Apple iPad: Photography, Publishing, and Art Direction
As April 4th put the first iPads into the hands of consumers: publishers have been rushing to ready content for this new device. (iPad ready sites: http://www.apple.com/ipad/ready-for-ipad/ )
The rules of publishing have had to be redefined, but in a time of rapid technological change the tools required are readily available.
For many consumers, the internet has replaced the TV, DVD and paper based book, and magazine: more time is spent reading on a computer than with any other medium. This has meant that the traditional print publisher has been loosing advertising sales, circulation, and many publications have simply gone out of business. While e-readers, net books, and laptops have offered some functionality in this regard, the Apple iPad offers never before seen convergence, functionality, and integration.
What this fundamentally means is that more people are going to own the iPad, than any other device. It will become as ubiquitous as the iPod is today. While some observers are questioning how they will use the iPad, many are just buying it because they think it’s new, cool, and that they will discover a use for it in time. This less specific trust in the device to do any one thing well for them means that we will see the iPad being thrust into the hands of eight year olds through to eighty year olds. This is a machine for the masses.
Predicted uses: TV remote, fridge magnet, newspaper, magazine, portable business machine, camera tether device, field lab work, medical, military, scientific, in car nav, teaching aid, picture frame, the list goes on, and on…
So what does this mean for the people making content for the iPad. Here is an interesting interview describing the art direction challenges for magazines on the iPad: Note the format agnostic design directive from Apple.
Traditional photographers have an amazing opportunity to create new types of content for the iPad. With tools such as the Canon 5d MK2, etc they can shoot both stills and video: edit, and deliver multi format files, or work as part of a larger production team, as shown here in this behind the scenes shoot with a Red camera.
While these behind the scenes videos show top level production, with expensive equipment, and large crews, not everyone needs to go to this level. The technology is so accessible that as long as you know what you are doing, you can produce content immediately. Here is another example showing behind the scenes for Outside Magazine.
And, assuming that you or your clients have websites, it is worth checking if they are “iPad ready”. Visiting this knowledge base page on the Apple site will run you / or your web designer through the relevant points.
Photographer / Filmmaker Vincent Lafloret mentions on his blog that he plans to put an iPad into the back of his print portfolios, so that clients can watch his movies, or a stills slide show.
http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2010/03/12/random-thoughts/
This is a time to start asking yourself the same questions you did ten years ago, during the film to digital conversion, such as: what do I know now, vs what do I need to learn? Assuming this is an inevitability, how should I adapt my business to capitalise on this change? Am I communicating to my clients what is happening, and that I have these capabilities to deliver such new media?