Is the iPad going to revolutionize displaying and editing photographs, or self-publishing electronic photo books? Here\u2019s a look at the first generation.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s old news now, but when I\u2019d ordered an Apple iPad, I was thinking it may turn out to be a flop like the original Newton (don\u2019t laugh, I had one of those too) or a runaway success like the iPod. When the iPad finally arrived it, met all of my expectations, and then some. It\u2019s not a laptop and it\u2019s not an iPhone or even an iPod Touch, but represents a hybrid of the three.<\/p>\n
Apple launched the Wi-Fi version that I have before the 3G models, which they now expect to ship around April 30. The 3G model requires a modest ($14.95) monthly data plan fee from AT&T. If you have to be connected anywhere anytime, this latter, more expensive option is the model for you. If, like me, you hate the idea of a monthly contract, get the Wi-Fi version and visit the Free Wi-Fi Directory<\/a> that provides listings of Wi-Fi hotspot locations that are, well, free.<\/p>\n An AppleCare Protection Plan for the iPad costs $99 and if that seems like a lot, it is. By now you\u2019ve probably already figured out that I am a cheapskate, so you\u2019ll be surprised that I ordered my iPad with AppleCare because this is another extended warranty that isn\u2019t worth anything unless you need and when you do, as I have had to do with my MacBook Pro laptop, it\u2019s worth every penny and then some. My experience told to me to order AppleCare, and so I did.<\/p>\n iPad Possibilities<\/p>\n For photographers, the iPad will be used in, at least, some of the following categories. I say \u201cat least\u201d because eventually somebody is going to come up with a \u201ckiller app\u201d for the iPad that may change all this overnight. Or not.<\/p>\n Apps: OK for serious shooters?<\/p>\n Most current iPad photo apps are aimed at the generation of photographers for whom making prints does not exist. Their all-digital-and-stay-that-way images are posted on Flickr or Facebook\u2026and that\u2019s it. That\u2019s why there are lots of what would otherwise be considered rudimentary photo editing apps available for the iPad that are little more than conversions for black-and-white, sepia, and special effects. If you use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, you will find the controls on these apps somewhat limiting. But if you want to convert an image to monochrome or add a tint, they\u2019re useful for a quick conversion and upload to whatever.<\/p>\n Some existing iPhone apps, such as OnOne Software\u2019s<\/a> DSLR Remote work perfectly on the iPad, albeit in a smaller iPhone-shaped window. You can enlarge it with the iPad\u2019s 2X app button and it doesn\u2019t look to bad, but is far for being tack-sharp. OnOne Software tells me they are looking at the iPad. Adobe\u2019s free Photoshop Mobile app for iPhone that I use on my iPod Touch (an iPhone without the phone) works as good as any and I would hope that\u2014notwithstanding the current animosity between Apple and Adobe\u2014that they will develop an iPad version to take advantage of it larger screen.<\/p>\n \n And while these kinds of photo apps may not be useful for serious or commercial photography, those such as iDisplay<\/a> that\u2019s optimized for iPad and iPhone Touch screens and turns your iPad\/iPhone into a convenient side monitor for your Mac desktop is worth a look. One potential use for iDisplay in your studio is to use it for wireless image viewing by a client, while your laptop and camera are tethered for making shots.<\/p>\n Presentation & Portfolio<\/p>\n In a few hours I\u2019m meeting with an Art Director to discuss a project. I\u2019ll be showing her the images from my new book on the iPad and feel confident that she will be impressed with the presentation. I have already heard that some wedding photographers plan to deliver albums on an iPad to clients that\u2019s part of the package but I wonder about how when direct printing comes to the device (and it surely will) this delivery method might mean a loss of revenue.<\/p>\n My friend Ralph plans on sending an iPad as his portfolio to clients he has worked with before. I hope he gets it back. I have had an 11×17 print portfolio \u201cdisappear\u201d at one unnamed magazine, so I\u2019ll hand the iPad to the Art Director and sit there waiting for her to hand it back to me. With iPad prices ranging from $499 to $829, I don\u2019t want to take any chances.<\/p>\n Surfing, emailing, and communicating<\/p>\n Here is where the built-in camera might just come in handy. Apple\u2019s iChat videoconferencing software is a delight to use on its laptop computers and would be welcome addition to the iPad. Will it show up on future versions? That\u2019s hard to say because while the iPad touch lacks a camera the tiny iPod Nano has one along with its video recording (but not iChat) capability. While the iPad may lack iChat, it is a formidable communications tool for e-mail and Internet searches.<\/p>\n With a keyboard you can use with your fingers instead of your thumbs, the iPad is a delightful device to use. Surfing the Web on my Wi-Fi edition is fast, even with heavy-duty requirements such as streaming video movies from Netflix<\/a> who offers a free app that lets subscribers view a large selection of film and TV shows at no additional cost on the iPad.<\/p>\n Setting up my e-mail account has proven to be a challenge even though the iPad\u2019s Mail app is similar to Apple Mail on my desktop computer. I tried using identical settings and so far have only able to send but not receive e-mail. I asked a Mac consultant friend to give it a try and as of yet he has not figured it out either. I\u2019m going to make an appointment at the Genius Bar at an Apple Store and I\u2019ll guess they\u2019ll sort it out.<\/p>\n Day Planner<\/p>\n Apple includes the Calendar and Contacts apps carried over from the iPhone (and iPod Touch), so if you\u2019re already using them, all your data will be synchronized with the iPad when you connect it to your desktop computer the first time. The larger interface makes it slightly more useful and easier to read than the small screens on those hand-held devices but any organizing software is only worthwhile if you use it. If you only use it some of the time it\u2019s useless, so this is an all-in or all-out proposition. Truly organized (not me) Day Timer users will like it a lot better than the iPhone because the iPad is much much smaller than my wife\u2019s bulging-at-the-seams Franklin Covey binder.<\/p>\n iBooks: Open questions for self-publishers<\/p>\n One of the things that initially attracted me to the iPad was being able to read books and magazines. Unlike the less expensive Kindle, iPad has a bigger screen and the ability to display color images, making it a natural for photo books and magazines. Apple\u2019s iBooks app is a wonderful translation of iTunes to the world of books and Amazon offers a free but somewhat less capable Kindle app that lets you download and read books.<\/p>\n One of the questions that may be on your mind is: Where does self-publishing fit into the world of iPad books? What\u2019s needed is a way to create the books and sell them, otherwise what\u2019s the point? Blurb<\/a> and other sites already have a model for printed books and when I asked Blurb if they intended to allow books created with their really cool BookSmart software to be offered for sale as print or for the iPad they said, \u201cwere looking into this option for the future\u2026\u201d Whether Blurb or somebody else does it, it\u2019s going to happen. [Editor’s note: On the same day this story went live, Blurb announced BookShow<\/a>, a new online book sharing tool that will allow users to share their photo books on the iPad and via various social network sites. It is unclear whether it will allow users to sell these on the iBooks platform, or to simply share them for free.]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/alc_images\/article12485_1.jpg\")
The current iPad is available in 16, 32, and 64GB versions and being a thrifty shopper I went for the 16GB model to save money. My philosophy is by the time I really get into the iPad\u2019s capabilities, the next model will be out and I\u2019ll pass this one along to my wife as a way for her to organize her iTunes library.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/alc_images\/article12485_2.jpg\")
Some people initially criticized the iPad because it didn\u2019t have a built-in camera but the iPad\u2019s form factor doesn\u2019t seem conducive to shooting photographs, so why bother? One accessory that you will want, after a case to keep it in, is the iPad Camera Connection Kit (right) that lets you import photos and videos from a digital camera using the camera\u2019s USB cable or the included SD card reader. As I write this, this kit is not currently available so I can\u2019t rate its effectiveness. Even 64MB doesn\u2019t seem like all that much storage space to dump all the images from a shoot, but if you can just browse the images directly from the card or the camera. That\u2019s a cool idea, because the iPad is hand-down the best portable presentation tool you\u2019ll ever find. (More later)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/alc_images\/article12485_3.jpg\")
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The quality of the images on the iPad\u2019s 9.7-inch screen is nothing short of stunning. I collected all of the photographs from an upcoming book into a folder on my Mac Pro desktop and transferred the files to an album on the iPad using the device\u2019s Photo function. One touch of the screen lets me view all my images in an album and the first time you see your photographs filling the screen, you will be more than thrilled by how well they are showcased. Of course, the old computer rule of \u201cGarbage in, Garbage out\u201d applies here as well.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/alc\/wp-content\/uploads\/alc_images\/article12485_5.jpg\")
But the question \u2018ya gotta ask yourself is: Why are these downloads so expensive? My book \u201cBetter Available Light Digital Photography\u201d is available from Amazon for $16.47 and in print for $22.67. My recollection is that $16.47 was the price of the print edition before Kindle price adjustments but I may be wrong. Thrifty shoppers can enjoy free classic books through iBooks and one of the first I got was Dickens’ \u201cTale of Two Cities.\u201d that are being made available at no cost through Project Gutenberg<\/a>.<\/p>\n