It is a real shame that given the potential uses of the iPad for photographers, that the platform is so unbelievably lacking in support for an efficient workflow that accompanies the desktop workflow.  I too, stumbled across the Lynda videos a year or so ago in my quest do be able to do efficient sorting, tagging and editing on the iPad with out duplicating, or otherwise making my desktop workflow even more complex.   I still hold out a shred of hope, but for me, the iPad is nothing more than an entertainment device focused on the consumption model.   Pity, it could be so much more.

Thanks for this article and the deeper dive into the problem and potential solutions.

Thanks for the roundup, despite the unfortunate conclusion. If been struggling for an iPad first workflow since the fist one came out, with little success. The best option I found was using PhotosInfoPro to tag, rate, etc and then send to Aperture via Dropbox. 

Photos improved from the syncing perspective, but there are still pretty much 0 metadata editing options. Milo looks interesting, but I’m not confident enough in them to move everything over there and the cost is too much for a Milo subscription in addition to Lightroom. 

I suggest you check out Filterstorm Neue.. It is an app I have always kept on my iPad since I purchased mine in 2012.. used to be called Filterstorm only and had a Pro version before.. It was rewritten from scratch when IOS 7 was released.

The great feature is RAW support using DC RAW plugin and no scaling (option can be turned off in settings if RAW is not your thing).. 

here is the feature bullet point from the website: 

“RAW Images

Filterstorm by default uses Apple’s built-in tools to open image files. In addition to this, there is a setting to turn on DCRAW to handle RAW files. This will significantly increase the initial time to load an image, but will allow you to edit RAW files from a large number of cameras.”

The UI is not the best but it gets the job done.. this is an app developed by a single developer and not a team it seems so updates are slow but the app just works.

I have an iPad 3 so RAW editing is slow for me but if someone with an iPad PRo could test it, they may have a different experience and one that might be the answer to your question.

Edit: Just found out there is a Filsterstorm PRO version coming soon.. http://filterstorm.com/pro-neue/  is is being actively developed currently and the dev has even asked on twitter for beta testers (prefereably Photo journalists) to test out FSPRO as it will add FTP ability to offload edits directly.

From my testing on my iPad Air 2 running iOS 9.2, Filestorm Neue does appear to support Canon RAW file processing, working on the RAW image, not the embedded jpeg.  On the Air 2, processing speed/time was good for a CR2 file uploaded from my Canon 70D.  I’d like someone else to also try this to make sure I’m not missing something, i.e. it really does work.

I also use filterstorm neu in my ipad pro without problem.

real raw editing, very fast but the controls re not ideal.

Thanks for this useful discussion of what is available.  I was dissatisfied with the import of RAW + JPG, so switched to RAW only as I am happier working on the Mac and found the transfers of both files incredibly slow (even RAW only was snail-like). Like  Krakatoa Sundra I would like a version of Aperture for iOS, but that is not going to happen. I have been looking round for an Aperture replacement, for when that eventually goes. If there were such an app that would edit RAW properly and provide proper export options, this would be a boon, particularly for those who work on the road and are not concerned solely with images for FaceBook. 

[Deer in headlights look]  How to do this from the iPad Pro?  If I export it is only the jpg version and metadata (using the Investigate app - plugin to Photos) only shows these as 2.7 MB files (on the Mac they are RAW). 

I have access to Mac and iPad right now.

Got it.  I was trying to envisage how to do it from the iPad, thinking what had I missed.  I put this on my own site as Dropbox objected. I tested and the URL downloads the file immediately (in my case the Downloads folder).  [Once you have it, I will delete immediately to save space]

http://www.extensions.in.th/neue/DSC_5826.NEF

To extend the workflow discussion beyond the processing app - One of the difficulties of using an iPad for photo processing in the field is the support for offline storage when you don’t have access to the Internet for cloud storage for a significant amount of data.  Such was the case for me on a recent one-week trip and will occur again for another week shortly and then for three weeks in May. I’ve managed to work around this by using a RavPower FileHub to support moving files from my camera’s SD card to a USB hard drive. On the iPad, I can use FileBrowser to get the files to/from the hard drive to Filterstorm and the iOS Photo app. Convoluted but it does work. But working with GBs of files is not simple when it all has to be stored (and backed up) locally.

For those interested, here is the official website with all the info about DC RAW.. the RAW conversion code used in Filterstorm Neue.

On this site you can find the supported cameras list.

I am having trouble getting back to the comments section (I will get the hang of it):

I took the two photos I had had problems with earlier and use the Revert command (in Edit) so that they were at least in an original (unedited state).

Having done that, I tried to open both in Filterstorm Neue (this is not the Pro version) without success.

I removed Filterstorm from the memory and tried again.  Success.

I then tried with another image that had been edited and that opened with no problem at all.  I guess that installing the app, changing settings, giving Photo Lib access, and the initial tries, may have disturbed something.  Red-faced now, I should try the Pro version of the app.

On the iPhone (6s Plus) things were a little better as the same images opened right away, but one that had been edited did not want to open (same reason as before) and restarting the app after removing from memory made no difference. I then edited the image, reverted to original, removed Filterstorm from memory and when it was restarted, the image did open.  It looks as if when being edited, data from the image necessary to allow Filterstorm to complete the conversion is being made unavailable; but that it can be restored.

Here is a quick video made by the developer on the upcoming Filterstorm Neue Pro app..

it is a Textexpander like feature built-in to the metadata editor.. follow the developers Vimeo channel for all the latest.

https://vimeo.com/150736740

I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this.  If I import just raw files into the ipad, I can open them fine in Filterstorm or Photogene.  However, if I have shot raw+jpegs and then import them, I am unable to open raw files in either Filterstorm or Photogene.  Filterstorm gives an error and Photogene opens a full resolution jpeg.

I can only assume that, when both a raw and jpeg version of an image are present, then when an app calls for a raw file, Photos actually sends the jpeg.

(I did the same as Joseph and shot three images; raw, raw+jpeg and jpeg only.  I shot the jpegs in BW.  I also checked the metadata in Photogene, and it showed the file size for the imported raw+jpeg image as only 4 Mb.  By contrast the raw file was 32 Mb)

This is a real pain in the Butt, as I like to shoot raw+jpeg (especially as the jpegs from the Fuji X-E2 are so good).

Any thoughts?

(first post on here by the way - sorry for wading right in!)

I have found another program that meets most of the demands of a RAW workflow on iOS.. 

it is Adobe’s free Photoshop Express app!

I just tested using a RAW image (using B&W mode in camera).. Photos app showed the black and white version (embedded JPG)… but lo and behold, opening the B&W image inside Photoshop Express opened up the colour RAW file.. I made some edits using the in app tools (which I have to say are really great) and exported the final result back to camera roll.

I checked the Exif Data of the exported file and of course it was Jpeg once exported but the good news is that file size has not been scaled at all… 

For now, my top RAW editing apps are 1- Filterstorm Neue and now 2- Photoshop Express! …

FS allows me to export my RAW edit to TIFF which is a BIG WIN… Also, Filterstorm has a great Metadata editor built-in as-well as an amazing Watermarking tool… Also I like the history option in Filterstorm Neue which can let me go back to a specific edit state.

PSE has a better UI hands down… 

If you have an iPad Pro, please install this free PSE app and let us all know how your experiences go..

Ha ha!  Not sure if you’ve made my day or ruined it.  I now have ANOTHER potential “iPad first” workflow!

firstly, I installed the PS Express app on my iPad pro and, yes, you’re absolutely correct.  Express opens raw files!  The BIG news is that it will also open the raw file from a raw+jpeg pair, unlike Filterstorm or Photogene (see my post above).  This means I can happily shoot raw+jpeg and import the images to the iPad.  I can then examine them full-screen in Photos, and any that require the exposure latitude of raw in order to get a decent image, I can open in Express and adjust them.  If any then require local adjustments (brush or gradient mask), I can then export to Filterstorm or Photogene.

I’m off to Morocco on Tuesday, and intend to spend days shooting and evenings editing and post-processing.  So, a possible workflow will be:

1.  Import day’s images to iPad pro

2. Examine images in Photos and delete “rejects”

3. Of the remaining images; question: “Does the image need post-work?”  If “no”, move to a new “finished” album titled with “Morocco + date”.  

4.  If post-work needed, question: “Is the image likely to need RAW file exposure latitude?” And: “Is the image likely to need local adjustments?”

5.  If RAW latitude needed, open in PS Express and process.  If further local adjustments required, export to Filterstorm and process.  Then export to camera roll and place in “Morocco + date” album.

6.  If RAW latitude not needed, open in Filterstorm, process, then proceed as 5 above.

end result should be an album for each day of processed ‘keepers’.  I’ll transfer these to the hard drive on the desktop on return home.  Any images I want to share from the field can be uploaded to Instagram from the camera roll.

any images I want to print back home I can open in PS, check colour on the colour-corrected monitor, adjust and print.  As a back-stop, I’ll still have the original raw files on the memory cards which I’ll import to lightroom on return and archive as normal.

This contrasts with the workflow I HAD intended to use;

- import images to ipad

- examine, and delete “rejects”

- import keepers into LR Mobile

- process (adjustments will be synched to CC)

- apply adjustments to RAW files on return to desktop

- export any I want to share from the field from LR Mobile to camera roll (at limited resolution) and share on Instagram.

I’ll let folks know how I get on ‘battle-testing” these ideas.  Meanwhile, I’d be interested in thoughts on which of these will be the better workflow.

BTW, I shoot Fujifilm, so expect many of the jpgs to be fully usable straight out of camera.

Just to add to the above; It’s a pity that PS Express exports to Filterstorm as a jpeg instead of tiff, otherwise it would have been possible to maintain a fully uncompressed workflow right through PS Express, into Filterstorm and then onto the camera roll as fully edited tiff files.

Sorry to be like a dog with a bone, but here’s some more insights about Photoshop Express in relation to RAW workflow on the ipad;

there are two ways of opening an image in Express;

1.  Open the Express app and select the image from within the app.  If you have shot raw+jpeg, this will open the RAW file.  Upon finishing editing you then have the option of saving a jpeg to various destinations, including the camera roll and editors such as Filterstorm.

2.  Go to Photos and click “edit”, then click “more” (three little dots in a circle).  You can then enable PS Express as an embedded editing app.  In this case it opens the JPEG.  Upon finishing the edits, clicking “done” will return you to Photos with the original jpeg overwritten with the edited one.

In either case, the underlying RAW file is left untouched, raising the possibility of producing several edited jpegs from one Raw file.

Assuming sufficient space on the iPad (I have the 128Gb version), and given the quality and real-estate of the iPad pro’s screen, this potentially allows a full ‘iPad only’ workflow, from RAW to finished jpeg, while also providing a backup for the raw files.

I emailed the author of Photosinfopro to ask about iPad Pro support and he replied that the app is dead so probably is better to don’t buy it anymore (it is already crashing very often on my iPad pro).

Photosmith too is dead… do you have any suggestion for an app to keyword, edit iptc with batch and copy/paste feature?

Although I can see the utility of using my iPad or an iPad Pro in the field for previews and presentation, I don’t see the the disappearance of laptops and desktops for pro work anytime soon. I’m quite happy with my MacBookPro Retina with plenty of speed and storage and an excellent display in the field, and my cylinder Mac Pro with large 10 bit display in my studio with multitudes of easy software and backup options. Still using Aperture 3.6. But Capture One Pro is in my future. Need a good DAM not tied to the cloud. Certainly open to what comes in NEF to TIF RAW workflow on the iPad, and like the stylus possibilities, but it sounds as if it will be a while before it replaces my current laptop/desktop/OSX  setup for production requirements.

Hi Joseph - iOS can handle RAW now. Time to update this great post?

You can change many of the features by using different editing software but if you are editing any photograph you should learn this before applying any edit. For your ease essaytigers has launched many new services that can help you in editing pictures.