Just look at that screen! Full color, high resolution, larger than a phone, attached to a device that’s more comfotable to hold than a laptop. If the iPad didn’t already do a thousand other things, you’d think it was designed solely for displaying digital photos.
When you have an iPad stocked with your favorite photos, you have a portable presentation machine. Maybe you want to show off your latest snapshots. Maybe you’re a photographer (or real estate agent, or designer, or...) showing a portfolio to a prospective client. Maybe you want to store photos on the iPad while on vacation instead of toting a laptop. Maybe you need to display a slideshow using a projector or on an HDTV. Or maybe you just want to be able to look at your favorite photos whenever you feel like it. The Photos app can deliver your images.
Where are your photos coming from? You have four options: sync photos from your computer; import photos directly from a camera or memory card using an adapter; send photos to an email account you check on the iPad; or copy pictures from Web pages in Safari.
With most photos now being captured digitally, it’s likely you use photo-management software to keep track of them all. Or, you might prefer to organize the image files in a folder on disk. iTunes can handle both.
iTunes recognizes libraries in iPhoto 4.0.3 or later and Aperture 3.0.2 or later on the Mac, and Photoshop Elements 3.0 or later for Windows.
Or, enable the second radio button and then mark the checkboxes of any albums, events (or projects, in Aperture), or faces.
The option to group photos based on events/projects or faces is supported only if you’re syncing with iPhoto or Aperture. If you’re using Photoshop Elements in Windows, you get the option of syncing all photos and albums or specifying selected albums.
Using the radio button’s pop-up menu, you can make some items appear automatically. For example, regardless of which checkboxes are selected in the Events or Projects list, you can choose to have the photos from all events from the last month appear on the iPad.
Some people use different photo management software such as Adobe Bridge on the Mac, which is an interface for organizing and viewing photos in folders, or prefer to manage the files by hand. iTunes can use the folder contents—including subfolders—as the media source for the Photos app.
The iTunes interface is a little confusing on this part. In the example above, the only photos transferred are the ones in the selected folders (27 pictures). What’s not synced are the photos in the parent folder, “JC Photo Library”. If I wanted just the images in that folder, and none of the images from the subfolders, I’m out of luck: I’d get either the contents of specific subfolders (Selected folders option) or everything in “JC Photo Library,” subfolders included (All folders option). So, if you’re going to organize photos at the folder level, I recommend storing image files in subfolders, not parent folders.
Using Apple’s optional iPad Camera Connection Kit, you don’t need iTunes as a middleman for your photos. The kit includes two adapters that connect to the iPad’s dock connector: one that accepts SD memory cards and one that accepts a standard USB cable.
Wait, did I just say that the iPad can gain a regular USB port? Yes...but there are strings attached. The iPad uses the USB camera connector for transferring image and video files only—but there are a couple of surprises, too. Plug in a USB headset to listen to audio or use a headset’s microphone. The benefit of this approach over plugging iPhone-compatible headphones into the iPad’s headphone port is the capability to use higher-quality audio electronics. For example, I own a Sennheiser headset that’s normally connected to my Mac for Skype calls; I can do the same (using the Skype app) on my iPad now. The other surprise is that the connector recognizes some USB keyboards, which is great if you don’t own the iPad Keyboard Dock or a Bluetooth wireless keyboard.
To import photos via a camera adapter, do the following:
If you’d rather import just some of the images, tap the ones you want; a blue checkmark indicates the ones you’ve selected (Figure 5.3).
If you made selections, tap the Import button, which brings up a popover with options to Import All (overriding your selections, in case you changed your mind at the last minute) or Import Selected. Tap one to begin copying the images to the iPad.
Click the Stop Import button if you want to halt the transfer; doing so doesn’t remove any selections you made before importing.
Do you have a family member who likes to send photos via email? Rather than dig through your old messages to view those photos later, add them to the iPad’s photo collection.
The ability to save images from Mail also applies to other apps. In Safari, for example, touch and hold any image and then tap Save Image to store it. However, keep in mind that images on the Web don’t have the same high resolution as ones you’d import from your camera, so they may not appear as good when expanded to fill the iPad’s screen.
What if I told you it’s possible to add a camera to the iPad, no soldering iron needed? Headlight Software’s Camera for iPad connects wirelessly to an iPhone running the same software, using the iPhone’s camera as input. Take a shot on the iPhone and it’s delivered to the iPad. There’s even an option to use the iPad as a big fill flash!
We’ve covered all the ways to get photos onto the iPad, but that’s just preamble for viewing them.
Open the Photos app and tap the Photos button at the top of the screen to see thumbnails all of the photos stored on the iPad. Tap a photo to open it (Figure 5.5).
The onscreen controls disappear after a few seconds so you can enjoy just the image. Rotate the iPad to match the photo’s orientation for the best effect.
While viewing an image, you can do a number of things:
• Tap once anywhere to make the controls reappear. Tap again to make them go away again, or wait a few seconds.
• Double-tap anywhere on the photo to zoom in. Double-tapping again zooms back out to fit
• To zoom further in, with more control, pinch two fingers outward. Swipe anywhere on the image to view a different area of the photo. To zoom back out, pinch two fingers together or double-tap the screen.
• To quickly skim all of the photos, tap once to view the controls and then drag the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen (Figure 5.6). The preview is extremely fast because the Photos app displays low-resolution images as you drag, giving you a sense of what the photo is without having to draw all of the detail. If you pause, the higher-resolution version appears.
• Tap the All Photos button at the top left corner to return to the Photos pane and the grid of your images.
In addition to the big free-for-all that is the Photos pane, your images are also organized into collections. These can be albums, events, or faces, depending on the software on your computer. Each type is a different way of categorizing the photos, but the controls are the same.
You know, I’m a big fan of useless shortcuts, things that were implemented just because they could be. And here’s a great one. Instead of just tapping a thumbnail to view the photo full screen, use the expanding pinch gesture to enlarge it. Now, before you let go, rotate your fingers. The image can be freely rotated and scaled as long as your fingers are touching the glass. Why? I couldn’t tell you. Maybe so you could preview a landscape photo in portrait orientation without rotating the iPad. Or maybe because the graphics capabilities inside the iPad can do it, and that’s good enough reason. I don’t know, but it’s fun to play with.
I think this one is my favorite Photos tip: Instead of trying to tap the back button in the upper-left corner of the screen (which is labeled with the name of the enclosing folder), pinch two fingers together to collapse the stack you’re currently viewing. It’s much faster because your fingers are likely already in place from opening a stack or zooming in on an image.
To change the photo used for someone’s Faces collection, go to iPhoto or Aperture and switch to the Faces view. Move your mouse pointer over the person’s image to preview their photos, and find one you want. If you’re in iPhoto, double-click the photo to view all photos associated with that name; if you’re in Aperture, you don’t need to take that extra step. Next, right-click or Control-click the photo and choose Set Key Photo. Sync again to apply the change.
The Photos app offers one more type of collection that works a bit differently than the others. A Places pane appears if any of your images include location tags—GPS coordinates marking where the photos were shot, either written to the file when captured (the iPhone can do this, as can some GPS add-on devices for some cameras) or applied in iPhoto, Aperture, Photoshop Elements, or other software.
When you tap the Places button, you see a map that features red pins marking where photos were taken. Tap a pin to view a stack (Figure 5.8). As with other collections, pinch or tap the stack to view its photos.
Most digital cameras now shoot video as well as stills, so the Photos app can play video, too. In iTunes, makes sure you enable the Include videos option in the Photos pane. The iPad Camera Connection Kit also allows you to import videos you’ve shot directly into the iPad. Some cameras’ video may not play, though; footage from my Flip MinoHD won’t play on the iPad, but I can transfer them intact to my computer later. When you come across a video clip in the Photos app, do any of the following:
• Tap the Play button that appears in the middle of the screen to start playing. Or, you can tap the Play button in the toolbar (Figure 5.9).
• Touch and hold the playhead to skim through the filmstrip and locate a particular section of the video. If you hold for a moment, the filmstrip spreads out horizontally to give you finer control while skimming.
• While the video is playing, tap the pause button () to stop playback.
A video in the Photos app benefits from the photo controls, which means you can pinch to zoom a video while it’s playing.
Here’s a cool side effect of playing videos in the Photos app. Using the iPad Camera Connection Kit, you can import movies—the Hollywood kind—and watch them on the iPad. For example, if you’re going on vacation and don’t want to bring a laptop, but the number of movies you want to watch wouldn’t fit on the iPad’s internal storage, load up some inexpensive SD memory cards. Using a program such as Handbrake (www.handbrake.fr) on your computer, digitize your DVDs to digital .m4v files. Copy those to one or more SD memory cards, then insert one into the memory card adapter. Transfer a movie to the iPad in the Photos app and then watch it there. (It won’t show up in the Videos app.) When you’re done, delete the movie and transfer another one.
Swiping is fine for showing off a few pictures, but there are times when you’ll want the iPad to drive a photo presentation. In that case, set up an impromptu slideshow of one of your albums (such as the smart album-based portfolio I mentioned in the sidebar earlier in the chapter).
The slideshow plays until all photos have been displayed or until the music ends. However, you can customize a few of the slideshow parameters. Go to Settings > Photos, where you can specify how long each slide appears onscreen (in increments from 2 to 20 seconds), whether the photos (and music) repeat after they’ve initially appeared, and whether the order should be shuffled (Figure 5.11). These settings apply to any slideshow you run in the Photos app.
The Photos app respects the order in which the pictures were sorted before you synced them. If you want a custom order, set it up in your photo software.
With the addition of Apple’s iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter, you can play the slideshow on a projector or monitor. However, the only transition available is Dissolve. Also, the signal is sent only when you’re running a slideshow; you can’t mirror the iPad’s screen on the connected screen.
What do you do with an iPad when you’re not using it? Instead of setting it down on a table or a stack of mail, put that big screen to use as a digital picture frame.
To activate the feature, simply press the Picture Frame button on the lock screen (Figure 5.12). While remaining locked, the screen switches into a slideshow mode. Tap the screen and then tap the button again to exit the Picture Frame mode.
You can change some aspects of how the slideshow is presented. Go to Settings > Picture Frame and adjust the following preferences:
• Transition: Choose either Dissolve or Origami.
• Zoom in on Faces: When the Dissolve transition is enabled, this option discovers faces in photos and fills the frame with them instead of displaying the entire photo.
• Shuffle: Present folders in random order.
• Source: Choosing All Photos pulls images from the entire photo library. You can also tap Albums, Faces, or Events (if the latter two are available) and then specify a collection.
On more than one occasion I’ve shown a photo to someone who then said, “Ooh, can you send that to me?” Why yes, I certainly can, and it’s easy to do.
To attach a photo to an outgoing message, do the following:
It’s possible to group several photos into an email message.
Many photo sharing services, like Flickr (www.flickr.com), accept uploads via email. You’re given a personal Flickr email address, and any image files sent to that address are posted to your photostream.
Subscribers to Apple’s MobileMe service can upload files to an online gallery, where other people can view or download the image.
If you have a photo of a friend whose information is in your Contacts app, choose the Assign to Contact option from the Action popover. Select the person’s name in the Contacts list that appears, then pinch and drag to position the photo in the frame (Figure 5.16). Tap the Use button to assign the photo.
I covered how to set wallpapers in the iPad’s Settings app, but in Photos you can do it directly. Choose Use as Wallpaper from the popover, then choose Set Lock Screen, Set Home Screen, or Set Both (see Chapter 1).
To copy the image to the iPad’s temporary memory, choose Copy Photo from the popover. You can also tap and hold a photo thumbnail when viewing the collection and choose Copy. With the image copied, you can paste it elsewhere, such as in another app or in an outgoing email message.
You probably don’t intend to keep photos you imported using the iPad Camera Connection Kit in the iPad’s memory. When you get back to your computer, do the following to move them to its hard drive.
The computer sees the iPad as a USB storage device. Under Windows, you can view it as you would view an attached disk. On the Mac, you need to use photo software or the Image Capture application to access the iPad’s pictures.
At the beginning of this chapter, I explained that iTunes optimizes photos when syncing them to the iPad. However, images imported using the iPad Camera Connection Kit retain their original size, image quality, and metadata. If it’s important to have high-resolution versions on the iPad—for example, if you’re using it as a portfolio and you want to email an original Raw file to someone—importing them using the camera adapters is the way to go.
18.222.83.185