First we looked at how theMacBook Air performsas a laptop computer for lensman on the go . Now I ’d like to share some of my urge workflow for shooters who add a MacBook Air to their tv camera bag .
Even with a MacBook Air , most photographers will continue to use their home - base electronic computer to service as a master workstation — something with a larger screen for viewing and editing , and more storage and back - up drives . The MacBook Air shape best as a planet laptop computer — one that on occasion offload payload , namely photographs and video , to the mothership .
When you utilize the MacBook Air as a secondary computer , you ’ll ask a workflow that allows you to integrate your photos from the road into a master library at home . Two applications in particular , Apple Aperture and Adobe Lightroom , are well - suited for this task .
Basic Aperture workflow : make a new Aperture Library on the MacBook Air ( File - > Switch To Library - > Other / New ) . While you ’re on the route , import all of your masters into the new library , edit the images , add metadata , build slideshows , and do whatever else you need to do . Once you render home , copy the travel library container to an outside hard drive . colligate the hard drive to your home computer , open Aperture , and unite the travel library with your victor library ( single file - > moment - > Library / Project ) . All of your work , and your master file , will be neatly organise in the master library .
Basic Lightroom work flow : make a new catalog in Lightroom on the MacBook Air ( File - > New Catalog ) . Give it a unique name to help tell it from other catalog on your drive . When you import photograph into the new Lightroom catalog , use the same file - structure system for the masters that you do on your dwelling computer ; you fix this up in the Destination panel in the Import dialog box . A typical approach might be to organize by date in your Pictures brochure .
When you return from shooting , replicate the Lightroom catalogue and the master to an external toilsome drive . open up Lightroom on your home figurer and select File - > Import From Catalog . Navigate to and then choose the catalogue you require to bring into your maestro Lightroom library . Lightoom will then ask you what you want to do with the master key images . Select Copy New Photos To A New Location And Import from the File Handling bulge out - up menu . Put those images in the same location as your other Lightroom master . Click the Import button . Lightroom will point the masters in the placement you specified and merge your MacBook Air catalog with the catalog on your menage calculator . All of your metadata and body of work will be retained .
Backing up : As part of the merging unconscious process with either Aperture or Lightroom , you will have copied all of your travel work onto an outside hard drive . This is an fantabulous time to move that content on your home backup campaign alongside all of your existing photo musical accompaniment . Then , as a final step , you may want to take the change of location libraries from your MacBook Air so that storage space is available once again .
While on the road , you have a few round-eyed backup options that do n’t require summate a raft of additional equipment . you could carry a diminished USB drive . Or , bring enough television camera computer memory scorecard so you do n’t have to rub out them after you upload the photos to the MacBook Air . If you know that you ’ll have bandwidth on the entire trip , you may debate on-line patronage to MobileMe or other cloud service . These are some otheronline championship strategies for photographers .
Color Management : The MacBook Air uses a gamy - resolution leave - backlit shining widescreen display . The easiest color management is to stick with the default Color LCD profile that ’s listed in the Displays Preference pane . I ’ve had very beneficial luck print with this visibility and getting solid results .
If you feel the need to fine-tune the screen yourself , you ’ll in all likelihood desire to use a spectrophotometer such as the EyeOne Pro . old colorimeters often do n’t work as well on a LED - backlit silver screen , and you could actually degrade your calibration .
[ Senior Contributor Derrick Story instruct digital photography onLynda.comand runs a virtual camera club atThe Digital Story . ]
