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I'm looking for recommendations for a photo-viewing app for my iPad; Apple's “Photos” app has too many bugs and limitations for my needs. What I want seems simple — an elegant way with which to impose my photos onto someone hapless to come within an eyeball's reach of me — but I haven't found it yet.
Features that I hope for:
Clean, simple, uncluttered interface.
Photo update via FTP, Dropbox, or some other method where management is done on my computer and merely reflected to the device.
Supports display of basic metadata on each photo, when asked.
Supports display of a map for geoencoded photos.
Supports large images.
An arbitrarily-deep folder structure.
Image sorting: at least via photo date and image filename.
Things that I don't care about:
Any kind of photo management on the device (rating, flagging, moving, grouping, renaming, rotating, labeling, ...)
Any kind of photo development on the device (cropping, filters, touch-ups, etc.)
Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, or anything else like that.
Passwords, slideshows, music integration, etc.
The best I've found so far is Photo Manager Pro by Linkus, after Scott Bourne recommended it. It's a great bargain for a couple of bucks, and it does many things I like. To boot, the developer is responsive, and the current version of the app contains some features and fixes that I requested. I like it so much that I built an FTP client into my new Collection Publisher plugin for Lightroom, so that I can instantly reflect changes in my portfolio to the app.
But alas, Photo Manager Pro's interface is anything but “clean and uncluttered” and I doubt one request from me would result in a monumental shift in aesthetics, so I'm looking for other options.
I’ve had a similar problem looking for a decent photo management app – what I am after, in addition to the ones you list here, is support for browsing by tags – I want to have a normal time/shoot based view (the normal folder structure really), but be able to have a way to say “only show me pictures of this model”.
None I have managed to find have this, and Photo Manager pro doesn’t seem to either. I’m resorting to write my own app to do it, when I have the spare time.
Since Photo Manager Pro sends pics directly to the iOS device bypassing iTunes, how noticeable is the difference in quality when viewing those images?
I am looking for a good solution as well to avoid having “iOS optimized” images that iTunes resamples when syncing. If there isn’t much difference, then maybe I shouldn’t worry about it.
I’m interested in this topic too. I’d like to add one item to the list though.
1. Screen color calibration
DataColor makes a product called SpyderGallery, which allows you to color calibrate your iPad. The problem is that you have to use their gallery app in order for it to work, since iPad has no color management facilities built into it. Apparently, DataColor does provide for an API that allows other iPad software developers to utilize the color settings created/generated by SpyderGallery. I’m surprised more developers (if any) haven’t taken advantage of that API.
Brad mentioned “iOS optimized” images, which is something I hadn’t thought about. Maybe someone here knows the answer to this. When using the iPad Camera Connection kit to download images from your SD card or camera directly to the iPad, does the process “optimize” the images for iOs or is it downloading them exactly as they appear on the SD card or camera? I believe it can do RAW files as well, so I’m thinking/hoping it’s an exact copy of the original.
Jeffrey,
Not an obvious choice, lateral thinking but…..
having just discovered Zenfolio and your super plug in to Zenfolio, could I suggest that you check out the Zenfolio iPhone app. It is really very responsive, very clean, works offline with cached images, has a very sensible synch strategy, unlimited tree structure, etc.. If you snag a prospective client you can send them a link to view / comment on Zenfolio. Clean image screen. Tap. See Title, Tap, See Caption Info. You probably have a Zenfolio account. I have not tried it with iPad. If not an app you might use, or not using Zenfolio, then at least it will give a reference for other apps.
Regards,
I’m still using Portfolio for iPad, and happy with it. There is a new major version in beta, but I haven’t looked at it yet.
Have you tried Photosmith? It’s got an LR plugin and supports RAW and jpeg files.
Thanks, but it looks like it’s for a pre-Lightroom-import workflow, and is not designed for post-Lightroom display. (“You can not sync existing Lightroom photos to the iPad”). —Jeffrey
Scott: The Camera Connection Kit leaves your photos alone, or so I hear. You can re-import them back out of your iPad to LR, and they will be untouched by the process. At least in theory. I would test it first.
Thanks Zachary. Will play around with it to confirm.
This is off topic, but thought I’d ask. Hope it’s ok. I’ve done some light photo editing on the iPad. It’s actually quite fun, and liberating, to do wherever you may be at the time. I haven’t yet found an editing tool that displays a modified histogram as you make adjustments to the image. So far they only display the histogram of the original image, even after making adjustments. Any suggestions for an iPad photo editing tool that will show a modified histogram? Thanks!
What about a smugmug account and the smugmug app? It does not do the meta data display, but using your tools to upload to smugmug and then smugmugs curation tools, it seems to come close.
Would love to hear what you land on.
Eric
Does anyone have experience with Skala Preview from Bjango (http://bjango.com/mac/skalapreview/)? I like their other products, but I don’t have an iPad (yet).
Adobe Revel will have all your photos hosted and available across devices, it’s a monthly subscription service though.
I enjoyed reading your blog; and also, thank you for the LR plugins, especially the export to picasa web album, you rock!
Actually I was looking for a proper app on iPad as well, but the application may be a bit different. I want to view the picture I took (via tethering) immediately on the iPad, so my clients can see it and choose/zoom it in real time, as a result they can pick the one they like, then I can print them out and sell them.
One ridiculous problem Apple has is ‘there is no file name display in the default app!’
Another issue, actually, no matter what app you are using, is the big size of the photos generated by the camera (D3 for me). No, I am not going to shoot as a smaller format. The big size will slow down the transmission dramatically to unfeasible to use in real world.
Then, I come to the end that I wrote a short Python script to monitor the folder and resize then add subtitles to them automatically. I use ImageBank on iPad side to view these smaller copies and it worked!
This is my DIY solution, but any integrated app/program will be even better!
I wonder whether you might use the Air Display app to use the iPad as a second monitor, then use Lightroom in two-monitor mode, so that the client can interact that way? Perhaps worth looking into —Jeffrey
Thanks Jeffrey. The problem is on that working computer, there is no lightroom… and actually it is a windows 7 X64 system…
But your advice is very intriguing. Thanks!
- Leon
At the risk of a lame suggestion – the iPhoto app released with/for the new iPad SEEMS like it might do what you want. While NOT a fan of iPhoto, on the iPad and with the alleged ties to iOS it could be useful. My pre-purchased iPad is currently winging it’s way from China – will post comments after I give it a go. BTW – LR is my go-to photo app on Win 7.
From Lindenwold, NJ (near Phila, PA)
=Alan R.
This article on FStoppers and the previous one they ran on the iPad might be of interest.
By far and away I like WebAlbums, developed by a few former Google employees; however it has to wok with Picasa web albums. I just use your plugin to export from Lightroom to Picasa Web Albums and it does the rest! Been using it for over a year now and truly believe it is the iOS photo catalog app to beat!
I have just purchased an iPad, and I have been looking at apps for Photographers. I am based in Hampshire uk. I have seen an app called Foliobook that looks interesting. I am wondering if you have considered it and how it compares with Photomaneger Pro.
How about Large Viewer, prime designed for corporate large pdf’s but also mentions super-res image files:
http://itunes.apple.com/app/large-viewer/id400600005?mt=8
A Mac app, prerenders on host Mac and thence to Dropbox et al….
I’m not ready yet to test it, and performance/memory usage tradeoffs will be important I guess but you are probably well placed to appraise the pros & cons…
Hmmm. they also do a Photos app to handle megapixel image viewing but the workflow is unclear (to me!)
Just noticed the followup option box, which is a good thing so I’ll use it now!
London UK
I can suggest Remiew, app which I use after a long search.
App full name is Remote Photo Viewer; it is basically exposes all images stored on my PC and I can view them on iPad over the air, without copying them to iPad or uploading to dropbox etc.
Funny thing that actually app itself is installed on PC only, it is a kind of light photo server. And on iPad I use Safari to acces images.
Amazing that after over half a year there still is not an app available with the wanted features..
I am also looking for an app of this kind. I have a whole lot of high-resolution-photo’s that I want to have available for offline viewing on my iPad. That doest not mean: first uploading to any sort of cloud and downloading to iPad after that. I want to copy them directly to the iPad.
Was reading random articles on Flipboard today and found this new app that reminded me of this post. Not sure if you are still looking for a solution, but thought this sounded similar to what you had wanted.
http://smokingdesigners.com/showoff-design-finally-great-portfolio-app-ipad/
I have also been bemoaning the lack of uncluttered Photo browsers. So I wrote one
It’s called Focus Point, and it has resizable thumbnails, display of titles and captions, a 3-panel metadata browser, search, plus several other features. Launches Friday Nov 9th, 2012.
If it is of interest have a look: Focus Point. I am also looking for passionate contibutors in helping define the evolution of the app moving forward. Drop me a line.
It looks nice (as does your web page), but having seen what iTunes does to photos, I’m not sure I want to put my photos through it. Also, the sort is very important… some albums must be presented chronologically, but for most I want all photos with the same aspect ratio to be together so that the viewer isn’t having to flip the iPad with each new picture, and within any one aspect ratio, images are random. I didn’t see anything on your site about image order…. —Jeffrey
Thanks Jeffrey. We’ll be adding sort features in the next few weeks. I like the idea about the aspect ratio.
Best,
Ash
Good to hear. If you don’t mind, please ping me when you do, either here or via email. —Jeffrey
Discovered Focus Point through this post, also looking forward to any improvements in sync and sorting/management of files bypassing iTunes!
Minimal Folio is also very cool and beautiful presentation, although manual organisation means it’s more suitable for very selective sharing rather than batch exports.
Lastly, thanks for your great collection of plugins Jeffery! Awesome LR resource!
Is this thread up to date? I have a Retina iPad (Gen 4), and have a SmugMug account. I am also using LR4 on a Mac. I had bought Xtrafolio in the iStore and also installed SmugView and SmugMug apps.
Currently reviewing options. Also have DropBox.
What I sued to do, however is to have LR publish to disk, and set iTunes to sync photos from this disk folder to the iPad.
I am interested in “today” recommendations.
Cheers,
Paul
Hi Jeffrey, and everyone else!
It’s been a little while since I posted here about Focus Point. I’m happy to announce that Focus Point 1.3 is out, and has sophisticated sorting features, including one by Aspect ratio (which handles orientation).
You can check out the update here
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/focus-point-photo-albums-manager/id571326153?mt=8
or at our website
http://focuspointapp.com
I’m committed to making this app the tool hobbyist photographers want to use, so feel free to drop me a line should there be any feature requests.
I have checked the new features. Sorting files can now be done using multiple field-names like filenames, title, date, camera-settings, even lenses used. Captions can now be chosen to include filenames, titles, dates, again camera-settings, etc. Love it!
Great update!
This app beats Apple’s Photobrowser with ease