Tethering to the iPad: An Overview
Tethering to the iPad is a hot topic. Currently, you can’t tether directly to the iPad with a cable, not even with Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit. You can, however, tether wirelessly and you can incorporate your iPad in many ways that will greatly improve your photo workflow while shooting tethered.

Tethering to your iPad allows you to do things like use the iPad as a remote control for your camera, incorporate live view tools, and share images. There are a lot of software tools and apps that help with these processes.

Below is our round up of solutions that make it easy to work with your iPad in photography and videography, too.  As new tools are introduced, we’ll update this post to reflect the latest options.

If you have an app suggestion or tool you’d like to share, send it to us at newsletter@tethertools.com.

How to Tether Wirelessly to iPad
Our favorite solution for shooting direct to the iPad is the Eye-Fi ProX2 Card. It enables wireless transfer of JPEG or RAW images directly from your camera. Once you purchase the card, all it takes is an app download (it’s free from Eye-Fi) and a quick setup process to get started.

The Eye-Fi card essentially creates a hotspot wireless connection, so transmission of images is quick. JPEG files transfer faster than RAW, but with the ProX2, you can shoot both file formats and choose to only transfer the JPEG’s wirelessly. This makes for faster viewing. Then, you can transfer the RAW files with a reader at a later time.

Some people have been hesitant to try the Eye-Fi card because it only comes in SD format. There is a CF compatible converter, though. It’s called the Extreme ESDCFII CF Type II Card Adapter and is a Type II memory adapter that is unsupported – meaning EyeFi won’t provide customer service on the adapter. But, it is a compatible SD to CF adapter for any Eye-Fi card.

iPad Apps for Tethered Photography
There are a lot of useful apps for photographers and many of them have great tethering and image sharing tools. iPad apps for tethering primarily focus on how to first tether to a laptop or computer and then push images to the iPad. Benefits to this process include the ability to view your images on a larger screen to check focus, composition and lighting. It also makes it easier to share images with other people who are critical in the process. Opening your workflow to some of the following tools can change the way you shoot!

onOne Software’s DSLR Camera Remote

onOne Software DSLR Remote

What it Does

• DSLR Remote works as a LiveView monitor and remote trigger tool when you are working in conjunction with the software on your laptop. When connected wirelessly to a computer running as the server, you’re able to remotely trigger the shutter on your supported Canon or Nikon DSLR camera by way of an iOS application that runs on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. This allows you the mobility to set-up shots and move to interact with photo subjects or clients. Other highlights include the ability to shoot time-lapse scenes; auto-bracketing for HDR images; and you can start, stop and monitor video on supported HDSLR cameras.

How it Works

• To get started, download the onOne DSLR Camera Remote Server application onto your iOS device from the iTunes App Store. You will also need to download the server app to your computer at www.ononesoftware.com. Connect your supported camera, either with a USB or wirelessly, to a computer that’s running the low-maintenance app. From there, open the remote application on your Apple device and use the remote trigger for the camera.

Capture Pilot

Capture Pilot

What it Does

• An app from Capture One, Capture Pilot is designed to enhance the experience of both photographer and client. It instantly uploads images from your camera to the iOS device by way of the Capture One software running on your computer. Images are displayed in high-resolution for better quality viewing.

How it Works

• While using Capture Pilot, both you and your subject have access to view, scan, zoom and scroll through RAW, JPEG or Tiff images. You also can remotely fire your camera and control the important capture parameters. Lastly, you, your client or your assistant, can rate and tag favorite shots for instant feedback – even mid-shoot.

Upgrade Features

• If you’re looking to remote control your camera, Capture Pilot offers an upgraded feature called Camera Control. Besides being able to remotely trigger your camera, the upgrade lets you control parameters like ISO sensitivity, exposure, shutter speed and more. You can also do cool things like mount the camera at heights beyond your physical reach, interact with subjects in new ways, or even use it to be part of the photo yourself.  Your camera must be connected to a Mac or Windows computer running Capture One Pro or DB, version 6.2 or later.

Other iPad Apps for Photographers
The following aren’t necessarily tethering apps, but they are great solutions for image reviewing, selection and editing with the iPad.

Filterstorm Pro

Filterstorm

Filterstorm has a first-class reputation as top-of-the-line editing software for the iPad. It was designed for photojournalists who are shooting on the go and need tools they can use to edit and upload images to FTPs, news readers, or websites in minutes. The release of Filterstorm Pro improved original editing capabilities. This version has a built-in library where you can rate, edit and even publish photos directly from the app. Filterstorm Pro includes expanded RAW file support, more FTP delivery points, and evolved image editing features including brushes, gradients, color replacement and vignette tools.

Photosmith for Lightroom 3
It’s a one-stop application to upload, edit, organize, and showcase your work. Photosmith for Lightroom 3 does it all: non-destructive, state-of-the-art editing; rating; assigning metadata; filtering; online uploading, and publishing images. PhotoSmith syncs images between your computer and iPad, letting you view full 1:1 zoom of up to 21 megapixel RAW images. It’s compatible with Photoshop and Adobe image products. This is a great video on Photosmith’s benefits.

Adobe Photoshop Express
The iPad-friendly companion to the desktop version of Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Express lets you store 2GB of videos or photos. You can use one-touch editing effects to crop, rotate, adjust color, or add filters, effects, borders and more. And you can undo and redo changes all you want, while your original file remains safe. Upgrade to the Adobe Camera Pack and you can also reduce noise, set a self-timer for taking images from your iOS device, auto review images, and even store and share images on the go.

Portfolio for iPad

Portfolio for iPad

The Portfolio app presents your images in a completely branded environment. Portfolio helps you organize photographs through an intuitive interface that is easy to organize, label and build slideshows for viewing directly on the iPad. Multiple galleries can be interchanged in the portfolio depending on what you’d like to show to your client. It can also be configured for transfer to a large-scale presentation if needed.

iPad Apps for Videography
Many of our customers are using the Wallee iPad Connect System to incorporate the iPad into their video work. Here are a few great apps we love for video.

Pro Prompter

ProPrompter on the Wallee Connect System

Using the iPad as a teleprompter is a convenient and portable way to keep production costs down while still creating professional videos. The ProPrompter App offers customizable settings for background colors, fonts and font sizes, scrolling speeds, mirroring, looping and more. You can also create and edit scripts in-app, which also includes foreign language editing features. And here’s a nice bonus: if you have two iOS devices, one can serve as a remote control for the other that’s working as the teleprompter.

Timer on Fire
Simple but necessary, Timer on Fire is a countdown app that helps prompt cast and crew for counting down to action, wrapping up time-sensitive clips, or simply tracking time on set.

Movie★Slate
This app is a convenient, all-in-one digital slate, clapper board, shot log, and shot notepad. Movie★Slate was designed for use in film and television. This app is the easy way to log footage and take notes as you shoot, saving valuable time later when capturing and editing footage. It has a time code and frames per second timer, and you can add data for movie scenes and set up varying cameras.  One of its key features is the ability to sync time codes with your camera through Bluetooth or cable. After each take, you can rate video and audio quality, and review all of your data between takes. There’s also the ability to share video and notes via email or export it to a Final Cut file for editing.

A photographer shares an Animoto video on Facebook

In recent weeks, we’ve been having a lot of fun with Animoto. It’s an online program that turns photos and video clips into professional video slideshows. The best part is that Animoto is really easy to use, fast, and a relatively low cost way to increase your client satisfaction and photo sales tenfold. Animoto offers the most time and cost-effective way we’ve found yet to encourage sales and increase business from your clients. Here’s how to do it:

Create Word-of-Mouth Marketing
Having a plan to combat the “slow season” is important. Video can play a huge role in your marketing strategy. Try producing a video for clients that you know are on Facebook. Make sure the video begins and ends with your studio logo, then upload it to Facebook and tag your clients. More than likely, they’ll “like” the video and even comment on how great it is. Once they do this, the interaction appears on their Facebook timelines, which means some of their friends are likely to see it. This is a great way to get more qualified leads into your door and your name out in the community!

Sell Videos a La Carte
The old sales saying goes, “if you don’t show it, people won’t buy it.” If all you show are albums, then you’re going to only sell albums. The same idea goes with prints, canvas wraps, and yep, video. Kick off a proofing session with an Animoto video. This adds an emotionally compelling element to clients’ photos. You want to get them in the right state of excitement and sentimentality before pitching them on pricing. Plus, these videos create a great add-on sale. Make sure that you include the pricing for the video on your price list once you get to that stage of the sales process.

Include Video in Your Premiere Package
Animoto videos are a nice incentive to get your clients to step-up to a higher-tiered package. These videos really motivate clients to pay more while making them feel like they’re getting a good add-on value. Let’s say you’re pricing out a client’s portrait project for $125 but you really want to bring in more revenue. Show them how, if they pay just a little more, they’ll get a creatively packaged video they can use for future promotional efforts.

SPECIAL OFFER: Tether Tools customers can purchase 1 year of Animoto Pro by March 1st and receive 2 additional months for free! The promo code is tethertools.

This year has been full of new and innovative products for photographers and filmmakers. With the holidays hot on our heels, we’ve put together a little gifting guide of products – ours and a few others – that will help make shooting in 2012 more fun for everyone.  Here are our top choices for the holiday season.   (P.S. If you’ve been good this year, go ahead and give yourself a gift, too!)

StrapMoore

The StrapMoore ($18.95) is a handy contraption that secures to the leg of any tripod, light stand, table or chair and allows you to secure just about anything you need near your camera or computer.

ReTraK 4-in-1 Charger

The ReTraK 4-in-1 iPad & USB Charging System ($24.99) lets you charge your iPad and other USB devices at the same time and has a built-in wall and car charger, which both fold away for compact transport.

JerkStopper Kit

Our JerkStopper Tethering Kit ($21.95) is one of the first things photographers need to get started in tethered shooting. These two cable management devices secure both your camera and computer by removing stress on cables and cords, and protect your equipment from potential damage.

Wallee Pivot for iPad

The Wallee Pivot ($59.95) for mounting your iPad is the perfect complement to any desktop environment whether at the studio, office or home and it has a built-in swivel that can swing from portrait to landscape position.

Connect Kit

Bring an Apple iPad or iPad 2 anywhere with the Connect Kit ($119.90), which includes the Wallee iPad Case and Tether Tools Wallee Connect Bracket. The kit allows photographers to securely mount an iPad to any tripod, light stand or SuperClamp.

EyeFi Pro Card and ShutterSnitch

For a high-power and flexible SD card, check out the Eye-Fi Pro Card ($99.99) that can help photographers in many ways, including wirelessly shooting tethered to their computer or iPad mounted on the Connect. (We like pairing it with ShutterSnitch, an Apple-friendly app that lets you or your client preview images on your iPad as you take them.)

Tether Table Aero and ProPad

If a certain photographer has been really good this year, consider a complete Tether Table Workstation (approx. $265) with the  Tether Table Aero Master, Aero ProPad and External Drive Compartment – XDC. It’s the ultimate set-up that keeps all of your valuable gear safe and within reach – both on-location and in-studio.

Tether Tools Studio Vu

Mounting large monitors and cinema displays is easy with Tether Tools Studio Vu Monitor Bracket ($239.95) and the system is ideal for event photographers, in-studio shoots, tradeshows and especially educational settings.

Capture One Pro 6

Capture One Pro 6 Software ($399.95) allows you to use your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to remotely view, zoom, rate, tag, and pan high-resolution DSLR and medium format RAW, JPEG and TIFF images while you shoot. (It’s the ultimate option for pros and a really nice upgrade for series photographers looking to treat themselves this holiday season!)