I decided this season to use iPads as proof books for selling photos at the horse shows I shoot. I have used them for 7 events so far, and the customer reaction to them has been remarkable.
Universally positive comments, I've even had customers take the time to approach me outside the booth and tell me that they love this new proof system. We show them how to view the pix, then they can't wait to show their friends how to do it. The iPads each have locks to prevent them from disappearing, and we use a wireless Wifi app called Pixelsync to transfer quickly from the computer to the iPads.
The proofs are ready much faster for viewing/selling, and the iPads have an exciting effect on people, even older grandparents. Sales have been up at least 30% at every event, one show actually doubled the sales over last year.
It's *really* nice to have customers feel so happy when they view pix, that they actually express such positive feedback about it. Anyway, just wanted to share this info.
They are really amazing and arguably the only company that got it right. I do wish that the iPad 3 that is on the horizon will have the capability to read RAW files, but that is just me
My iPad2 reads RAW files from Canon just fine. I import them direct from the camera with the camera adapter and use PhotoGene to process them. Super pleased with the process as well.
Out here in the boonies, many of the horseheads I shoot don't have access to computers.
So I'd lose potential sales because they never get to see the pics. My wife gave me an iPad
when they first came out. It's paid for itself several times over in additional print sales. In
between events (usually over a beer) I'll lay a slide show on 'em. Awesome IQ displayed, they
find it hard to say no. Orders placed right on the spot.
virtually all the iPad apps work on the embedded JPG. Nikon, Canon, and most other RAW file formats include full resolution JPG. that's what most of the apps are working on. some RAW formats embed different sized or no JPG at all. those RAW formats have trouble on the iPad. i tried a number of photo apps and the Leica M DNG RAW files contain a very small embedded JPG. PhotoGene and others see it and render an extremely pixelated display. that tells me that all these apps are only working on the JPG representation and means that i lose all the benefit of having shot RAW in the first place if i process on the iPad. all i do when i read my Nikon and Olympus RAW files on my iPad are to create quick slide shows when i don't have my computer handy or for quick low resolution posts online. any editing i do is throwaway.
Herb...
Kris Reiswig wrote:
My iPad2 reads RAW files from Canon just fine. I import them direct from the camera with the camera adapter and use PhotoGene to process them. Super pleased with the process as well.
Two weeks ago I used an iPad 2 to review and store photographs from a documentary I was working on. The iPad worked perfectly throughout the documentary with the only accessory used was the camera connection kit.
Kris Reiswig wrote:
My iPad2 reads RAW files from Canon just fine. I import them direct from the camera with the camera adapter and use PhotoGene to process them. Super pleased with the process as well.
Well, shows how much I know. I had an OG iPad while my MBP was at Apple getting repaired, and it wouldn't read RAW Files...
HBOC wrote:
Well, shows how much I know. I had an OG iPad while my MBP was at Apple getting repaired, and it wouldn't read RAW Files...
Depends on the camera. the iPad uses the same SDK as the Mac. So if you can view it in the preview app on your Mac then the iPad sees it. But as above the native apps only see the embedded jpeg. There are a few apps that actually work with the raw data though.
Here is another app I just discovered. Its called Photographers Contract Maker. You can write up (and sign) model releases along with many other contracts.
mdelrossi wrote:
Hi,
Regarding taking orders, is there an app that does this or do you use the old pen and paper route?
I use printed order forms which are put on clipboards with attached pens beside the iPads. This way the customer can start a "wish list" which they can leave with us, and add to it during the event. Or, if they take it with them, all of my contact info is on it.
I find the old pen & paper method allows for more chance to engage with the customer.
HBOC wrote:
They are really amazing and arguably the only company that got it right. I do wish that the iPad 3 that is on the horizon will have the capability to read RAW files, but that is just me
For me, it doesn't matter, because all the RAWs are in a Macbook Pro and back up drives anyway. I don't really need the iPad to be a workhorse, just a viewing tool.
I love my iPad, and it works well for quick reviews. However, I really, really wish I could just hook a USB cable between it and the camera and shoot live tethered like with a real computer.
What about color accuracy and brightness levels on the iPad?
I realize that most customers don't really see/care about small differences, but it could be important if the images look one way on the iPad and very different elsewhere.
I use mine in the studio during sessions. For seniors, I have mom and/or dad watch them come up in Shutter Snitch and star rate them as we go. This cuts down on culling later as I know what they like and am not prepping files for proofs that they wouldn't order. I'll also have the kid make a goofy face for mom which brings out a laugh behind us in the other room. They like the interaction with it and being able to rate them, making them a part of the session. The small or medium jpegs take a few seconds to get to the iPad from the EyeFi card but it still works well. Sometimes I'll just use the hdmi adapter and hook it to the bigger screen.
justruss wrote:
What about color accuracy and brightness levels on the iPad?
I realize that most customers don't really see/care about small differences, but it could be important if the images look one way on the iPad and very different elsewhere.
It's not an issue if you've nailed wb in the camera. I don't think it'd be too big of a deal if it was off a bit.
I use mine in the studio during sessions. For seniors, I have mom and/or dad watch them come up in Shutter Snitch and star rate them as we go. This cuts down on culling later as I know what they like and am not prepping files for proofs that they wouldn't order. I'll also have the kid make a goofy face for mom which brings out a laugh behind us in the other room. They like the interaction with it and being able to rate them, making them a part of the session. The small or medium jpegs take a few seconds to get to the iPad from the EyeFi card but it still works well. Sometimes I'll just use the hdmi adapter and hook it to the bigger screen.
I use the eye-fi card to transfer to the ipad2 also. I often lose sync and have to reset ever thing. Do you have this problem?
No I don't. I go through my wireless network and never have a connection issue. It's ready as soon as I walk into the studio with the iPad. The router is even on the second floor and studio down stairs. The router is a D-Link Extreme which seems to have much better range than my older Linksys 802.11g I had. I haven't tried the direct mode with the eye-fi updated app yet. Well, I started to once but it said I had to change some settings so I said screw it - I'm too lazy.
Now if I'm jinxed and start having problems, I'm blaming you.
The only problem is when I forget to take out the eye-fi card when shooting outdoors. The camera seems to lock into writing to the card (constant little red light blinking) and searching for the iPad/network. It seems to be if I don't shut the camera off and just grab it and head out but I haven't tested it thoroughly in that regard. I just try to switch out to a standard sdhc card in that slot before leaving the studio.
If the iPad had, say, 5x more processing power, 4x the capacity (maybe around 250GB), and had a rudimentary raw image adjustment tool and file manager (like a lightweight version of Aperture), it would be killer. But it'd also be crazy expensive.
Oh, and it would also need a very fast way to transfer images, either wirelessly or through the docking port.
Just imagine what something like that could do. You could take shots on location, and the raw files would upload wirelessly to the iPad, and you could immediately review, cull, group, and make non-destructive raw adjustments to exposure, contrast, white balance, etc., quickly and easily. Then those modifications would sync with your desktop once you're back in your work studio, and you can complete your processing on the final shots. You'd have the advantage of being able to make on-the-fly changes to your setup based on accurate and fully interactive views of the raw data. Take some test shots, run some simple processing steps, make changes to your setup, all right there. Like shooting tethered from a laptop, only you're not actually tethered, and it's easy to hold and carry.
