network, you can use DropBox, Amazon, whatever—Apple does not force yo to use iCloud

 

[dppaskewitz]

I don't know about Affinity. I use my IPad Pro while traveling. I shoot Raw only. I download to Photos using the Apple card reader. I then import into Lightroom Mobile. From there I can edit in various ways in Lightroom Mobile. Lightroom Mobile synchs with my Adobe cloud (apparently). When I get home, Adobe cloud synchs the photos, including whatever edits I have made in Mobile, to my home computer Lightroom. Once in Lightroom on the home computer, I can view the photo with the Lightroom Mobile edits or go back to the original raw and re-edit. When everything has uploaded to the cloud and back to my home computer with backup, I delete the photos from Photos to save space on the Apple cloud (I think their cloud storage is fairly pricey). I hope that helps.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

If I were editing photos on a tablet, my first choice would be a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 or later tablet. They have the power of a laptop but form factor of a tablet. They run standard editing software, anything that runs on Windows. I had a Apple Ipad, while its nice, its not a practical raw photo editing tool. I have a Android Tablet as well, but not for photo editing.

 

[lion rock]

For serious editing, I'd defer to RAW and whatever the preferred software, be it LR or PS plain or with add-on. All done on proper computer or laptop.
For travel, I use iPAD and edit jpeg with PhotoGene. Gives me enough profiling on jpeg with a less powerful machine.
-r

 

[sanj]

Just don't understand why a 13" laptop is not an option.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Gigabellone.
If you already have the iPad I can't help with the workflow, but if you don't have it yet, I would heartily second this recommendation from Mt Spokane, I use a Surface Pro4 and find it brilliant. It works nicely as a tablet with a pen for fine selection, and in a blink you can have a laptop just by clicking on the keyboard.
I tried PhotoRaw lite, on my iPad Air, it does work with the raw but is not intuitive to me, I think I did one photo with it, the free lite version seems to have gone now.

Cheers, Graham.

If I were editing photos on a tablet, my first choice would be a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 or later tablet. They have the power of a laptop but form factor of a tablet. They run standard editing software, anything that runs on Windows. I had a Apple Ipad, while its nice, its not a practical raw photo editing tool. I have a Android Tablet as well, but not for photo editing.

 

[tomscott]

The iPad pro is still a tablet pretending to be a computer and as great as they are they are limiting for the time being.

The larger ipad pro is impossible to use with one hand you have to prop it up on your lap or some other way because its just too heavy to use comfortably. Its as much as a good laptop and even in IOS11 the file system is a pretty poor implementation. You need the pencil too, using touch screens for sliders isnt very accurate I find, using a mouse is a lot easier. The nice thing is you can make loacl adjustments with more accuracy with the pencil.

TBH its the same size as a laptop and bigger than a lot too. A laptop is a fully functional machine and you would have no problems with the above. You dont need a desk to use a laptop you can use it in the same way and have fully fledged applications.

I took an ipad mini traveling for 6 months although it was 2 years ago so things have moved on but it wasnt a fun experience.

So for me the cost, size, usability, file system just doesn't make sense for any type of workflow. The new macbook for example is smaller, even the base M3 processor is bench marking at 3500 single core which is faster than my 6 core mac pro workstation, it has a retina display and you can get 16gb of ram. It is tiny lightweight and the best bit is the screen, images look incredible. As a travel machine it doesn't get much better, although again its not cheap and dongle life can be a pain but now I have an adapter and converted my usb 3 cables to usb C i dont have to use the dongle all the time.

Im sure the M5 and M7 will be knocking on the door of 4000 single core which is amazing for a machine with no fans. It has some serious grunt now. I have the 2015 base model and I love it. Its not a power house compared to the newer ones but is a great all rounder and is so dam small, its 12" but 60% the footprint of the 13" air.
Its also so smooth in lightroom, my mac pro is so choppy in comparison.

With applications optimised for it like Final Cut it outperforms i7 windows laptops using premier (mostly because premier is so badly optimised) But for most people its 90% the machine you will ever need.

That would be my go to.

I traveled again for 6 months with my 11" macbook air and loved it.

 

[zim]

Why not just use a laptop?

Have you ever tried to hold a laptop with one hand ??? An iPad is like an artists sketch pad, not a computer.

I guess I'm lucky to have two hands

 

[zim]

Just don't understand why a 13" laptop is not an option.

+1

 

[CSD]

Personally I'd go with the Surface Pro, unless you're tied into the Apple eco-system. Spec wise and also ability wise Surface Pro just out-guns the iPad for most day-to-day tasks and I've compared a SP4 with a iPad Pro and battery life was pretty much a wash when you start adding dongles. With the latest version of both the SP and the iPad Pro the pen is pretty much equal, although I'd wait out for a review on the new SP.

I use a Surface Pro for tethered work and also editing on the move. I also have the dock for when I have access to monitors or TVs (although a Mini DP works just as well I prefer the extra ports).

Also Affinity is now available on Windows.

 

[ethanz]

The 12" MacBook sounds like a good option. They are super lightweight and small. The new ones are probably powerful enough for simple photo editing.

 

[c.d.embrey]

Why not just use a laptop?

Have you ever tried to hold a laptop with one hand ??? An iPad is like an artists sketch pad, not a computer.

I guess I'm lucky to have two hands

The OP has two hands, but no table to set a laptop on. Don't you ever read replies ???

Re: iPad Pro workflow
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2017, 06:27:11 AM »
Quote
There is no room for a desk in my current room, and i don't want to use other shared spaces over the house for this. Moving again is also not an option. ;D

 

[sanj]

There are lots of people who use laptops who do not have a proper desk. Fact.

 

[tomscott]

I seriously looked at the Surface pro line because I use 100% windows 10 for the agency I work for but mac running my photography business. So i use both on a day to day basis.

They are super things I love the concept. I just dont think they are quite there maybe a couple more generations will crack it. Once you spec the machine up with some decent storage and cpu add the pen and the keyboard you are well into the apple tax bracket. Unless you get the base line models or the core M but again they are so poorly optimised they dont run anywhere near as fast as the macbook for certain tasks. Specs on paper look amazing tho, not keen on the detachable keyboards they arent that comfortable to type on.

The tablet/laptop thing... I dont think it works. For example the surface pro isnt a very nice machine to hold as a tablet. Its quite heavy, thick and angular and the kick stand isnt much use unless you have a table to set it on. Its not stable on your lap just like an ipad and smart cover. Other than that I really liked it just didnt want to pay that for a windows machine. Unlike the apple products they dont hold their value in the same way, so if your like me and upgrade every 2-3 years you might need a little more to upgrade.

Onto the surface book, the hinge is cool but a stupid design. Have you tried using the touch screen while docked? The screen wobbles back and forward you certainly cant use it with a pen while attached to the keyboard then you loose all the battery and power option. Then theres the price of these things, crazy.

The new ipad pro with its 2x 3 core processors is also faster than all we have spoke about it outguns even i7s you just cant use it in the same way as pro apps dont exist. Maybe next generation of IOS apple might start to make the ipad more of a computer. It needs a new OS specific to the ipad instead of a sharing the same thing with the iPhone.

TBH there isnt really a perfect hybrid yet but I feel its coming. But there are hundreds of good laptops that have a very small footprint but pack a punch. The dell XPS is also a great laptop you can buy it in lots of sizes and has the touch screen option with a much better hinge.