What's your setup style?

[lJoSquaredl]

Getting into photography, I love having the rMBP. The screen makes my raw photos look beautiful, and my tweaked photos even better. Thinking of trying an iMac/Air or iMac/iPad combo soon tho. I'm starting to get paying work but i've never actually needed a laptop on the field yet. Just curious what everyone else here works with as a setup, or any advice on what works good. iPad having an SD slot would make viewing photos on the fly easier but it's whatever, I could easily go with the air as well. I feel like I would really miss the retina screen for scrolling thru my photos tho…hard to look at anything else now

 

[MCAsan]

The wife and I have rMBPs we take on multi week trips. We use Lexar USB 3 readers to import our raw files into Lightroom. We keep at least 500GB empty on the SSds for that purpose. We do initial culling and editing in the field. When we get back home we finalize the culling and move the library folders on the SSD to the Lightroom library on our external HDs (running RAID 1). Final editing is done on calibrated ATDs. We have Time Capsules backing up our SSDs and the external HDs.

 

[r.harris1]

Getting into photography, I love having the rMBP. The screen makes my raw photos look beautiful, and my tweaked photos even better. Thinking of trying an iMac/Air or iMac/iPad combo soon tho. I'm starting to get paying work but i've never actually needed a laptop on the field yet. Just curious what everyone else here works with as a setup, or any advice on what works good. iPad having an SD slot would make viewing photos on the fly easier but it's whatever, I could easily go with the air as well. I feel like I would really miss the retina screen for scrolling thru my photos tho…hard to look at anything else now

When I'm out birding with other folks, I'll take my iPad with me and use the camera connection kit to import my images to look at in the field. Works great, and I can then upload to a real machine for further processing when I get home.

 

[Designer Dale]

I don't shoot professionally, but I don't even think about taking anything other than my photo gear when I'm out with my camera. It seems that it would be too much of a distraction. I prefer to focus on the process of making the photograph and do all the computer work back at home. The histogram is the only instant feedback that I need. I can understand it if you need approval from a client on the spot or are away for several days on end with an assignment, but other than that, leave it at home and shoot.

Dale

 

[lJoSquaredl]

When I'm out birding with other folks, I'll take my iPad with me and use the camera connection kit to import my images to look at in the field. Works great, and I can then upload to a real machine for further processing when I get home.

I don't shoot professionally, but I don't even think about taking anything other than my photo gear when I'm out with my camera. It seems that it would be too much of a distraction. I prefer to focus on the process of making the photograph and do all the computer work back at home. The histogram is the only instant feedback that I need. I can understand it if you need approval from a client on the spot or are away for several days on end with an assignment, but other than that, leave it at home and shoot.

Dale

I think I may fall in between these areas. I actually prefer primes over zooms cuz I feel their abilities distract me from finding good shots and angles…I feel like I stay in one place with a zoom most of the time. Having a computer around at all times might distract from the main focus of just getting nice pictures to work with in the first place…altho an iPad would be nice to have around just to monitor things like sharpness a lil closer…or just a better visual for anyone else around. Anyone know if there's jobs that may come up with a demand for editing on the spot? I'd assume studio work mostly?

 

[Prodo123]

My setup would be as simple as I can make it. No flash if possible, and if necessary then as little as possible. Tripod if necessary. Maybe a reflector but only occasionally.
And since my messenger bag has room for it, my 15" MBP is with me at all times!

 

[lJoSquaredl]

My setup would be as simple as I can make it. No flash if possible, and if necessary then as little as possible. Tripod if necessary. Maybe a reflector but only occasionally.
And since my messenger bag has room for it, my 15" MBP is with me at all times!

I'm with you on leaving flash behind. I will probably get one eventually just in case but i'd rather get the light in other ways. Hate the way it looks, and even bounced I feel i'd rather get it from shutter/aperture/ISO/natural combo.

 

[swordio777]

I think I may fall in between these areas. I actually prefer primes over zooms cuz I feel their abilities distract me from finding good shots and angles…I feel like I stay in one place with a zoom most of the time. Having a computer around at all times might distract from the main focus of just getting nice pictures to work with in the first place…altho an iPad would be nice to have around just to monitor things like sharpness a lil closer…or just a better visual for anyone else around. Anyone know if there's jobs that may come up with a demand for editing on the spot? I'd assume studio work mostly?

In my experience, editing on the spot is extremely rare for studio work. Having said that, shooting tethered in the studio can be a real bonus as you can show the subject exactly what you're seeing and offer them constructive feedback. Showing the model why one pose/look works and another doesn't can help them pose exactly how you want & get you more keepers.

I think you'd be more likely to need on-the-spot editing if you were a sports photog or photo journalist. Someone who's on a deadline & needs to edit the shot in their car & send it back to the office in time for the following day's press. Although I'd imagine any edits in that situation would be pretty minimal (contrast & sharpening).

If you don't need a large screen to show others your work while out shooting, then I wouldn't worry about taking laptops/ipads to a shoot. It'll just distract you from taking great shots.

All the best!

 

[themumu]

It depends on the purpose of your shoots. I only do it for fun and mostly when travelling, so I try to pack as few things as possible. That means no computer, but that's partially because I also like to "unplug" when away from home, since it's usually not business related. If I were a pro photographer, I probably would take my laptop with me and do some initial culling of unsuccessful shots and maybe minor editing, along with backing up the days' shots to online storage.

 

[MiniD3]

Hi there,

A lot depends on location, weather conditions and air travel

FWIW, what ever you decide, an old photo Journo friend of mine says, "just carry a hat full of cards and do not format until they are safely on at least 2 external drives on return"

he has lost all his gear in river crossings, airline baggage and theft but always carries the cards himself, says insurance will take care of the rest
....Gary

 

[Laird Knox]

It really depends on the type of shots you are doing.

I always have my iPad mini and a Camranger in my bag. Recently I setup a shot where the camera was hanging upside down from the tripod only an inch from the ground. This renders the viewfinder pretty much useless. This setup lets me set focus and everything else in live view from the iPad so there is no need to try and mash my face in the dirt to set the shot.

On the other hand if you are taking sports shots this is unlikely to be a good setup.

Also, you can get an SD card reader for the iPad if all you want to do is see the images on a larger screen in the field.

Saying you don't like the look of strobes is a bit of a broad statement. Used properly there is no substitute for some shots. Again this depends on the type of photography.

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A lot depends on location, weather conditions and air travel

FWIW, what ever you decide, an old photo Journo friend of mine says, "just carry a hat full of cards and do not format until they are safely on at least 2 external drives on return"

he has lost all his gear in river crossings, airline baggage and theft but always carries the cards himself, says insurance will take care of the rest
....Gary

That is actually great advice. My cards are typically in my main bag which I hand carry but that can still easily be damaged, lost or stolen.

 

[mpantone]

FWIW, what ever you decide, an old photo Journo friend of mine says, "just carry a hat full of cards and do not format until they are safely on at least 2 external drives on return"

A lot of old-timers had a similar modus operandii with photographic film.

Take your photos and send the exposed film to the mail-in processing lab in batches. (Back then, it might have been prepaid envelopes.) If you shot twelve rolls of film, the first group would be rolls 1, 3, 5; the second group would be 2, 4 6; the third group would be 7, 9, 11, etc.

This way, if the lab or USPS screws up, you still haven't lost everything.

If you are completely paranoid, take a photo of your piece of paper with your contact info as the first photo on each card. Again, back in the old film days, that was also the OCD photographer's trick, just in case the lab lost the paperwork. OCD photogs also applied contact info stickers on the film roll (which served a secondary practical purpose in indicating that the roll was exposed).

Never ever put exposed rolls of film or digital cards with images in checked luggage. Heck, even the airlines admonish flyers not to put valuables in checked luggage. Photography gear? Insurance will pick that up. Photos of your memories and events? Those are priceless, that's what you haul with you.

A lot of MacRumors participants are fixated on gear, but it's not really the important stuff. The truly important stuff is your data.