Lightroom for iPad

[claudio.amazio88]

Lightroom Version Number

9.3

Operating System

1. iOS

Hi all,

I am now looking to get a much more compact system that I can use when traveling or on the go, and I happily discover how good Lr is on the iPad ( I usually do basic editing and use a lot of presets so nothing major)

Because of this, I am considering using JUST my iPad for 90% of my photos (if something more serious comes up, I will go back to Capture One on Mac) but I am slightly confused on how the cloud storage works.

Will the Cloud storage stop my importing/ exporting/editing process if full? Can I use it offline?

My idea was to buy the basic version of Lr with 40gb and work away with all my photos, sync whatever is possible in that 40gb and use just the iPad storage for everything else.

Thank you in advance
Claudio

 

[Gnits]

I got an iPad Pro as a travel Lr tool, after the IPad Pro plus USB C cable worked and files could be easily transferred from the iPad Pro and say an external Sss.

What was not clear to me at the time was that Lr Mobile will only work with images on the iPadPro and will NOT work with images on the external SSD. This was a shock to me at the time, as the IPad Pro I purchased did not have enough storage for some of my trips ( without copying stuff in and out).

For a lot of people. Lr Mobile will provide a superb travel solution. I will let people who use Lr Mobile comment further. My word of caution is to ensure what ever mobile device you use that it has sufficient internal storage for your proposed workflow.

 

[claudio.amazio88]

I got an iPad Pro as a travel Lr tool, after the IPad Pro plus USB C cable worked and files could be easily transferred from the iPad Pro and say an external Sss.

What was not clear to me at the time was that Lr Mobile will only work with images on the iPadPro and will NOT work with images on the external SSD. This was a shock to me at the time, as the IPad Pro I purchased did not have enough storage for some of my trips ( without copying stuff in and out).

For a lot of people. Lr Mobile will provide a superb travel solution. I will let people who use Lr Mobile comment further. My word of caution is to ensure what ever mobile device you use that it has sufficient internal storage for your proposed workflow.

Thank you
Really appreciate your reply and tips

I will probably go for 512/ 1tb version just to have enough room

I will use my ssd drive only to archive finished/older project and raw files and will keep the editing on my iPad only as you suggested.

Have a good one!

 

[clee01l]

I use an iPadPro for travel and as a front end import for Lightroom Classic I still need Lightroom Classic for a complete work flow. But Lightroom mobile works well for basic editing. Some features like denoise requires more machine than can be packed into a tablet. You are not likely to see these in Lightroom mobile.

I upped my storage in Adobe Cloud to 1 TB to avoid running out of cloud storage.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Selwin]

Hi @clee01l ,
I have my eye on the new iPad Pro M4 13” to use as only workflow device for travel photography. I currently have the Lr classic + 20 GB plan. I use both my dSLR and iPhone 14 pm (Apple ProRAW).

So how do I offload the iPhone photos to the iPad without internet connection? I sometimes go to remote areas where I cannot rely on stable high bandwidth internet but even on a local WiFi service like on camp sites, bandwidth is usually quite poor.
I thoroughly understand that aiming to move iPhone photos to iPad manually, while offline, is going against the icloud way of things, but I don’t see any other way.
Would love to hear about your workflow.

 

[Gnits]

I need to replace my iPhone soon and am considering getting a 1TB model. Basically, a) use as mobile backup storage for SD cards when travelling, with b) option to use Lr Mobile… I use a MacAir for travel and for lots of reasons prefer to use Lr Classic, but expect Lr Mobile will seep into my world. Either way, portable storage conveniently attached to my phone and internet will be very useful.

 

[Selwin]

I need to replace my iPhone soon and am considering getting a 1TB model. Basically, a) use as mobile backup storage for SD cards when travelling, with b) option to use Lr Mobile… I use a MacAir for travel and for lots of reasons prefer to use Lr Classic, but expect Lr Mobile will seep into my world. Either way, portable storage conveniently attached to my phone and internet will be very useful.

1TB iPhone storage is very pricy. Wouldn’t backing up to SSDs using your iPad Pro (using a hub) be a more cost effective way, now that you already have the ipad pro? See also here.
Last year I bought the 14 pro max with 256GB, enough storage to carry a four week trip worth of proraw images

 

[clee01l]

Hi @clee01l ,
I have my eye on the new iPad Pro M4 13” to use as only workflow device for travel photography. I currently have the Lr classic + 20 GB plan. I use both my dSLR and iPhone 14 pm (Apple ProRAW).

So how do I offload the iPhone photos to the iPad without internet connection? I sometimes go to remote areas where I cannot rely on stable high bandwidth internet but even on a local WiFi service like on camp sites, bandwidth is usually quite poor.
I thoroughly understand that aiming to move iPhone photos to iPad manually, while offline, is going against the icloud way of things, but I don’t see any other way.
Would love to hear about your workflow.

My workflow only involves the iPadPro and an internet connection. I run Lightroom Mobil on both my iPhone and iPadPro. Both sync to the Adobe Cloud. I do not use the new local option. I suppose that you can export Originals on the iPhone in Lightroom Mobile to the File Area where that can be copied to an external disk. On the iPadPro you reverse the process to import from the external disk into Lightroom Mobile


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[claudio.amazio88]

Thank you all your answers

It’s nice to see how people organise their workflow

I will stick to my Capture One on my Mac for serious work, it doesn’t happen very often as it’s not my main source of income, more like a second job. But for everything else, only the iPad with a decent storage is sufficient.

I was just afraid about the cloud storage in Lr being a limit. But if I can keep working on my photos even if the cloud is full, happy days.

 

[Selwin]

My workflow only involves the iPadPro and an internet connection. I run Lightroom Mobil on both my iPhone and iPadPro. Both sync to the Adobe Cloud.

Ah I see. Well that won't be much of an option while traveling I think.

I suppose that you can export Originals on the iPhone in Lightroom Mobile to the File Area where that can be copied to an external disk. On the iPadPro you reverse the process to import from the external disk into Lightroom Mobile

I will certainly try that. Otherwise I may just bring my old MacBook Pro on travels and forget about using the iPad as a primary photo device.

Thank you for your insights, highly appreciated as always

 

[Gnits]

1TB iPhone storage is very pricy. Wouldn’t backing up to SSDs using your iPad Pro (using a hub) be a more cost effective way, now that you already have the ipad pro? See also here.
Last year I bought the 14 pro max with 256GB, enough storage to carry a four week trip worth of proraw images

"1TB is very pricy" ... yes and this is a big barrier to my decision. I am waiting for the next gen models, so have time to figure out the best option. At the end of the day, 1) my mobile phone has become my most useful daily gadget 2)I would hope to keep it for approx 5 years. So, I do not mind getting the best I can afford.

I already use Samsung T7 ssds for travel backup.

My current routine is copy card (via MacAir) to ssd, backup to a second ssd and then format the card (to avoid duplicate images).

I like the prospect of keeping say a large SD card in my camera, synching this card to my phone every night.

At the end of my trip, all my images are on the original card and a backup of them are on my phone. I plan to test this out using my iPad Pro ... to check how long the copy takes, how much power is consumed, what apps to use., etc.



By the time the next iPhone models are released ...I should be better informed... and maybe 512 GB might be enough. At the moment, my 256GB iPadPro would work for some trips, but would be too close to the bone for others and I prefer to have a consistent standardised methodology / workflow for travel.

 

[Selwin]

I see. I actually meant connecting a USB hub to your iPad Pro and using your iPad Pro to backup the SD / CF cards to the two SSD's using the iPad Pro. But if you bring a MBAir then sure, that is more convenient.
Getting a 1TB iPhone and use that storage just for SD/CF card backups sounds like a very expensive route, especially if you have the MBAir and SSD's at hand.
I agree it's convenient to have a large memory card in your camera to store an entire trip's worth of photos and videos. I have a 256GB SD card in my 5D4 and a 64GB CF card for direct in-camera backups (camera writes RAW's to both cards). After transferring the daily photo's to my MacBook Pro at night, I format the 64GB CF card so it can take new backups, but not the 256GB SD card. That SD card is basically my first backup to my MacBook Pro. I still make one backup copy to SSD though.
I would say a MacBook is ways more convenient for importing and backups than an iPad can ever be, I like having carbon copy cloner there to automate the SSD backups and also use the MacBook to cull the harvest and edit some for fun. My old 2013 15" MBP has 512GB storage which is usually enough to store all images.
The only reason to try everything via iPhone or iPad Pro is if you are backpacking and wish to travel as light as possible. But for me those days are over.

 

[MikeRBiker]

I use an iPad Air 5, 256Gb with Lr mobile and 1Tb. Here is my workflow…

When offline travelling I use a card reader hub to connect a T5ssd using usbc.
1- I copy Raws from card direct to ssd as temporary backup using iPad files app.
2- I then import all images to Lr on the ipad, so I now have 3 copies - card, ssd & iPad. I don’t format the card until all is synced to the cloud, but I could if I needed the space. I use an iPad import folder stored locally to identify all images ingested this way.
3- Next I cull obvious failures and unwanted from the iPad, and remove them from the Lr mobile deleted folder.
4- When next on WiFi I turn on sync to cloud, then when at home the MacBook is synced with originals downloaded to HDD using the save local copies option. Then I remove the iPad imports folder (using the macbook) to clear the iPad local storage.

Beware that the hub speed can sometimes be a restriction - my T7 ssd is slowed down by my cheap dongle to usb3 speed. If it bothered me I would invest in a faster hub. Note also that iPad photos app can rename files to its own sequential numbering - I don’t want this so avoid it. If you are using an iPhone, this may not be an issue.

 

[Gnits]

Thank you.

I am not going to progress this until the Autumn when I will have more clarity on next iPhone Models, next version of IOS and any refinements Adobe might make in the interim.

The most perfect portable backup storage device was the Hyperdrive Colourspace UDMA device… Sadly, no one has created a physical device to match it since, and I have wasted money on many poor imitations. Having the ability to put a card into a machine, press a button and let it take care of all backup routines is the ultimate travel tool.

It may be that an iPhone (or iPad) , with a USB port and a good app might come close, as long as they have sufficient capacity. With IOS, there are distinct advantages having the space available internally, rather than on an external SSD. My current iPhone and / or iPad lack sufficient space….. but in future that may improve.

For anyone who wants to revisit the Hyperdrive backup device you might like to read this article on the Luminous Landscape.

https://luminous-landscape.com/hyperdrive-colorspace-udma/