IPad & Aperture: general workflow suggestions?

Question

Fell in love with the iPad screen -- purchased one (excellent as a portfolio).  Looking for general advice on using it as part of my RAW workflow.  (I have Apple's "Camera Connection Kit".)
Thanks  .
OK:  what I've done so far:  uploaded "shoots" to the iPad,  Cropped to suit. Separately imported same files into Aperture via the camera card.  Tried and failed to delete the photos albums on MiPad. That's it.  Decided to not use the iPad in my workflow until I learn more.  Removed all photos-syncing via iTunes.  Posted this message.
Message was edited by: Kirby Krieger

Answer 1

Well, at least _someone replied .
leonieDF wrote:
No answer, Kirby - I am thread-jacking . Which model did you choose? I want to buy one too, but I'll want it for geotagging and navigation, and maybe for browsing images, if I am away from home and do not want to take my 17" laptop along. It is funny - my 13" MBP went with me everywhere, but since I have a 17" model, that is no longer true.
I wonder if it may be possible to go on a week long photo safari with only a camera and an iPad.
So this thread is now officially completely OT.
I bought the semi-inexpensive one:  black, 32 GB (according to the iPad itself, 28 GB capacity), no 4G.
- black because photos look better on it.  I prefer the white, but the white plastic has a slight yellow cast, and no one likes to look at face in a greasy collar
- 32 GB because I knew from my iPhone that 16 wasn't enough, but 32 is.  I don't use it for video or storing music (I subscribe to XM and may subscribe to Pandora or equivalent).  More storage is always better, but I'd rather save the $100.
- no 4G because I already pay way too much for my iPhone contract, I live in a city (lots of free WiFi), and I have very fast WiFi access at home and at the two places I work.  With iCloud, I only need cellular access on one device, and I already have it on MiPhone.
Obviously, without 4G (or whatever you have over in Euro-land ), you can't do geotagging or navigation.
I recently tested a camera with built-in GPS (Sony a77).  _Very, very_ handy.  I've been adding Aperture Locations by neighborhood, and had become used to that level of granularity -- and am simply giddy with the "This photo was taken in the middle of this block" specificity of the on-camera GPS tagging.
I added a great little keyboard I am happy to recommend: the Adonit Writer+ (for the new iPad -- the old one won't work well).  I touch type, I needed an iPad cover -- and now I have one that includes a BlueTooth keyboard.  Fantastic.  Should I want the iPad naked, it pops out and snaps in in 1s.  The keyboard charge is said to last a year.  So I have an iPad convertible to a netbook.  Did I say "Fantastic"?  I got the red one.
Also in my recommended column: the Wacom stylus for the iPad -- pricey but excellent, once you get used to writing/drawing with rubber on glass -- and the Adonic Jot pen -- the best drawing (not painting, drawing) tool for the iPad.  I draw on MiPad every morning and every evening.  Six hundred years ago artists used pads they prepared with flour (iirc -- haven't looked this up in a long time).  They sketched on them till they were dark with marks, then wiped them clean and put another layer of flour and glue on them.  A great way to learn.  The iPad comes close.
It's an _excellent_ size for light-weight travel.  I lived with a 12" Powerbook for a few years -- still, imho, the best form-factor of any computer ever (CinemaScope® makes sense at room size, but I've never thought it right for paintings, books, or computers) -- the iPad is close to a scaled down version of that screen.  The iPad, in the Adonit cover, fits right in the unused back sleeve of my most used camera bag (ThinkTank Retrospective 20).
But can it substitute for a laptop on a safari?  I don't know -- but having read widely on fitting the iPad into a photography workflow, I can report that most who've tried say "No".  It's certainly an excellent viewer -- I got, and you'll want (and want to include in your budget), the Apple Camera Connection Kit, which consists of two adapters: Applejack to USB, and Applejack to SC card.  Uploading RAW files (I use Sony cameras) works without a hitch.  Editing, adding metadata, or doing any organizing however has to wait until you're back with a real computer.  (OK, you can crop on the iPad, and tart things up with SnapSeed.)  The iPad works well for storage/backup, and for viewing the pictures as shot.  You can email those.  That's it.  If you record JPG only, don't edit, and don't keyword or use other organizing, the iPad will meet your needs.  If you have 6,000 "maven" points in the Apple Aperture discussion forum, you're going to find it more toy than tool.  On the other hand, if you can do without a computer on a safari, it is probably worth its weight to carry along as a viewer.
The screen is delicious.  It's absolutely fantastic for showing photos (if you're OK with showing them on a screen).
I haven't settled on a workflow yet, but I suspect I'll end up syncing a couple of Aperture Smart Folders (wirelessly, btw), possibly via iCloud, showing my "Portfolio" pictures and my "Shot in the last 23 days" pictures. At some point it will be a live camera viewer -- but we're not there yet.
So that's the rundown from Pittsburgh.  Let us know what you decide.  .