Continuing the “iPad Challenge“, today I’ll look at how Photographers can use the iPad to make their lives easier (this is a photography blog afterall).

(I have to apologize for not posting this article on the actual day 4, we got very busy here at the studio.)

My goal over the last several months was to simplify my life. Long before the iPad was even released, I knew how it could be a valuable tool in running my business as a photographer.

While I’d love to be shooting every single day of the year, that’s just not physically possible; I spend probably 20% of my time on set, 30% of my time marketing, 30% of my time doing pre-production and another 20% of my time researching and networking.

I’m one of those people who carries everything with me that could possibly be needed at all times; I carry a large laptop case that allows me to carry:
- about 25 file folders with my current job estimates and production documents for upcoming jobs
- my MacBook Air
- a printed calendar
- a calculator
- reading material
- a small portfolio
- extra pens
- note pads
- a couple idea journals
- (you get the point).

The case generally weighs about 30 pounds — great for always having everything I need, NOT GREAT for my back and I probably look like a camel walking down the street.

Side Note: David Allen’s Getting Things Done (or GTD)

A few years ago, I read David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done”. David Allen has an almost cult following at this point; they’re called GTDers. I didn’t put the GTD methods into practice until about 10 months ago, and trust me, I’m so much more productive for doing so. For anyone trying to simplify your life, get MORE done in less time and stop letting the little things fall through the cracks take a look at his book.

You won’t be disappointed: your life will feel much less stressful and you will have time to be creative in your thinking.

The day the iPad was announced, I began planning my new “mobile office”.

At the studio, we switched over to a Microsoft Exchange server a few months ago using Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite. Microsoft’s BPOS is a hosted Exchange, SharePoint, and Live Meeting server that costs less than $10 per month per user. Microsoft Exchange itself is a great email, task management, and calendar server that allows you to access your email, tasks and calendars from any device (and multiple devices at once) that support Exchange.

Being a 100% Mac Based studio with MacPro’s, MacBook Pro’s, Apple TV’s, iPhones and now iPads everywhere, this may be considered a little bit of a strange decision. It’s not so strange after all. Apple understands that most businesses are running Microsoft products to operate their business. Microsoft Exchange server is one of those almost essential services that probably 90% of companies are running in some way, shape or form, so most Apple products now support Exchange.

Calendar
As small business owners, photographers are constantly going to seminars, networking events, running to meetings with clients, meeting stylists and other artists, and are just generally busy people. A good calendar is nearly essential.

I like to see my weeks or months laid out on my desk (or wherever I may need to access them) in an easy to read, large format. The Calendar application on the iPhone was never enough for me. The iPhone’s screen was just too small. Pulling out a laptop just to check my calendar just isn’t EASY! So I kept a two-page per week, planner with me at all times. I’m not the only one booking appointments for me, my production manager and studio manager would also add appointments for me to my calendar – so a few times a week, I’d pass my planner to them and they’d add in “their” appointments for me. Talk about loss of productivity!

With the iPad you have a thin calendar that is easy to use, easy to access and easy to view anywhere. My calendar is automatically synced with our studio’s Microsoft Exchange Server and individuals on my staff that needs to view my calendar or add appointments to it always have access to it from any device.

Mail
Clients always want it now and if you can’t give it to them NOW, at least you can respond to their email promptly when they do request something. Just as I was never satisfied with the iPhone for my calendar when I’m on the run, I never could get used to the small screen on the iPhone for email. I used it, and even tried a Blackberry for a while, but it just wasn’t easy — and I want easy! I would find myself always searching for a Starbucks or a place to sit down and pull out my laptop to check email. Never again! My iPad Challenge was done with a WIFI iPad, but now that the iPad 3G is out email will be a breeze, anywhere (as long as there’s AT&T service).

My iPad is never more than a couple feet from me. It’s easy to stay on top of email (even when you receive 2500 emails a day) and respond quickly, always!

Photos
Have you seen the great interface of the Photos Application? I know photographers who carry around an iPhone with their photos loaded just in case they run into someone who may want to see their work. Again, the iPhone just didn’t work for me – who wants to see a 2″x3″ image? I have always carried around a small printed portfolio book for those chance encounters. I may reconsider that with the iPad. The screen is crisp, clear and large; the interface is beautiful and simple. As Steve Jobs always says, “It Just Works!”. In my opinion it works beautifully.

Ideas, Journals and Sketching
Being a photographer requires you to constantly be developing new ideas for shoot concepts and you may just get one of those great ideas, while you’re walking down the street. If you don’t get it on paper, or another reliable means, it just might get lost in your mind forever. Though I still love my Moleskin journals for sketching ideas, I’m been using a couple different apps on the iPad to get my ideas out of my mind and save them for future use.

Screen shot of Penultimate for iPad

Here’s a description of it from the iTunes store:

The ultimate app for iPad. Stylish, powerful, and easy to use, Penultimate encourages you to take notes, keep sketches, or work through your next breakthrough idea– whether you’re in the office, on the go, or home on the couch.

AMAZING INK
Your handwriting and drawing looks spectacular in bold gel ink. Our pen technology is second to none. Three different photorealistic paper styles are available.

KEEP IT TOGETHER
Separate notebooks for each topic, project, or category. As many as you can create, each with an infinite number of pages.

PROFESSIONAL
Full undo and redo on each page, along with a standard eraser tool.

SHOW THE WORLD YOUR IDEAS
Send single pages or entire notebooks to your colleagues or friends. PDF is supported for full notebooks.

** PENULTIMATE WILL GROW WITH YOUR NEEDS **
We’re serious about being the ultimate notes app for iPad. We’re already hard at work on updates that will bring even more functionality to this bestselling app, without taking away the simplicity that makes it so engaging.

I love the fact that I can carry 10, 20, 30 different journals with me and they’re only the size of… well… my iPad.

There are two issues with this application:
- No Handwriting Recognition: I’m hoping that the developers of this app eventually add some type of handwriting recognition to this app, as that would make it perfect for taking notes during meetings and emailing them off to the participants. I write like a doctor; while I don’t mind reading my own notes, I’m sure other people don’t want to try to decipher my handwriting, nor do I want them to have to. (FYI, there is another app called WritePad that does have handwriting recognition built in, but the app just isn’t as cool as Penultimate.)

- Have You Ever Tried To Write With Your Finger: It’s like finger painting and if you already have messy handwriting – it’s not pretty! The iPad was built on capacitive technology that requires a finger to touch the glass to manipulate the menus (and write). This isn’t a flaw of the app, but rather a challenge. I’m sure Apple will never make a stylist for the iPad, but there are some very cool options out there for one. I just ordered a Pogo Sketch from Ten One Design – I’ll review it at some point after I receive it, but I think this is a great option for making it a bit easier to write in Penultimate and it’s only $14.95.

Adobe Ideas is another great little App that allows you to draw with your finger. I’ve actually seen some amazing drawings by people who can actually draw using this app.

Client Documents
One of the biggest reasons why my “mobile office bag” is so big is the fact that I carry around contracts, meetings notes, concept sheets, and more for each job that I’m currently working on at the moment. While I haven’t made this transition yet, I believe all these documents can easily be stored on the iPad to be quickly and easily accessed when I need them.

At the moment, we store all these documents on our servers at the studio and while we can access them from any computer, we’re still trying to find a way to connect to the server via the iPad and view them from anywhere.

Apple is currently beta testing their new service called “iWork.com”. Essentially, iWork.com allows you to store important documents created in Pages, Numbers or Keynote and share them with others. You can easily create documents on your iPad, upload them to iWork.com and access them from any computer later. At the same time, you can also create documents on your computer, upload them to iWork and access them from your iPad later. (On a side note, iWork also opens Microsoft Office documents).

Reference and Inspiration
I have way too many magazine subscriptions (we’re talking several hundred dollars a month in subscriptions), but for me this is an essential business expense to keep myself inspired, reading and looking. A few years ago, I found Zinio for Mac. Zinio is this great service that allows you to subscribe to digital subscriptions of many of the world’s best magazines. If you’ve ever gone into a magazine shop to pick up a French Vogue, or Russian Harpers Bazaar, you know that it’s not cheap. With Zinio, you can get digital subscriptions to hundreds of magazines at a small percentage of the newsstand or print subscription rate. Each month, the subscriptions download to your computer. When I find an issue that I really want to see in print, I run to the magazine shop and pick it up — but with Zinio, I’m not buying thousands of dollars a year in print magazines, that I’ll probably only look at once and never see again.

Well, Zinio released Zinio for the iPad (it’s also available for the iPhone). Each month, my subscriptions automatically download and while I’m on the train, or sitting in a cab, or waiting for an appointment, I can easily peruse my favorite fashion, tech and photo magazines in full, vibrant color and flipping the page is as simple as a swipe of the finger.

Buying a subscription on the iPad also allows you to view those subscriptions on your Mac or PC and archive them locally forever. I know, I know, it doesn’t beat print, but it sure is cheaper!

As the iPad develops and more and more applications become available for it, I can see it eventually giving more and more options for photographers on the move. Maybe one day, I’ll only have to carry around an iPad as my entire mobile office. Wouldn’t that be cool!

About the author

Kevin Michael Reed
Kevin Michael Reed (Google+, Facebook) is a fashion & beauty photographer and producer/director based in New York City and Los Angeles, CA. He is the President/CEO of RedFOG Visual Media, a production company in New York City, and a partner in Passion of Photography, Inc, a company dedicated to teaching photographers and sharing our passion through charitable causes. Kevin has lectured and hosted workshops throughout the United States and the world teaching photographers the business and creative sides of photography. (Kevin's Fashion & Beauty Photography Portfolio can be seen here).