iPad as tool for serious photography

[Lost Canadian]

As I eluded to earlier, if you look beyond the ipad as merely a process driven device, it's potential as a valuable tool for photographers becomes significantly more poignant.

Case in point:
http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2011/03/custom-ipad-holders-display-art/

 

[photoman]

I only see the IPad being used as a tool for showing examples of work or finished images. This is usually done with a laptop or a USB drive plugged into a television but the IPad is much more useful when meeting a potential client at say a restaurant or coffee shop to discuss what they are looking for and what you can offer.

The quick start up, ease of use, enlarge and shrink function, and the ability to quickly access the web makes it ideal for this type of scenario.

 

[ywen]

IMO no LCD display comes close to showing images printed properly on photo paper. I have 3 portfolios of 12x18 enlargements that I show to potential clients. Give it a try, any image when printed out enlarged looks much more impressive than on a computer screen.

 

[photoman]

IMO no LCD display comes close to showing images printed properly on photo paper. I have 3 portfolios of 12x18 enlargements that I show to potential clients. Give it a try, any image when printed out enlarged looks much more impressive than on a computer screen.

Depends on the client and the services you offer.

For most of my portrait work I do not do print packages. Clients can print from my site if they choose but most opt to pay for a DVD of the images. No point in me spending money on prints and a portfolio book if they are going to print from home or Walgreens if they print at all.

For the commercial work I do, the clients want digital files because they are using them for web and intranet use. Any actual printing is minimal and is a reduced size for brochures or inter company information.

Shopping my work at art galleries I have a portfolio book and am creating several more to fit particular galleries or shows I want to have.

So based on my usage, the IPad has the potential to be a useful tool. The fact that I can use it for work and it has some features I can use in other aspects of my life makes it a tool that is worth the cost. Now if I could just find the model and color I want and not have to wait 4-5 weeks I would purchase one.

 

[Lost Canadian]

While I don't shoot for "clients" and do not have a lot of need for a printed portfolio I do agree viewing an image in a larger format is almost always more impressive then a smaller format. I would caution however that apples to apples, size for size, the aesthetic qualities of digital display vs print brings up a long argued debate.

I love my prints but it's hard to ignor the benefits of digital display. A good monitor is able to display a larger gamut of color then traditional pigments and dyes. A print also needs good quality light to display it properly where as a LED display, like the iPads, is light additive and provides its own consistent and uniform backlight to the image. The old argument was that a print has a tactile quality that cannot be matched by digital display, and that for me is still holds true, but the iPad certainly closes that gap in a way.

 

[bajasurf]

As I eluded to earlier, if you look beyond the ipad as merely a process driven device, it's potential as a valuable tool for photographers becomes significant poignant.

Case in point:
http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2011/03/custom-ipad-holders-display-art/

Trevor, I don´t own an Ipad however I found the link you provided very interesting. The possibilities are limitless and viewing the photos I noticed how young people( me being 69 plus years) were drawn to the exhibit and really immersed themselves into the video and audio. Years ago a very good friend of mine, Jim Freeman, along with Greg MacGillivray embarked on a film project that turned into Imax. I am not going to comment on the Ipad as a medium for a photographer to present his work as I am not close to the realm of a professional photographer. But I do like the idea of viewing, as in using video, seeing the photographer at work in Africa taking photos and then being able to turn away from the Ipad and seeing his photo of what I just watched displayed on the wall. If I bought that print I would then have embedded in my mind of being there with him while he was taking the photo I now have hanging on my wall and better yet having the actual video to show to friends that moment my print was taken. Rambling on!!! sorry

 

[john101477]

One thing I would like to point out is that Chase Jarvis is sponsored by Apple and Nikon, SO he does not have to pay for the $400 photo frame...
When you get that good things just happen to fall into your hands lol.
Even as a way to exhibit your work the iPad is not fit. the screen size is just to small for a good exhibit. The screen size is to small for tethering and WAY to small for editing. For an expensive portfolio it might work BUT as is most often the case the first 5 images you select for showing is going to be what gets you work and they better be big enough for the client to see details. In my opinion the iPad is just lacking when it all comes down to a product for professionals.

 

[FortyTwo]

Everyone has their own opinion on whether it would be useful for them, but I have to say as a commercial photographer it as been an invaluable tool. I don't see my uses parallel the linked article, but I think its has a place.

 

[Honu]

I know for wedding togs quite a few have their IPad with them when out and it's one of those they have it with them and can show people on the spot and has gotten them jobs

Again it's like anything do you only have one piece of recovery gear or a few types depending on the situation at hand

 

[john101477]

seems debatable on many levels but I am seeing a lot of negative views on extended field backup. IDK there seems to be plusses and minuses to the iPad but as with almost every apple product since inception there will always be those who just hate apple. Personally I dig my ipod and my in dash ipod player that i got so I could stop destroying CD receivers in the dust.
I am not 100% against the iPad but I fail to see where it would be worthy of spending the money to have a toy to display my images. as a backup? Maybe but does lack memory for long term stuff.

http://photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00YNVs
Some interesting reading both for and against.

 

[Lost Canadian]

Nab 2011

Adobe displayed a number of early beta full photoshop apps complete with layers and introduced CS5 Nav for the ipad.

 

[Ray Hyland]

How many rolls of film can an iPad develop? Yeah...thought so. Therefore it has no relevance to me. :elkgrin:

Maybe you could just open a large white screen on the ipad and use it as a light table for your transparencies

;-)

 

[reece146]

Adobe displayed a number of early beta full photoshop apps complete with layers and introduced CS5 Nav for the ipad.

This is a glimpse of what OS XI will look like. I predict iOS will replace the BSD based OS we are using on our workstations now.

 

[ywen]

This is a glimpse of what OS XI will look like. I predict iOS will replace the BSD based OS we are using on our workstations now.

without true multitasking, iOS has long way to go.. nor is it a 64bit OS, nor does it have a file system adequate for non-mobile use. Yeah but if you're talking about a totally new OS but just throw the iOS name on it.. then perhaps.

Image editing on a tablet display in variable ambient lighting environment without the ability to calibrate is problematic since the screen color can not be dependent on. For professional work, this is not an acceptable solution.

I don't get the sentiment to "go tablet" just for the sake of it. For many tasks, the tablet form factor is not a benefit.

 

[reece146]

without true multitasking, iOS has long way to go.. nor is it a 64bit OS, nor does it have a file system adequate for non-mobile use. Yeah but if you're talking about a totally new OS but just throw the iOS name on it.. then perhaps.

Yeah, and OS X was single PPC core when it was first developed...

Oh, wait...