This is an iPad portfolio (or “iFolio” as I like to call it) I created using images from my print portfolio. I give a tour of an abridged version of my iFolio and point out the benefits of using this to share imagery.

Zack Seckler’s iPad Portfolio from Zack Seckler on Vimeo.

When I first got my hands on an iPad (yes, the day it came out) I instantly thought ‘could this replace the print portfolio?’Ideas raced through my head: countless hours spent creating perfect prints…gone! Expensive custom made portfolios…no more! Back problems from lugging around heavy books…never again!

AND

The iPad has everything: it’s beautiful! Light! Affordable! Displays motion! Customizable! Fun to use!

I was feverish with excitement.

That was two weeks ago. I’ve since come to my senses (somewhat).

I got in touch with four art buyers at top ad agencies and they all seem to agree that print still offers a superior viewing experience. A glowing screen just doesn’t compare to big beautifully printed images on luxurious paper. If a client is looking through books, deciding to whom to grant a big budget project, a 9″ screen won’t hold up well against rich detailed prints nearly twice it’s size.

That being said, the art buyers and I agree that the iPad does have potential to be a very useful tool for photographers. First off, if you have a lot of motion or multimedia work to show then this is clearly a good bet. Second, for those times when you want to show new or personal work that wouldn’t fit in your normal books it can be a valuable supplement. Lastly, for those situations where you want to show your work but just didn’t happen to bring your 20 lbs. book along (industry event, party, you happen to be sitting next to Don Draper on a plane — or his 21st century equivalent).

Ultimately, we’re talking about a new device that hasn’t had time to branch out into the marketplace yet. So in a sense it’s too early to tell what will happen. Will iPad portfolios become all the rage? Will print portfolios start to fall by the wayside? Anything could happen.

Photoshop CS5 is launching on April 12th and if you haven’t already seen the video calmly presenting the  new features (as I was falling off my chair) then you need to take a look right now. The most impressive feature is called Content Aware Fill but as far as I’m concerned though they could have simply called it Magic.

Design Shack has a detailed rundown of the many other features in CS5 if you want to find out more.Thanks Devon Banks for the heads up.

Since the release of DSLR cameras that can shoot HD video (aka HDDSLR cameras) in 2008 there has been non-stop chatter among photographers about everything video.

It’s simultaneously exciting and threatening for still photographers. On the one hand there is the opportunity to break into a new visual industry that has many parallels with still photography. On the other hand there is the worry that a general move towards motion content as everything goes online will eat up a lot of the still photography work out there.

At the same time there are a lot of questions about how to actually use these cameras to shoot professional level video productions (there are many limitations).

Photographer Vincent Laforet (who I interviewed earlier this week for a feature that will be up in April) has removed some of the smoke and mirrors about how one of these video shoots involving HDDSLR cameras actually look. He’s posted a fantastic behind-the-scenes look at a recent hybrid shoot requiring still photography and HD video. There are dozens of images of his custom equipment and rigs plus a detailed description of the assignment and how he pulled everything off.

In our recent interview Laforet speaks at length about the positives and negatives of this relatively new technology and what it means for the future of still photography. Check back April 1st for the full interview.

The results of The Next F STOP Photographer contest are in and over a dozen photographers were recommended but in the end Rick Guest received the most votes. I’ll be approaching Mr. Guest for an interview this week.

I can’t say I’m thrilled with the number of people who voted, less then a fraction of one percent of the people who visited this site in those ten days, but at least this little contest received some action. Hopefully we’ll get some more responses on the next go around…TBA.

Moving on…

If you spent hours soaking up all the gossip about the new iPad – listening to all the passionate lovers and haters – and now feel slightly empty inside…craving for a new piece of mobile technology to salivate and obsess over then here is just the thing for you: Google’s Chrome OS Tablet. Well, the concept video that is. Let the predictions, postulations and pontifications begin.

Have you been anxiously awaiting the most-likely, almost-certain, how-could-it-not-be-possible announcement of Apple’s new tablet device? Have you been reading all the blogs, message boards, casing out Mac stores, harassing Mac employees (you know who you are)? Then I found just the thing for you: Engadget has a live broadcast of Apple’s announcement. The coverage starts on Wednesday January 27th at 1:00pm Eastern time.

Predictions about the device and what it means for newspapers, magazines and books are acrosss the board but if you can’t keep away from all the gossip TechCrunch has a nice piece about some recent dealings with book publishers and distributors.

Whatever happens, this is almost certainly going to be a game-changer. Wonder how photographers are going to charge tablet for usage…?

Fantasy concepts about how magazines will look and  feel on tablets of the future seem to be coming out as often as a weekly glossy but this one is definitely worth checking out. Some very intelligent ideas…

Mag+ from Bonnier on Vimeo.