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iPad Pro - what app for Portrait photography, please?

F

Freida

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Original poster
Oct 22, 2010
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Hello guys,

I've just got the iPad Pro and I would like to edit my photos on it as I like the pencil screen combo.
In the past my favourite app was Aperture but that got killed. Used a bit of ON1 Photo Raw but it didn't sit super well.
So now, I wonder what would you suggest if my main usage would be portraiture? I looked at Affinity photo for iPad and it looks good. I like that it has frequency separation. There is also Pixelmator Pro but not sure how good that is.

Seeing that I have to buy the app I wonder what would be your suggestion from those that use the iPad for this kinda stuff already.

Anyone, please?

I would greatly appreciate it :)
 
Affinity photo for sure, but it’s an app more akin to photoshop.

If you’re looking for an aperture replacement, ie, something that function as a dam, then things get more complicated! There are no real dam replacements.

Lr is awesome for editing, but forces the cloud for its dam functions unless you use it with classic on a regular system. Even then it only shares a smart preview. It doesn’t offer the same functionality as affinity photo though, just like classic doesn’t offer the same as as photoshop on a mac. You can use it with iPad photoshop, but as it stands that’s still a bit basic for advanced photo editing, and again needs the cloud for its operation. All this cloud stuff is ok for smart previews and jpegs but for raws i’st extremely time consuming with all but the very fastest fibre connection.

Raw power is top of the bunch, it’s a more ‘true’ aperture replacement, it’s using on the same raw engine etc, and it has similar functions, AND is pretty much the only choice I have found on iPad that can be a dam using externals like a desktop dam. The problem is that it’s lacking a bit in functionality- it’s really only a raw editor in the traditional sense.

So as ideal as the iPad is for editing photos - the lack of a proper workflow really holds it back for use on its own.

The best solution is to use affinity photo and manage your own dam. But again, it’s lack of functionality as a dam means that it’s a pita for big shoots. Or to use it in conjunction with a mac, which is what I do.

I really wish affinity would just produce the dam that everyone want.
 
I'm not really a fan of photoshop as it looks so complex but I guess its time to embrace the UI and learn Affinity.
Unless someone else chips in with another idea.
I'm not really concerned about DAM. I don't know my workflow yet with this new thing but I assume that I'll just edit the photos I want and then export them and put them to Photos (or iPhoto?)

Thank you so much, I'll see what others say but I'm leaning towards Affinity now :)

cupcakes2000 said:
Affinity photo for sure, but it’s an app more akin to photoshop.

If you’re looking for an aperture replacement, ie, something that function as a dam, then things get more complicated! There are no real dam replacements.

Lr is awesome for editing, but forces the cloud for its dam functions unless you use it with classic on a regular system. Even then it only shares a smart preview. It doesn’t offer the same functionality as affinity photo though, just like classic doesn’t offer the same as as photoshop on a mac. You can use it with iPad photoshop, but as it stands that’s still a bit basic for advanced photo editing, and again needs the cloud for its operation. All this cloud stuff is ok for smart previews and jpegs but for raws i’st extremely time consuming with all but the very fastest fibre connection.

Raw power is top of the bunch, it’s a more ‘true’ aperture replacement, it’s using on the same raw engine etc, and it has similar functions, AND is pretty much the only choice I have found on iPad that can be a dam using externals like a desktop dam. The problem is that it’s lacking a bit in functionality- it’s really only a raw editor in the traditional sense.

So as ideal as the iPad is for editing photos - the lack of a proper workflow really holds it back for use on its own.

The best solution is to use affinity photo and manage your own dam. But again, it’s lack of functionality as a dam means that it’s a pita for big shoots. Or to use it in conjunction with a mac, which is what I do.

I really wish affinity would just produce the dam that everyone want.
Click to expand...
 
If Pixelmator Photo will do what you want, that’s definitely the way to go for this. Especially if you are using the Photos app to store your photos. It can open directly from Photos, and then save back in place as an edit (so, non-destructively). Affinity you will have to import the photo, make changes, and then save it as a new photo.
 
Freida said:
I'm not really a fan of photoshop as it looks so complex but I guess its time to embrace the UI and learn Affinity.
Unless someone else chips in with another idea.
I'm not really concerned about DAM. I don't know my workflow yet with this new thing but I assume that I'll just edit the photos I want and then export them and put them to Photos (or iPhoto?)

Thank you so much, I'll see what others say but I'm leaning towards Affinity now :)
Click to expand...
Affinity is definitely more complicated. The thing is is you mentioned frequency separation, thats a complicated procedure that a ‘normal’ editor just won’t do. I don’t know whether pixelmator pro does it or not as I have never used the software, but I imagine it does, although I have used pixelmator photo, which does not of course. Anyways, all these types of editors are complex, so you may as well learn the best one available.

If your serious and want to do serious stuff then it’s definitely affinity photo that sits on the iPad throne for photo editing. It’s a steep learning curve but if it’s what you’re in to then it’s not that bad. You can just Google each time you want to do something amd find the answer. Affinity themselves have a fairly in depth series of ‘how to’ videos on their YouTube channel. Well worth a watch to grab the basics anyway. Plus the good folks here will help answer any questions you may have.
 
as well take a look at Raw Power 3 - its developer is the former Aperture team leader.

EDIT: just for the protocol - the free SnapSeed offers a lot of functionality in a quite accessible package.
 
Last edited:
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I'm not concerned too much about this. I wanted Pixelmator but they pissed me off that they don't have Frequency Separation even though people have been asking for years!

So, this is actually why I was looking around and Affinity seems like a good one.

mackmgg said:
If Pixelmator Photo will do what you want, that’s definitely the way to go for this. Especially if you are using the Photos app to store your photos. It can open directly from Photos, and then save back in place as an edit (so, non-destructively). Affinity you will have to import the photo, make changes, and then save it as a new photo.
Click to expand...
 
Pulled the trigger and got Affinity. I'll be still open to test other stuff but seeing that I will have to learn stuff anyway I might as well start here.
It seems complex but on the other hand they have great tutorials so I assume it might be ok :)

for $16 it was a good entry price :)

cupcakes2000 said:
Affinity is definitely more complicated. The thing is is you mentioned frequency separation, thats a complicated procedure that a ‘normal’ editor just won’t do. I don’t know whether pixelmator pro does it or not as I have never used the software, but I imagine it does, although I have used pixelmator photo, which does not of course. Anyways, all these types of editors are complex, so you may as well learn the best one available.

If your serious and want to do serious stuff then it’s definitely affinity photo that sits on the iPad throne for photo editing. It’s a steep learning curve but if it’s what you’re in to then it’s not that bad. You can just Google each time you want to do something amd find the answer. Affinity themselves have a fairly in depth series of ‘how to’ videos on their YouTube channel. Well worth a watch to grab the basics anyway. Plus the good folks here will help answer any questions you may have.
Click to expand...
 
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Freida said:
Pulled the trigger and got Affinity. I'll be still open to test other stuff but seeing that I will have to learn stuff anyway I might as well start here.
It seems complex but on the other hand they have great tutorials so I assume it might be ok :)

for $16 it was a good entry price :)
Click to expand...
Good call, it’s an excellent app.
 
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Freida said:
Pulled the trigger and got Affinity. I'll be still open to test other stuff but seeing that I will have to learn stuff anyway I might as well start here.
It seems complex but on the other hand they have great tutorials so I assume it might be ok :)

for $16 it was a good entry price :)
Click to expand...
Good call. Be sure and look at the tutorial videos on the affinity website. They are really helpful.
 
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Freida said:
I'm not really a fan of photoshop as it looks so complex but I guess its time to embrace the UI and learn Affinity.
Unless someone else chips in with another idea.
I'm not really concerned about DAM. I don't know my workflow yet with this new thing but I assume that I'll just edit the photos I want and then export them and put them to Photos (or iPhoto?)

Thank you so much, I'll see what others say but I'm leaning towards Affinity now :)
Click to expand...
What you are talking about doing is pretty much what I have done in the past with an iPad. Edit in Affinity, put the edits into Photos and use iCloud storage to sync across devices. Personally, I end up coming back to Photos every time I try to do something else. After 20 years of poorly-curated (by me) photography, Photos does a pretty good job of scanning all your content and applying tags to things, be it people or cars or butterflies. You can tell it who’s who and it does a decent job picking people up once you confirm enough of them, and that includes kids as they grow up! I also like that I can pin the photos widget to my iPhone and get “On this Day” memories or other random photo events. I like that it takes me back through my photos on occasion, because otherwise I might not go back on my own. I’m sure it’s not perfect, but I really like how it works with minimal intervention on my part. Since Photos is included with your Mac/iPad/iPhone, your only worry is picking an iCloud tier once you get outside the 5GB free account.
 
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Darmok N Jalad said:
What you are talking about doing is pretty much what I have done in the past with an iPad. Edit in Affinity, put the edits into Photos and use iCloud storage to sync across devices. Personally, I end up coming back to Photos every time I try to do something else. After 20 years of poorly-curated (by me) photography, Photos does a pretty good job of scanning all your content and applying tags to things, be it people or cars or butterflies. You can tell it who’s who and it does a decent job picking people up once you confirm enough of them, and that includes kids as they grow up! I also like that I can pin the photos widget to my iPhone and get “On this Day” memories or other random photo events. I like that it takes me back through my photos on occasion, because otherwise I might not go back on my own. I’m sure it’s not perfect, but I really like how it works with minimal intervention on my part. Since Photos is included with your Mac/iPad/iPhone, your only worry is picking an iCloud tier once you get outside the 5GB free account.
Click to expand...
The problem with photos is that it contains everything that happens on ones phone. Screen shots, snap shots, message content. Everything goes there and I just couldn’t stand mixing all of my ‘quality’ photos in all of that, let alone trying to use it to manage my professional lightroom library. I would love it if I could! But it would at least need the ability to have multiple separate libraries. For me that’s why photos isn’t workable.
 
cupcakes2000 said:
The problem with photos is that it contains everything that happens on ones phone. Screen shots, snap shots, message content. Everything goes there and I just couldn’t stand mixing all of my ‘quality’ photos in all of that, let alone trying to use it to manage my professional lightroom library. I would love it if I could! But it would at least need the ability to have multiple separate libraries. For me that’s why photos isn’t workable.
Click to expand...
I think the best Apple does here is Photo Stream, where you can keep your iPhone photos from automatically uploading to your iCloud Photo Library. I tend to only keep what’s worthwhile to me in Photos, and I don’t seem to have the issue of message content being in my library. Screenshots happens on iOS, but not MacOS. I do wish Apple would move Photos to the next level, and I think they are working on some of that in the next update, though I still think it won’t be what you are looking for. Instead, I just use Albums and Shared Albums for my better work, but it could still be better and more automagic as Apple likes to try to do.
 
Darmok N Jalad said:
I think the best Apple does here is Photo Stream, where you can keep your iPhone photos from automatically uploading to your iCloud Photo Library. I tend to only keep what’s worthwhile to me in Photos, and I don’t seem to have the issue of message content being in my library. Screenshots happens on iOS, but not MacOS. I do wish Apple would move Photos to the next level, and I think they are working on some of that in the next update, though I still think it won’t be what you are looking for. Instead, I just use Albums and Shared Albums for my better work, but it could still be better and more automagic as Apple likes to try to do.
Click to expand...
For me photos just ends up being a dumping ground for things, as well as all my photos shot with my phone. If I want to save a picture from messages of my son, for example, it saves to photos which is what I meant. I use it to share from and to and generally as a kind of ‘files app for photos’. It’s excellent at that, but I could only take it to another level with my work if it allowed truly separate libraries. Even then I’m not sure it would cut it but it would definitely have more use to me.
 
How so? You can choose what you want to import so you can keep it clean, no?

I haven't switched to photos yet as I have albums on iPhoto and Aperture but I guess when I get the new iMac I will have to as Aperture is killed there :)

cupcakes2000 said:
The problem with photos is that it contains everything that happens on ones phone. Screen shots, snap shots, message content. Everything goes there and I just couldn’t stand mixing all of my ‘quality’ photos in all of that, let alone trying to use it to manage my professional lightroom library. I would love it if I could! But it would at least need the ability to have multiple separate libraries. For me that’s why photos isn’t workable.
Click to expand...
 
Freida said:
I haven't switched to photos yet as I have albums on iPhoto and Aperture but I guess when I get the new iMac I will have to as Aperture is killed there :)
Click to expand...
Well the former Aperture team leader has decided to ease this future pain - take a look at RAW Power 😎
 
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