17 essential iPad apps for photographers

Last week I presented you with a selection of essential applications dedicated to graphic designers and web designers. Now it’s up to photographers to discover some applications that should allow them to make the most of their camera together with the iPad.

iPad camera connection kit

I’m starting with a hardware kit that will bring a lot to photographers. The iPad Camera Connection Kit offers two ways to import photos and videos from a digital camera: using the camera’s USB cable or directly from an SD card. iPad and Camera Connection Kit are compatible with standard photo formats, including JPEG and RAW, and HD and SD video formats, such as H.264 and MPEG-4.

Photogenic

A truly portable little Photoshop for photographers. You will be able to crop and correct the orientation of your photos, retouch them (buffers, blur, etc.), some coloring filters, add text, bubbles, create thumbnails and frames and of course the usual tools (curves, levels, etc.). The interface is successful and the software can handle images up to 5 Mpx. €1.59

PhotoForge

Photoforge offers some adjustment tools (curves, levels, noise reduction, HDR simulation, saturation, etc.), brushes, a duplicator buffer, filters (black and white, Sin City, Ciel Bleu, negative, oil paint, television, etc.) and export possibilities in various resolutions.

PixelMagic

This application benefits from a much more professional interface. Let’s find the functions common to this type of applications. You can see some tutorials at this address: €2.99

PhotoshopExpress

With Adobe Photoshop Express, you can quickly edit and share photos on your mobile device in just a few simple steps. Always have your photos and videos at hand, without wasting your phone’s storage space. Photoshop Express is the perfect complement to Photoshop.com, your online resource for sharing, editing, and hosting your photos. Create a free Photoshop.com account to upload and store up to 2GB of photos and videos online. Free.

iPad wallet

I had already presented it to you in the selection of apps for graphic designers and web designers. Benefiting from a wallet can be quite interesting. But you can also use it, for example, to present your reports. €11.99

MobileMe Gallery

Take your MobileMe gallery anywhere on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Simply enter your MobileMe subscriber’s name and password to view all published albums and movies. Easily browse your latest photos or select a specific album with a single tap. Browse your photos, pinch to zoom or rotate to landscape mode. No editing function. Free.

Simple DoF calculator

This application allows you to calculate depth of field and hyperfocal distance based on the data provided (camera type, lenses, etc.). €1.59

Strobox

Strobox is a handy application for photographers who want to establish a lighting plan for a photoshoot session. Free

Helios sun position calculator

Helios calculates and shows you the position of the sun at any time and your geographical position in a pleasant graphic representation. It will help photographers and videographers who work with natural light. To plan and organize your days, this application is essential. €23.99

Geotag Photo Pro

If your camera doesn’t benefit from GPS positioning or if you deactivate it to save battery, this application will be very useful to you… provided you have an iPhone (yes, I’m moving away slightly from iPad applications). You will synchronize the clock of your camera and your iPhone, launch the application that will locate your location every 10 seconds. When you return you will sync everything to your computer and the photos will be placed automatically. €3.99

Free DSLR Camera Remote Control

DSLR Camera Remote lets you control a Canon EOS or Nikon DSLR. Connect your camera to a Wi-Fi network to have access to different settings such as camera settings, shutter, the ability to review photos, direct preview using the iPad screen. Free

Phocus Mobile

Another app that lets you wirelessly connect to any Phocus 2.6-equipped computer* and remotely adjust and trigger a connected camera: exposure, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, metering mode and other important shooting parameters, all displayed on your portable device. This remote control function is especially useful when direct control of the camera is difficult.

Slate DSLR

This application is more aimed at videographers, but since the latest Canon DSLRs are regularly used for long or short films, it may be useful to some of you. You’ve already seen these tablets that make the «clap» sound when starting a scene and then allow the sound to be synchronized, this is exactly the functionality of the DSLR Slate, with the ability to synchronize two IOS devices and display all kinds of information on startup. €9.99

PanoLab

Another application for iPhone/Ipod. It allows you to assemble multiple photos to create panoramic photos on ihone or even 360° views. Free

Ball

Another application for creating 360° panoramas, compatible with iPhone, iPad, etc. €1.59

I photograph

As I write these lines, the application has just been accepted on the AppStore and should therefore appear in the next few days. As soon as it is released, it will allow you to sync your photo library with LightRoom. Go take photos with the iPad under your arm and then you can organize them, add labels and sync everything when you get back. Instead, everything you edit on your computer syncs to your iPad. €17.99

LRPAD

LRPAD connects to LightRoom on your computer via Wi-Fi and allows you to adjust various parameters using the iPad’s multitouch. A video is worth more than a multitude of words, here is a demonstration