Feeling Blue II

Since posting Workflow: X100s and the iPad experimentation has led to a number of initial decisions about processes and tools. Although, not completely happy with all aspects of what follows, I suspect that a month of travelling in July-August will help me road test these ideas.

Workflow ideas

Firstly, I have everything working now but need to learn more about a range of technical issues to do with RAF/RAW files, iPads and editing. Maybe you can help?

It was not completely straight foward to get the 16GB Eye-fi Pro X2 talking with my iPad but as soon as I ‘protected’ photos on my X100s it all just worked magically in direct mode. I had set the Eye-Fi iPad app in such a way that it was uploading to my iPhone, Macbook Pro and also to their online site. This was overkill. I deactivated that app and now upload directly to ShutterSnitch, which allows more flexibility, especially in the creation of collectionsI can set my camera to shoot RAW and JPEG but have set this app to only upload the latter to my iPad for a number of reasons. Not least, that I am uncertain about how my iPad reads RAW images. Is it just reading the JPEG data contained within? It is also a very slow process to upload large .RAF RAW files.


cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

If it turns out I really need to edit an image the RAW file can be uploaded to my Macbook Pro at some later stage. Either way, I have the RAW image, if needed, for editing in Lightroom. Originally I planned to use the Adobe Revel iPad app for saving my RAW files but alas, the file type is not supported (more on this later).

When the JPEGs are safely uploaded (NB in direct mode I do not need to be online) one can send from ShutterSnitch, unedited, to the usual suspects – Flickr, Facebook, etc. – or send to an app like Snapseed or PS Touch for editing. Saving the edited image to the iPad camera roll, of course, will then save to Photo Stream. I prefer the edited photos are backed-up here rather than having the (now turned-off) native Eye-Fi app save everything everywhere, which was too much backing-up for anyone imo.

One advantage of ShutterSnitch is that it preserves the EXIF data. Check out this image’s EXIF data, or rather lack of it, when uploaded to the Eye-Fi app as (what appeared to be) a RAW file (still struggling with the technical side of this?) and then Flickr. I am at the limit of my understanding here and would love if some more knowledgeable person could explain how ShutterSnitch is able to save this data where the Eye-Fi app does not? More information about the iPad and RAW would be greatly appreciated.

NB EXIF data for JPEGs is displayed by Eye-Fi.


cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

So, in brief, I upload JPEGs from my FujiFilm X100s, using an Eye-Fi card, to ShutterSnitch, edit in SnapSeed (or any other app) and save to my Photo Stream and potentially Adobe Revel. Flickr, Eyeem and Facebook are my favourite places to share my shots.

I do wonder how Pressgram may change my workflow.

RAW

It is quite irritating that that RAW files are not supported by Adobe Revel. RAW files do upload very slowly but it would be very useful, especially as this is all about travelling light with iPad options for storage, editing and sharing. The Lightroom plugin for REVEL is one I intend to use more, when RAW files (DNG and RAF) are supported. Agitate here (join first) to have this rectifiedShutterSnitch does work well uploading JPEGs to the Adobe Revel iPad app though.


cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo shared by Darcy Moore

Some final thoughts

The image above was shot using the advanced filter mode in my X100s. Some of these effects are really fun. Wandering around, looking at scenes to shoot in B&W, I keep an eye out for any interesting yellows, reds, greens, oranges, purples or blues that can be isolated, for good effect. For example, the ‘partial colour’ used above is obviously blue and it makes for a nice effect. My daughter knows about this setting and suggested it for the above shot.  It is great that I can easily save a shot from my compact to iPhone or iPad and, as I did with this photo, send it to Eyeem.

The public beta of Lightroom 5 makes me wish that Adobe made an Lightroom iPad app. That would really excite me. Anyone have news?

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Comments(2)

  1. Hi Darcy,

    Nice article about the shooting in RAW and trying to use your iPad in the field and to share your files. Let me try to help add some color to a couple of your questions.

    First, let’s chat about shooting in RAW. Shooting in RAW is really a bucket term for taking the RAW camera information from the sensor. Because you are taking the sensor information from the camera, it is specific to that camera. This is why programs like Lightroom and Aperture are release new cameras they support all of the time.

    Within this RAW sensor information is an embedded JPG. This is what your see in your viewfinder in your camera. When you see a RAW photo on your iPad… you are really seeing this JPG.

    We shoot in RAW to have the ability to get better information if needed from the file. RAW processing engines like Adobe Camera RAW (used in Photoshop, PSE and Lightroom) and Aperture are CPU hogging programs that are able to chug through this information and help make sense of the sensor information from the camera. (And there loads of complains that programs like Lightroom are too slow…)

    So expecting this to happen on an iPad just isn’t within reach yet of the CPU power of a tablet.

    Why doesn’t Revel support RAW? I would say it has to do with audience and not technology. They are after a larger consumer market that shoots in JPG… because it is easy and they don’t have a burning desire to use the extra power that RAW can provide.

    With Lightroom 5, Adobe came out with Smart Previews. Under the hood these are smaller DNG files. A DNG is a standardized RAW format (and a great one..)

    This is an important development… so now a tablet processer just need to support developing in the DNG format as opposed to 1000s of cameras… They are also smaller to get a lot of the editing quality boost without taking days to download…

    All of these development excite my company Mosaic. (www.mosaicarchive.com) We already work with Lightroom to give photographers access to their JPG files from their iPads/iPhones. We are working on becoming more than that…

    Hope that helps. Happy to answer any additional questions. Best, Gerard

    1. Thanks Gerard for this very good overview.

      BTW Mosaic http://www.mosaicarchive.com looks great too.

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