Travel iPad & LR requirements

[mandihorwood]

Operating System

1. iPadOS

Hi all. I am travelling to Africa for a photography safari. I plan to use LR on my 250GB iPad (2024 13" model). I have the Adobe Creative Plan which allows for 20GB of cloud. (Know not enough but am on it now as also use LRC.)
My question concerns - I will have a lot of RAW files to edit on the go. Should I get an external hard drive or SSD ? Have I enough memory on the iPad to be able to import, cull and edit on LR with saving copies in JPEG to Photos app? I am really struggling to work out the best workflow. I should add I will have quite a few memory camera cards as well.
Any advice much appreciated.

 

[Gnits]

I found out (too late) to my cost the Lr Mobile will only work with images which are resident on the iPad. The app will not you to use images on an external drive, without first importing them to the iPad. Yes the iPad will allow you see images on an external drive. You can copy cards directly to an external drive (say to backup cards)… but you cannot use external drives as you might do, as say LrC.

So you cannot use external work around this restriction by moving images on and off the iPad… but that is too complicated for me and too error prone.

You could import to the limit of the iPad, process those, make sure they get uploaded to the cloud, clear the space and then process the next batch.

So, my expensive iPad Pro became a travel web browser and email client. I bought a MacAir for travel, so I could use LrC when travelling and backup cards, etc…. Finally, my iPhone was due for replacement, so I got a 1TB iPhone Pro Max… which I now use to back up my cards on the go.

Bottom line.. amount of spare disk on an iPad will determine how comfortable it is to use.

 

[clee01l]

Matt has explained why an external drive won’t help with Lightroom mobile.

I use my 1TB iPadPro as a front end to my master catalog on LrC.

I have the 1TB Photography Plan simple because I do not want to spend time traveling to manage my Adobe Cloud storage.

When I travel for extended periods of time, I usually have an internet connection to send a days shoot to the Adobe Cloud. My MacStudio at home runs 7X24 and my LrC app is always open. So, any new images in the Adobe Cloud are synced to my master catalog as they arrive.

On an extended trip I do carry a 1TB EHD to make a backup of all the images on my camera card. While these images also get synced to my master catalog and backed up using TimeMachine and BackBlaze, It does not hurt to have the additional security in case my Mac Studio loses power and is no longer syncing to the Adobe Cloud.

I’m never more than a few days out of internet connection. So the 1TB iPadPro Storage is adequate as I have the 1TB EHD there too.

I never use the photos app on my iPadPro or Phone so that double storage is available for more Lightroom mobile storage.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[mandihorwood]

I found out (too late) to my cost the Lr Mobile will only work with images which are resident on the iPad. The app will not you to use images on an external drive, without first importing them to the iPad. Yes the iPad will allow you see images on an external drive. You can copy cards directly to an external drive (say to backup cards)… but you cannot use external drives as you might do, as say LrC.

So you cannot use external work around this restriction by moving images on and off the iPad… but that is too complicated for me and too error prone.

You could import to the limit of the iPad, process those, make sure they get uploaded to the cloud, clear the space and then process the next batch.

So, my expensive iPad Pro became a travel web browser and email client. I bought a MacAir for travel, so I could use LrC when travelling and backup cards, etc…. Finally, my iPhone was due for replacement, so I got a 1TB iPhone Pro Max… which I now use to back up my cards on the go.

Bottom line.. amount of spare disk on an iPad will determine how comfortable it is to use.

Helpful. Thank you.

 

[mandihorwood]

Matt has explained why an external drive won’t help with Lightroom mobile.

I use my 1TB iPadPro as a front end to my master catalog on LrC.

I have the 1TB Photography Plan simple because I do not want to spend time traveling to manage my Adobe Cloud storage.

When I travel for extended periods of time, I usually have an internet connection to send a days shoot to the Adobe Cloud. My MacStudio at home runs 7X24 and my LrC app is always open. So, any new images in the Adobe Cloud are synced to my master catalog as they arrive.

On an extended trip I do carry a 1TB EHD to make a backup of all the images on my camera card. While these images also get synced to my master catalog and backed up using TimeMachine and BackBlaze, It does not hurt to have the additional security in case my Mac Studio loses power and is no longer syncing to the Adobe Cloud.

I’m never more than a few days out of internet connection. So the 1TB iPadPro Storage is adequate as I have the 1TB EHD there too.

I never use the photos app on my iPadPro or Phone so that double storage is available for more Lightroom mobile storage.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for the explanation. Think your workflow is rather more sophisticated than mine. Also I will be out of internet access for several days at a time. Maybe I should simply keep on the memory cards and sort when home. I could shoot in both jpeg and raw, looking at the images in jpeg for discussion purposes ( am with a professional photographer) and using raw when I get home.

 

[clee01l]

Thanks for the explanation. Think your workflow is rather more sophisticated than mine. Also I will be out of internet access for several days at a time. Maybe I should simply keep on the memory cards and sort when home. I could shoot in both jpeg and raw, looking at the images in jpeg for discussion purposes ( am with a professional photographer) and using raw when I get home.

Forget RAW+JPEG. There is a fully processed JPEG embedded in every RAW header. It may only be a thumbnail and you can always export the JPEG from the RAW if you need it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Swingman]

Hi all. I am travelling to Africa for a photography safari. I plan to use LR on my 250GB iPad (2024 13" model). I have the Adobe Creative Plan which allows for 20GB of cloud. (Know not enough but am on it now as also use LRC.)
My question concerns - I will have a lot of RAW files to edit on the go. Should I get an external hard drive or SSD ? Have I enough memory on the iPad to be able to import, cull and edit on LR with saving copies in JPEG to Photos app? I am really struggling to work out the best workflow. I should add I will have quite a few memory camera cards as well.
Any advice much appreciated.

There is a similar tread here stared two days ago and read my advice on managing large number of photos import/edit in iPad 256GB.

Workflow from iPad to LRC​

 

[clee01l]

Maybe I should simply keep on the memory cards and sort when home.

What happens if you lose a camera card? Somewhere in Český Krumlov, there are 4 SD cards that have all of the photos from my only trip to the Czech Republic.

Your photos are at greatest risk when they exist only one place, on the camera card. Take a Backup disk and make sure there are two copies of your images. Preferably one copy in the Cloud or two copies in separate luggage pieces.

 

[Conrad Chavez]

Should I get an external hard drive or SSD ? Have I enough memory on the iPad to be able to import, cull and edit on LR with saving copies in JPEG to Photos app? I am really struggling to work out the best workflow. I should add I will have quite a few memory camera cards as well…
…Also I will be out of internet access for several days at a time. Maybe I should simply keep on the memory cards and sort when home. I could shoot in both jpeg and raw, looking at the images in jpeg for discussion purposes ( am with a professional photographer) and using raw when I get home.

Sometimes I go on trips where I only take the iPad, to places where there probably won’t be enough time on an Internet connection with a high enough upload speed to upload many GB of photos and videos through Lightroom before newer captures fill up the iPad. For those trips, I now also bring a tiny external SSD and a USB-C hub with a card slot. This lets me use an iPad to back up images directly from a camera card to the SSD, completely bypassing and not consuming iPad internal storage. (This requires an iPad with a USB-C port; although it’s possible with Lightning port iPads it’s much too painful to manage on those.)

Lightroom is not involved in this workflow because it cannot directly edit files stored in the iPad local file system, which means it can’t directly edit images stored in the iOS Files app (on the iPad or on an external SSD). Lightroom for iOS can edit only images that it imports (copies into its private space on the iPad for upload). If I want to do a quick edit/share of images of images on the road with this workflow, I use the iPad app Nitro, which supports raw files and can directly edit images in local folders and external volumes connected to the iPad. (Of course, the disadvantage is that Nitro edits can’t be read by Lightroom Classic later.)

Because Nitro supports raw files, there is no need to shoot raw+JPEG. If you only wanted to preview the photos in the iOS Files app, and if iOS already supports your camera’s raw files, iOS QuickLook can preview them right there in the Files app without opening any other app, so again no need to shoot raw+JPEG. I’ve never found a good reason to shoot raw+JPEG, all my cameras have always been set to just shoot raw.

If it’s a trip where I bring my Mac laptop, I use backup/sync software to automatically ensure that the external SSD backup of the camera cards is complete and up to date at the end of each day. To reproduce this workflow using only the iPad, I use the app Sync Folders, which works a lot like the Mac apps Chronosync or Carbon Copy Cloner: It supports folder comparison/sync across volumes, multiple backup/sync modes, and presets. I just point it to the SD card in the hub, and also to the card backup folder in the SSD, and tell it to compare them and copy any new files to the external SSD.

On a recent trip I lost a tiny microSD card. The only reason I still have everything that was on that card is because it was backed up to the SSD before I lost the card.

When I get home, I import everything into Lightroom Classic.

 

[Gnits]

using only the iPad, I use the app Sync Folders,

I am delighted to get this reference. Have been looking for similar for such a long time. Will investigate ( but will prob use on iPhone.)

I made the mistake of getting an iPad Pro (as a travel photo computer) with too little space for my needs. When my phone came due for replacement I agonised for a long time (cost was painful) but got 1TB of storage. I can now backup my cards directly to my phone. [ On my iPhone I transfer data at 511 MB per sec). So.. can travel with a min kit of camera and iPhone.

 

[Swingman]

I am delighted to get this reference. Have been looking for similar for such a long time. Will investigate ( but will prob use on iPhone.)

I made the mistake of getting an iPad Pro (as a travel photo computer) with too little space for my needs. When my phone came due for replacement I agonised for a long time (cost was painful) but got 1TB of storage. I can now backup my cards directly to my phone. [ On my iPhone I transfer data at 511 MB per sec). So.. can travel with a min kit of camera and iPhone.

Apple has a tight grip on iPhones and iPads where they don’t have any upgrade path other than buying a new one. I am also surprised that no third party (so far I haven’t seen) would replace the unified memory.
I have iPad Air M2 with 256GB (2024) which only have 8Gb ram and non of the Air models have more than 8Gb ram. I was agonising over to go for ITB M4 iPad Pro which is the base spec for16GB ram allocation but at more than double the cost. That’s too much to pay for my hobby Photography.

 

[Gnits]

I reread the original post.

If I was travelling to Africa, using an iPad as a computer…. I would definitely bring an external SSD.

I would have an evening routine of copying my cards to individual folders on the SSD drive, irrespective of what you do in terms of Lightroom or Synching Lr to LrCloud.

My routine on a Mac Air is copy card to SSD. Import to LrC. edit. Select, etc. Then using Beyond Compare backup my SSD to a second external drive (only new or edited files so only copies todays images. I then make a point of formatting my cards. I include the LrC catalog in this copy as it will be automatically copied if it has changed.

One disk drive stays with me all the time, the second back in hotel safe or next best location. This is a painless routine and now part of my DNA.

The reason I format the cards are mainly….
Avoid the possibility of importing duplicate images.
Avoid the possibility of mixing up my cards, what are used, what are unused, what are borrowed.

I have been on loads of trips where people who have spent massive money to get to their bucket list destination only to mix up their cards or overwriting / formatting the wrong card.

If you intend to use your cards as a layer of backup, then bring a stock of small envelopes…. and as each card fills, place it in an individual envelope, and write brief card contents and dates of images and date placed in card. Seal the envelope. Regard it as a registered letter, which you are posting to yourself. This is a perfect filing system.

On my next trip I will be using my iPhone (with USB port and a TB of data) as one of my layers of backup.

 

[clee01l]

I am also surprised that no third party (so far I haven’t seen) would replace the unified memory.

The Silicon chip is one chip including CPU,GPU and Memory. If you want more memory then you need to select an Apple device with more memory. I think with CPU, GPU and storage on one chip, you get greater efficiency and performance than you would if the memory were on a separate module in the device.

Unified memory combines RAM, VRAM and storage in a single memory area. This lets the system use all of the storage available for the process that is not taken up by data storage. . My iPadPro has 1TB of unified storage. Of that, about 120GB is taken up with iPadOS, System data and apps. The remainder can be used for data storage AND processing.

 

[clee01l]

If I was travelling to Africa, using an iPad as a computer…. I would definitely bring an external SSD.

I would have an evening routine of copying my cards to individual folders on the SSD drive, irrespective of what you do in terms of Lightroom or Synching Lr to LrCloud.

My routine on a Mac Air is copy card to SSD. Import to LrC. edit. Select, etc. Then using Beyond Compare backup my SSD to a second external drive (only new or edited files so only copies todays images. I then make a point of formatting my cards. I include the LrC catalog in this copy as it will be automatically copied if it has changed.

One disk drive stays with me all the time, the second back in hotel safe or next best location. This is a painless routine and now part of my DNA.

Excellent advice. One thing I would add is to practice this BEFORE the trip so that you know the process and have worked through any kinks.

 

[mandihorwood]

There is a similar tread here stared two days ago and read my advice on managing large number of photos import/edit in iPad 256GB.

Workflow from iPad to LRC​

Thanks Swingman. Have posted a comment on the above after reading through. Be grateful for any further advice

 

[Swingman]

Excellent advice. One thing I would add is to practice this BEFORE the trip so that you know the process and have worked through any kinks.

OP already got 256Gb iPad. Allowing for OS and other items it could still have over 200Gb for storage. If he invest in Lr for iPad through Apple Store, he will get additional 100Gb cloud. Even with slow or intermittent internet connection, iPad can sync with cloud, negating/reducing additional purchases of storage devices. Also cheaper than upgrading to 1TB cloud.

 

[mandihorwood]

I reread the original post.

If I was travelling to Africa, using an iPad as a computer…. I would definitely bring an external SSD.

I would have an evening routine of copying my cards to individual folders on the SSD drive, irrespective of what you do in terms of Lightroom or Synching Lr to LrCloud.

My routine on a Mac Air is copy card to SSD. Import to LrC. edit. Select, etc. Then using Beyond Compare backup my SSD to a second external drive (only new or edited files so only copies todays images. I then make a point of formatting my cards. I include the LrC catalog in this copy as it will be automatically copied if it has changed.

One disk drive stays with me all the time, the second back in hotel safe or next best location. This is a painless routine and now part of my DNA.

The reason I format the cards are mainly….
Avoid the possibility of importing duplicate images.
Avoid the possibility of mixing up my cards, what are used, what are unused, what are borrowed.

I have been on loads of trips where people who have spent massive money to get to their bucket list destination only to mix up their cards or overwriting / formatting the wrong card.

If you intend to use your cards as a layer of backup, then bring a stock of small envelopes…. and as each card fills, place it in an individual envelope, and write brief card contents and dates of images and date placed in card. Seal the envelope. Regard it as a registered letter, which you are posting to yourself. This is a perfect filing system.

On my next trip I will be using my iPhone (with USB port and a TB of data) as one of my layers of backup.

Really helpful points. Thanks. I am now thinking of upgrading to LR cloud 1tb so I can keep all in the cloud - when I can connect. Love the envelopes idea!
However you are now making me ponder the ssd again. Any thoughts as to make? I did buy a Sandisc and then sent it back as it registered as Untitled on my iPad and wouldn’t do anything - apparently this has happened with images on to other people. Ouch! Am looking at the Crucial make with a hub to take both ssd card and ssd drive. Appreciate any thoughts.

 

[mandihorwood]

Really helpful points. Thanks. I am now thinking of upgrading to LR cloud 1tb so I can keep all in the cloud - when I can connect. Love the envelopes idea!
However you are now making me ponder the ssd again. Any thoughts as to make? I did buy a Sandisc and then sent it back as it registered as Untitled on my iPad and wouldn’t do anything - apparently this has happened with images on to other people. Ouch! Am looking at the Crucial make with a hub to take both ssd card and ssd drive. Appreciate any thoughts.

Am replying to myself as more comments have been posted! Many thanks all. Really good advice but I now am completely confused! Think my choices are: stay with the iPad own storage by editing in LRm and saving keepers to iPad; getting an external ssd and backing up raw images ( can I do this from LR or do I need to use photos app - can’t work out how to import straight to files and view) ; keeping the sd cards carefully with the raw images and just using jpegs to share and edit simply - although I would prefer to shoot in raw completely; or getting a couple of months of 1tb LR cloud. Have I summarised correctly? Missed anything? Will all/any of the above work?

 

[Gnits]

Any thoughts as to make?

I am a fan of the Samsung T7 / T9 series for several reasons. The first… and surprising reason is that they are available in a range of excellent colours. I use Red for my live data, and Blue for Backup . They are also really easy to recognise in camera bags, etc. They are not awkward to use when connected with a cable. Their form factor is also perfect. There is a wide range of sizes and T7 / T9 provide different price point and performance.

Warning. I probably said this already. Lightroom on IPad will not see or use images on external drives (regardless of make). The images need to be on internal storage. They can be used by the Files App (and the Synch App referenced above) and probably lots of other apps to, say, backup cards to external drives (with the help of a hub).

As Cletus has remarked… test everything before you travel.

 

[clee01l]

Am replying to myself as more comments have been posted! Many thanks all. Really good advice but I now am completely confused! Think my choices are: stay with the iPad own storage by editing in LRm and saving keepers to iPad; getting an external ssd and backing up raw images ( can I do this from LR or do I need to use photos app - can’t work out how to import straight to files and view) ; keeping the sd cards carefully with the raw images and just using jpegs to share and edit simply - although I would prefer to shoot in raw completely; or getting a couple of months of 1tb LR cloud. Have I summarised correctly? Missed anything? Will all/any of the above work?

Here is the workflow that I use.
I never delete a file in Lr mobile because the delete process does not flow back to the LrC master catalog. I reject (X) these images in Lr Mobile (the Adobe Cloud really) where they can be identified and deleted in the master catalog of LrC and everywhere else.

I think getting a backup external disk is critical for travel, especially to travel in outlying locales with limited internet. There is a saying about not keeping one's eggs in one basket.

In iPadOS you need to use the Files app to manage backups Lightroom Mobile does not work with files, it works with previews and the file gets stored in the Adobe Cloud as its components. Local files complicate the workflow IMO.

When I travel I insist on having two copies of every image file and that does not include any collected and stored on camera cards. So, one on the iPadPro, one copy on the backup disk. Or One copy in the Adobe cloud and one copy on the backup disk. I use 256GB CFExpress camera cards and usually don't erase these until both are full. This gives me 3 copies locally. I keep LrC running at home on the Mac Studio 7X24 to sync the Adobe Cloud constantly while I'm gone. This is automatically backed up daily.

You should be able to switch to the new 1TB Lightroom plan that includes LrC but excludes Photoshop. If I were not so entrenched using Photoshop's AI features I would switch my 1TB Photography Plan for the 1TB Lightroom plan.

 

[mandihorwood]

I am a fan of the Samsung T7 / T9 series for several reasons. The first… and surprising reason is that they are available in a range of excellent colours. I use Red for my live data, and Blue for Backup . They are also really easy to recognise in camera bags, etc. They are not awkward to use when connected with a cable. Their form factor is also perfect. There is a wide range of sizes and T7 / T9 provide different price point and performance.

Warning. I probably said this already. Lightroom on IPad will not see or use images on external drives (regardless of make). The images need to be on internal storage. They can be used by the Files App (and the Synch App referenced above) and probably lots of other apps to, say, backup cards to external drives (with the help of a hub).

As Cletus has remarked… test everything before you travel.

Thanks Gnits. Will definitely look at these - and yes - will practise!

 

[clee01l]

I am a fan of the Samsung T7 / T9 series for several reasons. The first… and surprising reason is that they are available in a range of excellent colours. I use Red for my live data, and Blue for Backup .

Color is not an issue for me since I carry only one when I travel I have used 2.5" HDD discs because of the compact size and they need an enclosure (pick your own color) I have 5 of these mostly salvaged from old laptops. There is a company that makes a product called iDiskk. It comes with 1TB storage and a 2000mAh battery and can charge a phone (or laptop?).

For Compactness I now use a Sandisk Extreme 480GB. They now come in 1TB size.

 

[garygnurps]

Here is the workflow that I use.
I never delete a file in Lr mobile because the delete process does not flow back to the LrC master catalog. I reject (X) these images in Lr Mobile (the Adobe Cloud really) where they can be identified and deleted in the master catalog of LrC and everywhere else.

I think getting a backup external disk is critical for travel, especially to travel in outlying locales with limited internet. There is a saying about not keeping one's eggs in one basket.

In iPadOS you need to use the Files app to manage backups Lightroom Mobile does not work with files, it works with previews and the file gets stored in the Adobe Cloud as its components. Local files complicate the workflow IMO.

When I travel I insist on having two copies of every image file and that does not include any collected and stored on camera cards. So, one on the iPadPro, one copy on the backup disk. Or One copy in the Adobe cloud and one copy on the backup disk. I use 256GB CFExpress camera cards and usually don't erase these until both are full. This gives me 3 copies locally. I keep LrC running at home on the Mac Studio 7X24 to sync the Adobe Cloud constantly while I'm gone. This is automatically backed up daily.

You should be able to switch to the new 1TB Lightroom plan that includes LrC but excludes Photoshop. If I were not so entrenched using Photoshop's AI features I would switch my 1TB Photography Plan for the 1TB Lightroom plan.

What gets the photos via internet to your Mac Studio running LrC? You noted that you import to iOS Files that LrMobile does not read. So you import to both LrMobile and Files?

 

[Jim Wilde]

What gets the photos via internet to your Mac Studio running LrC? You noted that you import to iOS Files that LrMobile does not read. So you import to both LrMobile and Files?

Adding photos to LrM from Files is one of the standard import options. So I guess Cletus copies the card contents to Files, from where he can import them to LrM as well as make another backup to the external drive.

 

[clee01l]

Adding photos to LrM from Files is one of the standard import options. So I guess Cletus copies the card contents to Files, from where he can import them to LrM as well as make another backup to the external drive.

Actually, I import twice to my iPadPro. One import is to the Files app with the external drive as the destination and the other is to LrM. LrM will sync to the Adobe Cloud and the Adobe Cloud syncs to my LrC catalog. The Files app is to just get a second copy stored while I travel. Once the images are synced to my LrC catalog, they are included in my nightly TimeMachine Backup and BackBlaze backups.