Hi all. I received hundreds of responses and questions about mobile workflows the other day. First, let me say thank you. I really appreciate it. And to say thanks, I created a quick video for you based on one question I saw a lot.
It was a very common question about getting photos on to your tablets while traveling, and I realized that a lot of people don’t know that you already have this feature on your tablet – and it’s been there for years.
Enjoy and have a great weekend!
I love teaching and photography... In that order. I feel that enjoying photography, and photo editing can get WAY too complicated. So my personal mission (and favorite thing to do), is to create education that simplifies the process of taking great photos, and how to edit them to get the results you’ve always wanted.
Hello Matt,
Thank you for putting together this new course on using tablets and phones for photo editing while traveling. It’s great to have the option to travel light without the need for heavier laptops. However, I have a concern about the storage capacity on these devices, especially when dealing with large RAW files. Is there a way to edit these files directly from an external hard drive connected to the tablet, or do we need to import them into the tablet to use them in the Lightroom mobile app?
Hi JT. There is not a way to edit from external drives.
Thank you, Matt for this video. It helped a great deal.
I have a new iPad Pro and loaded my photos directly into Lightroom mobile. I found this to be more difficult to then transfer to external drive. I think I was finally able to make the transfer but the file folder was an easier solution.
Very reassuring and helpful. Thanks so much, Matt.
I’m an f.64 Elite member with Blake Rudis. He uses a PC, but most of use an Apple MacBook Pro. I used PC laptops all the time I was employed (I graduated from the University of Washington in December, 1980 with a BSME degree and I spent 40+ years with HVAC Manufacturers Representatives). I retired at the end of 2021 and work as a consultant for Air Reps, LLC (https://airreps.com/) in Bellevue one day a week (Tuesday) when I’m in town. But now I have a 16″ MacBook Pro with an M3 Max chip, 36 GM RAM and a 1 TB SSD drive.
Brian Matiash teaches a class on Lightroom Everywhere which I’ve taken. How is this different than Brian’s class.
Hi. Brian approaches things from an “all cloud” perspective, meaning you’re not using hard drives. And he exclusively teaches LR (desktop, tablet, phone). I approach from using as little “cloud” as possible (it’s necessary to an extent), and assume most of you will want to transfer back to LRClassic rather than LR on the desktop. Though I will cover both and when you get back home, but going back to LR is infinitely easier than going back to LRC. But again, I will cover all options. Thanks.
Thank-you for sharing your valuable expertise! This engaging participation in discussion is so encouraging. You are creating many new mobile workflow options already, for me – and the course isn’t even here yet! (You know we are all signing up for this course when it launches!)
From this page’s discussion, the previous page for the FAQs and invite to the webinar, and your initial poke-the-hornet’s-nest query which 400 of us responded to – yikes – I am re-evaluating what I am missing out on by ignoring my iPadPro during trips – including – duh – using the iPad’s “Folders”.
Just got a new rig, and am learning some new tech on an OM System (MarkII). In camera, there are two extra options for managing images: One is creating separate file folders and the second is using the second card to select/save images to the second card, as I choose (going through the ‘roll’).
In theory, I could use the second card to save only the images that I possibly may share or do a quick edit on, (when mobile, and with the iPadPro). Assuming that I do not have extra time, to put a whole day’s image-takes on a tablet, and assuming that it is nice to do a quick turn-around to look at/share/send a few chosen images, … and maybe do a quick edit using Lightroom and/or Photoshop on a few selected images?
It would save a lot of time if I could I just use the jpegs that I wanted and not transfer everything – including the RAW files, to the tablet. It would suit me better, too, if I did the rest of the image imports, with the RAW files, etc., when I got back – either from the cards or from my back-up drive, when I have more time to manage all.
Just a theory, today. Any thoughts?
Hi Frances. You can import whatever you like to LR – raw photos or JPGs. Just know that when you get back home, if you imported JPGs there would be no way to tie any work you did while traveling to the raw files. It would be like starting over again. As for what you’re missing by not taking an iPad… you’re not missing anything if you don’t need it. If you bring a laptop it’s by far a better workflow. And if you bring nothing and just enjoy the trip, I don’t see what sitting behind a screen will get you and how it would add to the enjoyment of your trip. Everyone is different and you have to evaluate what you want out of your photos while on a trip. Thanks!
Thank you, Matt! You have encouraged me to make a mobile workflow happen. … Looking forward to the launch of your new course on this subject. I’m signing up!
Glad to help. The course is live. Just click on the home page. Thanks!
Thanks Matt. Makes the workflow simple.
Talk about the “KISS” principle, this video was it. We have always been struggling looking at photos on my wife’s IPad, now we know how. Thanks
The “files” program is nice for moving a file or two around, but selecting a mess of files to move from your SD card to a hard drive is a problem. First, copy to the iPad (if you have the storage), then copy to the USB drive. One at a time. Ick. That’s why I like “a-Shell” — it’s command line, but not terrible:
> cp $SDCARD/DCIM/*/*.JPG $USBDRIVE/YYYY-MM-DD/.
Also, my iPad cannot drive the USB drive: too much power is required. I really, really recommend a powered USB switch. They’re about $20 and worth it. *THEN* you can copy directly from the SD card to the USB drive.
I think this is going to be a really good course, sort of covering all those questions you were too afraid to ask! The one thing I find hard is getting files from IOS (iPad or iPhone) onto a Windows 11 PC and iTunes is simply awful.
Thanks. Though there will be Nothing about iTunes or any apple app in the Adobe workflow course.
Finally I can’t wait for the course
Always wondered what the File app was for. Thanks Matt.
Thanks Matt.
I am more interested in an approach to transfer files from my camera directly to an external drive connected to my iPad rather than from the card to the tablet to a drive. The connection through the Files app is very slow for a large number of files and prone to failure.
I have been using the approach you described. I have tried taking a hub, to connect both my card reader and external drive but it seems I a missing something from the way to make it properly connect.
Hi Ted. The process would be the same if you connected a camera or a card reader. iPad sees them
Both as drives and nothing would change.its just that connecting a camera is slow and prone to errors.
See my comment. You can do it with a powered USB switch (hub). It must be powered ‘cuz mobile devices don’t have enough power to drive much beyond a simple SD card.
Hi Ted. Unfortunately I won’t be covering much about the tech of connecting devices other than saying “Connect a device”. A hub would definitely be the answer, but it’s not something I could troubleshoot for you.
Thanks Matt,
I bought an I-Pad 9 in 2021, and it does not have a USB port. That’s why I was wondering how to transfer. The only port is the charging port.
The charging port handles data, too
Also, how can I tell when it’s safe to remove the external drive on an iPad?
I just unplug it.
Wow – I always learn something new from you.
Thanks
Thanks, Matt. Pretty obvious really! Appreciate all that you do.
Thanks for this. I had a student who wanted to know how to load files on to her Tablet so this is very helpful. I don’t have a tablet so thanks.
Thanks very much. You verified my exact workflow that I use when traveling with my iPad. A question for your course: if i want to edit a photo in LR from a photo on my SSD, and then I download it to my computer back home do the edits (ie catalog) come with it?
MATT – I am a long time LRC user and want to switch to Lr primarily because Although I like the LRC develop very much I will not miss much of what is missing in Lr such as color labels. Plus I have a mess in my LRC catalog metadata mismatches. I have my website where I store and market my images on PhotoShelter. My goal is to use Lr/PhotoShop to sort & edit and then import into PhotoShelter. I do not want to use Cloud in Lr. Is this a doable system? Are you using Cloud in your Lr program or just saving on HDs. I am using Synology NAS.
Great tip. I’m going to check it out as soon as I finish this note. Thanks, Neal
Why go to the Files on the iPad when you can just upload to Lr. You don’t have to connect to the cloud. Lr will save the originals and then upload later when you’re connected. I like to edit on the road and cull images while sitting on the plane coming home.
Because not everyone wants to use LR on the iPad but still wants to backup their photos. Plus, by going directly in to LR on the iPad you won’t know where the photos are if you ever wanted to move/copy that folder one day. It doesn’t really take much more time, and it’s just a cleaner workflow this way.
If you have a USB hub you don’t even need a card reader. I just plug the camera directly into the hub and transfer files. If you have an external SSD also plugged into the hub all can be done in one setup.
Not exactly. It depends on what type of cards you use. For example, my CF Express Type A cards won’t work in most USB card reader hubs. I need a special card reader for them.
Dunno what reader you’re using, Matt, but my CF/CFexpress/XQD/SD readers *all* work just fine with my hub (switch). I can’t plug ’em in directly because: 1) my iPad refuses to power them, and 2) my iPad uses the exposed contact Apple plug. (It came out before the EU edict forced Apple to switch to USB-C.)
Thank you for that information. Stuff didn’t know
I get that people want to “backup” their work onto a laptop or tablet but think carefully about doing this as most tablets I have seen have a limited amount of storage and most cards in cameras these days have 32, 64, 128, 256 or 512GB of memory. Couple that with increasing files sizes in many modern cameras and card space quickly becomes an issue. This means if you are on vacation or photo shoot and you dump your card onto your tablet your may find you fill up the available storage and it stops working. Laptops have hard drives so that is a better alternative but to be honest if I carry a camera bag with 3-4 lenses, filters, tripod etc. I do not want to tote a laptop as well. My solution is to carry multiple cards, in fact I have a small pouch where I store about 20 or more cards…one for each days work. After a days work I remove the card and install a blank one for the next day and store the used ones in a separate pouch.
I found that large cell phones and tablets are really only good for looking at pictures to see if you got it right…editing is possible but way to time consuming when all you have is a finger to point with.
Using a portable hard drive is another alternative but does come with some technical challenges.
Keep it simple!
I’m not sure 20 cards is simple. Also remember not everyone shoots or uses the equipment you use. For example, if you went on a wildlife photography trip, you’d most likely want fast cards. Those are expensive. Buying 20 CF Express Type A cards could cost upwards of $4000. I’d rather buy an iPad for half that, rather than carry a pouch full of 20 cards. Not saying you’re wrong… just that not everyone falls in to the same category you do with equipment. Thanks.
Thank you
The issue I can see with copying from a camera card to a mobile device like an iPad is available free space. Space on an iPad is limited even if you could afford the largest capacity iPad. I shoot wildlife so can generate thousands of images during a full day and a very large amount of storage capacity over a workshop lasting several days. My iPad does not have capacity for all these files. I would be interested in the new course having workable solutions to these types of capacity issues.
Hi. Space is always an issue and needs to be considered before doing this. But I have to trust that the people watching know enough that you can’t copy photos to an iPad – and take up space – if doesn’t have enough space. I’m all for explaining things, but that would be the same as me saying “Copy these to your hard drive, but it will only work to store them on your hard drive if there’s enough space”. There’s talking to a beginner, and then there’s painful explanation of things people will know already. Thanks!
True, but the iPad only has one USB C port so you cannot connect a reader and SSD drive at the same time. Maybe a USB C Hub would work but then you get transfer speed issues. A hub is another thing to carry so advantages of iPad start to reduce.
Hi… I’m not disagreeing with you. But This video answers a question that people have even, if you don’t.
I have moved raw files to my iPad since 2018. And I have moved those raw files to an external hard drive while traveling. One thing I would add — prior to trip, clean off iPad! Back it up, delete memory hogs, remove videos, large games, any photos you can, so that as much memory is free as possible at the beginning of the trip. Keep those images in Files, NOT Photos App so they don’t go to your iPhone. I’m very storage conscious while traveling. I don’t buy memory on my devices for travel which is occasional. 256GB has been more than enough if I clean things up before the trip.I use my iPhone storage for iPhone captures, which I do use for a number of things.
Great suggestion about using a USB hub and plug in a card reader and an external drive.
Thanks for the video. Some (including me) may find that once photos are in the ipad files app, to move them is not a drag and drop process as on a laptop. Minor inconvenience if you never encountered it before. Can’t wait to see the course
Interesting, Matt, as always. You mention “hard dive” and yet wave around a SamDisk SSD external drive. I think there may be people who don’t understand the difference and the pros/cons of each. You might want to explain what an SSD drive is and how much more logical it is that carrying around a traditional (often heavier and definitely more vulnerable} external hard drive.
Thanks…