5. View Photos

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.

Getting Photos onto the iPad

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.

Sync photos from the computer

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.

Sync with photo management software

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.

1. Connect the iPad to the computer, open iTunes, and select the iPad in the sidebar.
2. Click the Photos tab.
3. Enable the Sync Photos from option and choose your photo software from the pop-up menu (Figure 5.1).

   Figure 5.1. Photos pane in iTunes

   

4. To transfer your entire library, choose the first option: All photos, albums, events, and faces.

   Or, enable the second radio button and then mark the checkboxes of any albums, events (or projects, in Aperture), or faces.

   Note

   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.

5. Top copy video files located in your library, mark the Include videos checkbox.
6. Click the Sync button. iTunes optimizes the photos and transfers them to the iPad.

Sync with a folder

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.

1. In the Photos pane, choose the Pictures (Mac) or My Pictures (Windows) default locations. Or, click Choose folder and specify a different folder.
2. To include everything in the folder, choose the All folders option. Or, click the Selected folders button and mark the checkboxes for the folders you wish to sync in the Folders list (Figure 5.2).

   Figure 5.2. Sync photos from subfolders.

   

3. Click the Sync button to start the transfer.

Import photos from a camera

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.

To import photos via a camera adapter, do the following:

1. Plug one of the adapters into the iPad.
2. Insert an SD card or plug in a USB cable connected to your camera, depending on which adapter you’re using. If the latter, turn on the camera’s power.

   Tip

   To transfer photos directly from an iPhone, connect the iPhone’s sync cable to the USB connector. (Unfortunately, the iPad can’t charge the iPhone’s battery over this connection, which would be cool in a pinch.)

3. Unlock the iPad. The Photos app opens and displays the photos on the card or camera.
4. To import all photos, skip to the next step.

   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).

   Figure 5.3. Selecting photos for import

   

5. Tap the Import All button to begin copying the files.

   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.

6. When importing is complete, you’re given the option to delete or keep the images on the camera or SD card. I advise tapping Keep, and then erasing the card later using the camera’s format controls.
7. Remove the SD card or turn off the camera. The transferred photos appear in a new album called Last Import.

   Tip

   Photos imported directly from a camera or card can be deleted later by viewing the image and tapping the Trash button (). Tap the Rotate button () to turn the picture 90 degrees counter-clockwise if necessary.

Import photos from email

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.

1. In the Mail app, open the message containing the photo attachments.
2. Touch and hold a photo to bring up a popover containing actions you can take (Figure 5.4).

   Figure 5.4. Saving images from Mail

   

3. Tap the Save Image button. Or, if several images are included, tap the Save [number] Images button. The photos are added to the Saved Photos album in the Photos app.

Import photos from other apps

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.

View Photos

We’ve covered all the ways to get photos onto the iPad, but that’s just preamble for viewing them.

View a photo

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).

Figure 5.5. A photo viewed widescreen

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.

Figure 5.6. Quickly navigating photos

• Tap the All Photos button at the top left corner to return to the Photos pane and the grid of your images.

View collections

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.

1. Tap the Albums, Events, or Faces button to switch to that pane (if the option is available).
2. Pinch outward with two fingers on a collection you want to open. As you do so, the photos within unstack themselves so you can preview what you’re about to open (Figure 5.7). If it’s not the set you were expecting, just pinch your fingers together to return the collection to its stacked state.

   Figure 5.7. Previewing a collection

   

3. When you’ve expanded a collection far enough, it takes over the entire screen. Tap a photo thumbnail to view the image.

View photos in Places

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.

Figure 5.8. Photos with location information

Play a video

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).

Figure 5.9. Viewing video clips

• 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.

View a Slideshow

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).

1. Open a collection in any of the panes, or go to the Photos pane if you want to play back all of your pictures in the slideshow.
2. Tap the Slideshow button. The Slideshow Options popover appears (Figure 5.10).

   Figure 5.10. Slideshow options

   

3. If you want music to play during the slideshow, set the Play Music switch to On. If not, make sure the option is off and skip the next step.
4. Tap the Music button to choose which music to use. The popover becomes a compact version of the music list in the iPod app, where you can navigate your music library by song title, artist, album, playlist, and other criteria.

   Note

   Surprisingly, the Photos app lets you play only one song during a slideshow; not a playlist, not an album, just one song. I can’t imagine it’s anything other than a bug in the initial version of the software that shipped with the iPad, and it may even be fixed by the time you read this.

5. Tap a transition style to use.
6. Tap the Start Slideshow button. If you need to cancel the slideshow while it’s playing, tap once anywhere on the screen.

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.

Figure 5.11. Slideshow preferences

Use the iPad as a Picture Frame

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.

Figure 5.12. Picture Frame button

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.

Share Photos

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.

Share via email

To attach a photo to an outgoing message, do the following:

1. Open a photo and tap the Action button ().
2. In the popover that appears, tap Email Photo. A new outgoing mail message appears (Figure 5.13).

   Figure 5.13. Sharing a photo as an email attachment

   

3. Add a recipient, subject, and optional message text in the appropriate fields.
4. Tap the Send button to dispatch the photo.

Share multiple photos via email

It’s possible to group several photos into an email message.

1. In the Photos app, tap a collection to open it.
2. Tap the Action button ().
3. Tap the photos you wish to send. Selected ones are marked with a blue checkmark (Figure 5.14).

   Figure 5.14. Selecting multiple photos for sharing

   

4. Tap the Email button to create a new outgoing message with the photos as attachments.
5. Address the message and tap the Send button.

   Tip

   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.

   Note

   Although sending files via email is convenient, I don’t recommend ganging up a bunch of images together in one message. That increases the chance that a mail server might think you’re sending spam or viruses; or your recipient may not have the bandwidth to deal with such large messages.

Send to MobileMe

Subscribers to Apple’s MobileMe service can upload files to an online gallery, where other people can view or download the image.

1. Open a photo and tap the Action button ().
2. In the popover that appears, tap Send to MobileMe.
3. Give the photo a title and description in the Publish Photo dialog (Figure 5.15).

   Figure 5.15. Selecting multiple photos for sharing

   

4. Tap an album name where the photo will appear.

   Note

   If you want to create a new album, you’ll need to do it either at the me.com site on your computer or in iPhoto or Aperture, not in the Photos app. For now, upload to any album and then move it later.

5. Tap the Publish button.
6. After the file is uploaded, a dialog gives you the option to view the photo in Safari, send an email to a friend with a link to the Web page, or close the dialog.

   Tip

   The capability to select and upload multiple photos isn’t supported when publishing to a MobileMe gallery.

Assign to Contact

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.

Figure 5.16. Assigning a photo to a contact

Use as Wallpaper

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).

Copy Photo

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.

Sync imported photos and videos back to the computer

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.

1. Connect the iPad to the computer.
2. Open your photo management software (such as iPhoto or Photoshop Elements for Windows).
3. Use the software’s feature for importing photos, just as if you’d attached a camera.

   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.

4. After importing the files, delete them from the iPad: Open a collection, tap the Action button (), tap to select the images you want to remove, and then tap the Delete button. Tap the Delete Selected Photos button that appears (to confirm your action).

   Tip

   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.