Adobe plans to bring cloud-synced Lightroom-level photo editing to iOS
Adobe's group product manager for Lightroom Tom Hogarty on Wednesday showed off an early version of an as-yet unnamed image editing iOS app, with the prototype software leveraging cloud computing assets to manipulate RAW photo files.
Demonstrated on Photoshop master Scott Kelby's online show "The Grid," the Lightroom-esque iOS app is able to edit RAW images stored on a computer from a mobile device.
Screenshot of Adobe's prototype iOS Lightroom companion app. | Source: The Grid via CNET
According to CNET, Hogarty was mum on availability details, but did reveal the app is being developed as a companion to the full-featured PC version of Lightroom. In its current state, the software supports Lightroom development parameters, such as exposure, clarity, shadows, highlights, and white balance, cloud-synchronized editing and 100 percent zoom for checking focus and fine details.
The publication took note of the complete editing control list as it appeared on the prototype app:
exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, vibrance, clarity, temperature, tint, sharpen, luminance noise reduction, color noise reduction, whites, blacks, auto tone, auto white balance, image flipping and image cropping.
Driving the app is technology from the newly released Lightroom 5 beta. Called Smart Previews, the feature generates a lossy DNG image from RAW data, effectively shrinking the size of the corresponding file for quick editing. Lightroom's complete RAW editing toolset can be applied to the Smart Preview, with changes synced back to the RAW image file when complete.
As a testament to the small file sizes created by Smart Preview, Hogarty was using an iPad 2 during the demonstration. He did note that some processor intensive operations were too much for the tablet to handle, but said his team is aware of the limitation presented by mobile devices.
Demonstrated on Photoshop master Scott Kelby's online show "The Grid," the Lightroom-esque iOS app is able to edit RAW images stored on a computer from a mobile device.
Screenshot of Adobe's prototype iOS Lightroom companion app. | Source: The Grid via CNET
According to CNET, Hogarty was mum on availability details, but did reveal the app is being developed as a companion to the full-featured PC version of Lightroom. In its current state, the software supports Lightroom development parameters, such as exposure, clarity, shadows, highlights, and white balance, cloud-synchronized editing and 100 percent zoom for checking focus and fine details.
The publication took note of the complete editing control list as it appeared on the prototype app:
exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, vibrance, clarity, temperature, tint, sharpen, luminance noise reduction, color noise reduction, whites, blacks, auto tone, auto white balance, image flipping and image cropping.
Driving the app is technology from the newly released Lightroom 5 beta. Called Smart Previews, the feature generates a lossy DNG image from RAW data, effectively shrinking the size of the corresponding file for quick editing. Lightroom's complete RAW editing toolset can be applied to the Smart Preview, with changes synced back to the RAW image file when complete.
As a testament to the small file sizes created by Smart Preview, Hogarty was using an iPad 2 during the demonstration. He did note that some processor intensive operations were too much for the tablet to handle, but said his team is aware of the limitation presented by mobile devices.
Comments
When/if they do, please get back to us.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Yawn.
When/if they do, please get back to us.
An obvious comment from a point and shoot camera owner... For those of us that actually know how to use a camera and have never used the auto-mode, this is good news...
And those who are photographers simply stick to the art of photography and not fiddle with your work afterwards on a PC, trying to make it look better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
And those who are photographers simply stick to the art of photography and not fiddle with your work afterwards on a PC, trying to make it look better.
Spoken like another point and shooter who has zero point zero idea about shooting in RAW... Stick to Instagram... You have no idea what you are talking about...
Now why is it you are not making me see the picture ¿
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
Now why is it you are not making me see the picture ¿
Maybe it is above your capacity... Too much information? Photography challenged? The list could be long and wide....
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
Yawn.
When/if they do, please get back to us.
Hardly. Using synced changes from a reduced preview for LR processing could be fantastic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
And those who are photographers simply stick to the art of photography and not fiddle with your work afterwards on a PC, trying to make it look better.
Then those photographers can keep doing what they do. For the rest of us the opportunity to do a cursory run through of just nudging exposure and white balance of a week's worth of shooting while not at a computer and syncing the changes back back to the parent app's RAWs would be great if well implemented. Even without fiddling.
This move is not likely going to go unmatched by Aperture. No yawns over at the photo sites.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlandd
Hardly. Using synced changes from a reduced preview for LR processing could be fantastic.
Then those photographers can keep doing what they do. For the rest of us the opportunity to do a cursory run through of just nudging exposure and white balance of a week's worth of shooting while not at a computer and syncing the changes back back to the parent app's RAWs would be great if well implemented. Even without fiddling.
This move is not likely going to go unmatched by Aperture. No yawns over at the photo sites.
Exactly... For the non-P&S crowd this is great news... I don't expect Apple to respond considering that Aperture has become pretty much abandonware...
Quote:
Originally Posted by sapporobabyrtrns
Spoken like another point and shooter who has zero point zero idea about shooting in RAW... Stick to Instagram... You have no idea what you are talking about...
I don't quite see the point of the app. Even on a tablet, let alone on a phone. I can't see myself sitting with a small screen instead of doing this on my 27" display on a very powerful PC. This is lightroom of course, but if imported into Photoshop for some more PP, then using a digitizing tablet makes it even more compelling to use a PC/Mac. Maybe some advantage on a powerful Samsung tablet with a stylus if using a Photoshop proxy. But then again, not for Lightroom.
To the original poster question the need of Post Processing by "real" photographers, what Ansel Adams was doing with his printing was actually the same thing, except that he was doing it the harder way with chemicals in a dark room. Unless you think Ansel Adams wasn't a real photographer either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jlandd
Hardly. Using synced changes from a reduced preview for LR processing could be fantastic.
Then those photographers can keep doing what they do. For the rest of us the opportunity to do a cursory run through of just nudging exposure and white balance of a week's worth of shooting while not at a computer and syncing the changes back back to the parent app's RAWs would be great if well implemented. Even without fiddling.
This move is not likely going to go unmatched by Aperture. No yawns over at the photo sites.
This article is old. http://correctcolor.org/cccommentary/?p=140
But has anything changed on iOS devices? Does it have color management now? I know that the iPhone displays are color calibrated (one thing Apple got right. I just wish Android manufacturers would spend a few bucks and get the screens calibrated). But does it have an accurate ICC profile on every phone? If so, I'd imagine that Lightroom will do the color transformation for the device color space. If not, again, I see little value in this app. Not much point in doing anything (especially RAW conversions) on an uncalibrated device.
He was great. And his work still is. Yes, he was able to get everything just right, mostly by waiting for the right light. And by creating the Zone System he was in control of how the picture would look. The only thing he changed afterwards simply isn't comparable to the pallet of functions Photoshop offers, and some users use.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhilBoogie
And those who are photographers simply stick to the art of photography and not fiddle with your work afterwards on a PC, trying to make it look better.
I could not disagree more.
A photographer with whom I work daily captures stunning images in the camera. What he does with Photoshop takes them from "excellent" to "art." I won't bore you with before-and-afters (mostly because I don't have any of the befores and would have to get them from him), but I can assure you that the computer step is actually worth it.
Depending on the shot he will vary color saturation, shift levels, slide tones and work the "grain" in ways that serve the image and enhance the "message" it conveys.
Obviously Photoshop is only the means through which his incredible talent realizes an end -- the same tools in *MY* hands would not yield such incredible results -- but one does have to acknowledge that, in his hands, the computer is an important and valuable part of the overall process.
Quote:
Originally Posted by os2baba
I don't quite see the point of the app. Even on a tablet, let alone on a phone. I can't see myself sitting with a small screen instead of doing this on my 27" display on a very powerful PC. This is lightroom of course, but if imported into Photoshop for some more PP, then using a digitizing tablet makes it even more compelling to use a PC/Mac. Maybe some advantage on a powerful Samsung tablet with a stylus if using a Photoshop proxy. But then again, not for Lightroom.
To the original poster question the need of Post Processing by "real" photographers, what Ansel Adams was doing with his printing was actually the same thing, except that he was doing it the harder way with chemicals in a dark room. Unless you think Ansel Adams wasn't a real photographer either.
Quote: "To the original poster question the need of Post Processing by "real" photographers, what Ansel Adams was doing with his printing was actually the same thing, except that he was doing it the harder way with chemicals in a dark room. Unless you think Ansel Adams wasn't a real photographer either."
Dumbest statement ever... Did Ansel Adams shoot in RAW? How much of his work is in color... Did he have to worry about CA, or dynamic range, or any of the variable of digital photography? Get a clue before opening your cake hole... The idea behind post-processing when shooting anything in RAW is important to anyone who shoots RAW... The second purpose of having this app is not for creating content but to fix slight imperfections and then send them off to a publisher or news paper, or some other purpose where a deadline is looming... Would you like a quick lesson on the difference between LR and PS as well?
Quote:
Originally Posted by os2baba
This article is old. http://correctcolor.org/cccommentary/?p=140
But has anything changed on iOS devices? Does it have color management now? I know that the iPhone displays are color calibrated (one thing Apple got right. I just wish Android manufacturers would spend a few bucks and get the screens calibrated). But does it have an accurate ICC profile on every phone? If so, I'd imagine that Lightroom will do the color transformation for the device color space. If not, again, I see little value in this app. Not much point in doing anything (especially RAW conversions) on an uncalibrated device.
All very true. But even without assuming any correct colors just being able to go over a project and rough it into shape would be a boon. To be able to sync housekeeping chores with the files would be great, such as shaping up the occasional composition and thinning the herd, even assuming we're not going to see the true colors until we get back to the computer. I would kill for an IOS version of Aperture that did what this app is looking like it does.
Quote:
Originally Posted by os2baba
This article is old. http://correctcolor.org/cccommentary/?p=140
But has anything changed on iOS devices? Does it have color management now? I know that the iPhone displays are color calibrated (one thing Apple got right. I just wish Android manufacturers would spend a few bucks and get the screens calibrated). But does it have an accurate ICC profile on every phone? If so, I'd imagine that Lightroom will do the color transformation for the device color space. If not, again, I see little value in this app. Not much point in doing anything (especially RAW conversions) on an uncalibrated device.
Ever hear of a company called Datacolor? Ever hear of their color calibration app for the iPhone or iPad? Guess not...
Quote:
Dumbest statement ever... Did Ansel Adams shoot in RAW? How much of his work is in color... Did he have to worry about CA, or dynamic range, or any of the variable of digital photography? Get a clue before opening your cake hole... The idea behind post-processing when shooting anything in RAW is important to anyone who shoots RAW... The second purpose of having this app is not for creating content but to fix slight imperfections and then send them off to a publisher or news paper, or some other purpose where a deadline is looming... Would you like a quick lesson on the difference between LR and PS as well?
And there I was equating RAW to undeveloped film. And thinking that I wouldn't need to shoot in RAW if I wanted black and white images. Thanks for the education.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sapporobabyrtrns
Ever hear of a company called Datacolor? Ever hear of their color calibration app for the iPhone or iPad? Guess not...
I wasn't aware of it actually and after browsing their web site, I still can't quite make out whether I can use the Spyder scanner on iOS devices like I would on a monitor or whether the iOS calibration is software only like calibrating monitors visually on Windows. If it uses the scanner, excellent. I use the Eye-One display to calibrate my monitor and unfortunately, they have no hardware calibration either for Android devices or iOS devices - at least so far.