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 p.1 #9 · Which iPad for photographers? | |
My current - and only - post processing workstation is an Apple iPad Pro. This editing workflow probably wouldn’t make sense to most photographers, but it works perfectly for me. It’s evolved over decades and is built around keeping things fast, simple, and creatively satisfying.
I started out in Photoshop back in 1991 and stuck with it until 2011, when I switched to a MacBook Pro and jumped over to Apple Aperture. Aperture felt clean and intuitive, but once Apple killed it off in 2015, I had to pivot again.
That led me to Lightroom from 2015–2018. It’s quite powerful, but I quickly realized I don’t need a giant cataloging system or half the bells and whistles. I just want tools that keep image quality high and editing straightforward. Around then, I brought an iPad Pro into the mix, but Adobe’s iPad apps never really kept up in terms of responsiveness, so I went looking for alternatives.
Where I finally landed:
• RAW Power or Nitro for RAW processing (fast, clean, precise)
• Affinity Photo for final edits (dust spotting, cloning, cropping, subtle tweaks)
That combo gives me everything I need without the extra bloat. RAW Power handles the heavy lifting on RAW files, and Affinity gives me Photoshop-level editing with full Apple Pencil support.
For storage, I use a RAID setup for redundancy plus iCloud for backup. My process looks like this: dump images to RAID and iCloud storage, open the folder in RAW Power, cull, develop, export into Affinity Photo for cleanup and final tweaks, then save both the finished image and the Affinity file with preserved edits.
One of the biggest game-changers for me has been using the iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil. I really enjoy working directly on the image. Retouching dust spots, making minute adjustments, and handling masks feels natural and precise. It’s a hands-on experience that makes editing feel less like wrangling sliders and more like actually shaping the photo.
It’s not the standard workflow, but it’s fast, reliable, and cost-effective. More importantly, it keeps me focused on the images instead of fighting with the software. If you find traditional workflows too bloated or rigid, I’d recommend giving RAW Power and Affinity Photo a try.
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