iPad for a photography business?

dave lackey

dave lackey

Veteran
Local time
6:30 AM
Joined
Feb 20, 2007
Messages
9,421
Okay, after several threads about Kindle and iPad and other things, I am trying to figure out how to get one of those choices to work for me in my business. The first of which is what will fit in my Billingham Pro bag....both?:)

So, what are the dimensions of a Kindle and what are the dimensions of iPad?

Also, will an iPad basically replace a laptop?:confused:

What would an iPad do for me in a photography business?
 
Depends on your business and your business model, Dave. What kind of photography and what is your ideal client?

I shoot weddings and I got an iPad to take with me on client consultations. It's a nice, easy way for them to view my portfolio and they still have to be engaged in the process to do so. It also allows me to take notes and show them my pricing guide. I also use it in conjunction with my Square app and Square card reader for taking credit card payments on the spot.

It's a new tool and a lot of clients seem to be affected by the wow-factor it brings. I tend to have clients of the young-ish variety.
 
I've had my iPad for a couple of weeks now, and love it. It is great for presenting pictures. It's picture handling capabilities is critically limited however and it cannot replace a laptop. I can not email pictures or upload pictures to RFF with my iPad for instance. For business and photo presentations, I'd also wait for the iPad 3 which is rumored to have a higher resolution screen. I'm fervently hoping that the upcoming iOS 5 software update will address the picture handling issues.
 
A good way to keep the photography business a viable business is not to buy stuff you don't need. If you have to ask what it's for then maybe you don't need it yet?

It seems that eventually we'll get a nice wireless way to use it to preview DSLR images and if the camera manufacturers get their heads out of their $w&$@#@#$ then we might even control our camera with them. You can sorta do it now but it ain't seamless, wireless, or bulletproof without buying a bunch o gear and being a bit geeky. But I bet by the time version 3 of the iPad arrives that Canikon might have heard the wake-up call. By 2014 it should be rocking!

It's also nice for presenting your work in a fast, casual setting... But so is a nice book or portfolio.
 
Last edited:
I think a Kindle, while it a fine device, would be worthless for a photography business. The Kindle is a reading device. It can display PDFs or documents in Amazon's Kindle file format. Third-party software can convert some types of documents into Kindle-formatted documents. Kindle don't have Apps or virtual keyboards. Kindle batteries can last for weeks (or longer).

So it's either iOS, Android or The Blackberry PlayBook.

At the moment I plant to wait for the iPad 3. However I often get the urge to order refurbished iPad or a new iPad 2.

Android is an open OS and is neither as secure or as stable as iOS. iOS is a closed, controlled environment and so App development is stifled somewhat compared to Android. Android devices do have some advantages over the iPad. I could care less about Android, but I understand how some people prefer that system. The PlayBook... well, it's a PlayBook.

The iPad is the safest way to go. Right now iPads and iOS dominate the mobile market. Apple has about 76 billion dollars in cash on hand. Think about it for a second. How could you undercut Apple on price? About 85% of Fortune 500 companies are deploying iPads. Since April 2010 Apple has sold around 25 million iPads (and not one of them runs Flash). There's safety in numbers.
 
I have heard that you cannot print from an iPad...is this true? The lack of ability to handle pictures as mentioned above is a major problem for a business that deals in pictures.:mad:

Any way around that? PDF?
 
dave lackey said:
I have heard that you cannot print from an iPad...is this true? The lack of ability to handle pictures as mentioned above is a major problem for a business that deals in pictures.:mad:

Any way around that? PDF?
Click to expand...


iPad 2 has wireless printing capability.

Texsport
 
dave lackey said:
Okay, after several threads about Kindle and iPad and other things, I am trying to figure out how to get one of those choices to work for me in my business. The first of which is what will fit in my Billingham Pro bag....both?:)

So, what are the dimensions of a Kindle and what are the dimensions of iPad?

Also, will an iPad basically replace a laptop?:confused:

What would an iPad do for me in a photography business?
Click to expand...

Dear Dave,

Turn the question around: what do you want 'appliance X' to do?

Make a list of what you need, then buy the machine that comes closest to doing it.

For what I'm doing at the moment, I think a Kindle is a lot more use to me. It's also a lot cheaper: I was astonished when I found out what iPads cost, and find it hard to understand how they've sold so many. But then, what I'm doing is text/information based, with the pictures either as 'how to' or to break up the text.

Cheers,

R.
 
Here's a new product for Photoshop and iPad users---the Adobe Nav for iPad.

It acts as an axillary customized keyboard, allowing you to select the Photoshop tools you prefer and to control Photoshop CS5 through iPad. It frees you from the iPad keyboard.

http://www.photoshop.com/products/mobile/nav

I'd suggest watching the video in the photoshop link.

I haven't used it, but am posting for those who might like it.

Texsport
 
Last edited:
Frank Version Two said:
A good way to keep the photography business a viable business is not to buy stuff you don't need. If you have to ask what it's for then maybe you don't need it yet?
Click to expand...


Agreed. But how else can you hype your stock and your existence to stockholders? Back in 1982, everybody needed to have a videogame, because the mere existence of a videogame meant Lot$ of Buck$ (that was the revenue-winning design plan behind E.T.'s videogame: revenue by video ipsofactoness)

Then there were webpages. Everybody needed a webpage, because that's what everybody did. Now everybody needs an iPad (and an iPad app that just wastes good memory real estate; the guy with the app from his bank nows whaddamtalkinabot, right?)
 
Frank, I agree 100% that one should not buy something that is not absolutely needed. That is why I don't have an iPhone, iPad, i-whatever, smart-whatever. Over the last 40 years, I have been through at least 50 computer systems and software applications just to do what I did for a living and I am not anxious to learn yet another electronic leash. If it can't make me money, then I will not use it. It appears that a Kindle might fit in with PDFs.

What do I want another electronic brick to do? Everything that my current 9-year old Dell desktop can do and more at substantially less cost than an Airbook or whatever is the latest laptop. I do not want another PC. I prefer an Apple product that will be dedicated only to my business. If I can separate the online activity from the professional work, it would be nice.

Fred, it is good to hear that you can print as well as send photos by email. But didn't you post the other day about the memory limitations?:angel: All of this information is part of my research into the "latest and greatest" (LOL...) technology. It just seems to me that everything is still in it's infancy and needs maturation, and a lower price.
 
Last edited:
A Kindle will display PDF documents. It will display other documents one converts to kindle format using third-party software.
 
I bought an iPad last year for my business, and it has paid for itself many times since then. In buying and selling, the ability to stay updated and to make deals in a timely manner is very important. My smartphone was not as fast to use, and my notebook PC took too long to boot up and shut down.

The only complaints I have about the iPad are it's keyboard and auto-complete feature, which "corrects" misspelled words in often comical ways.
 
@Frontman:

2 small tips...
1) disable the auto-complete function, that thing gave me a headache!
2) buy a cover with build in keyboard, it connects trough bluetooth and gives you a normal keyboard.

both problems solved!
 
Hmmmm....been looking over the posts above. I still do not understand. For those of you actually doing photography as a business, specifically, how has it made money for you?

Just because a device boots up or shuts down quicker or is faster than using a phone or waiting to get home to work on the desktop computer is not a money-maker for me unless it actually does make/save money. I don't get paid by the minute anymore. I never even held an iPad, much less know anyone locally that uses one, so bear with me.:confused: These are real questions that need answers because iPad2 in whatever configuration is a huge expense.

The question remains, can someone give me specific examples of how to use an iPad to make money in a photography based business? Advertising? Marketing? Photo processing?

Or is it just another device that is popular for what it is, where a smart phone or other device can actually do the same thing for a photography based business?:) I am open...
 
dave lackey said:
............................. What do I want another electronic brick to do? Everything that my current 9-year old Dell desktop can do and more at substantially less cost than an Airbook or whatever is the latest laptop. I do not want another PC. I prefer an Apple product that will be dedicated only to my business. If I can separate the online activity from the professional work, it would be nice. ..............................
Click to expand...

Dave: is it possible that replacing your 9 year old Dell with a modern desktop or notebook may be a better use for your funds?
 
Image presentation to clients, either before, in order to secure a contract, or afterwards for image presentation/selection. Client email. But I am not running a photo business currently. At this point an iPad cannot completely replace a laptop, IMO.
 
Last edited:
Bob Michaels said:
Dave: is it possible that replacing your 9 year old Dell with a modern desktop or notebook may be a better use for your funds?
Click to expand...

No...the computer works very well. It has been upgraded over time and should last quite a bit longer. No problems there.:)

That is exactly why I am trying to figure out about an iPad...is it just a toy or does it have some reasonable use for a photography business? Like I said, I am open to technology if it is a useful tool but no one has yet come up with anything that makes an expenditure of time and money worth buying an iPad.:confused:
 
The only advantage I see is in the elegance of image presentation, so no, it probably is not worthwhile.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom