Now, more than ever, your iPhone photos need to be incorporated into your photography workflow. With the 8 MP camera in the iPhone 4S, you have print-worthy images of important events that should be properly cataloged.
In iOS 5, Apple introduced Photo Stream to help with this situation. I'll cover the ins and outs of this technology in a future post. But for those who need a bit more control over sync between iPhone and computer, or for iOS 4 users, there's a terrific app $1.99 called PhotoSync that I have found invaluable for managing my iPhone photos.
PhotoSync easily moves images from the iPhone to a dedicated folder on my Mac. I then import those pictures into an Aperture library. On import I can add more metadata to the images and organize them as well.
Here are the steps.
- Install PhotoSync on the iPhone and Mac.
- Launch PhotoSync on the iPhone.
- Choose images to sync. (First time sync all, then just new shots in the future.)
- Select which device to sync to. You choose your computer, iPad, iPod Touch, or another iPhone.
- If PhotoSync is active on the receiving device, it will show up in the list of destinations on your iPhone.
- Upload the photos from the iPhone to the Mac.
- Open Aperture and choose Import.
- Ensure that the "Do not import duplicates" box is checked.
- Click Import and enjoy working with your images.
The Aperture Import dialog for my iPhone images. Click on image for larger size.
I don't maintain just one Aperture library. I have many that I use for different purposes. One of those libraries is dedicated to my mobile photography. This workflow, using PhotoSync, makes it easy to keep my iPhone pictures safe, and available for use.
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If you connect your iPhone to your mac you can import directly into Aperture, not sure why dumping photos into a folder adds value?
Bill.
Bill, the added value is that you don't have to make the physical connection. Both the PhotoSync and Photo Stream workflows eliminate the need for that extra cable when dealing with importing images from the iPhone.
Yes, the wireless connectivity to all of my devices, including my Mac, is precisely the issue. The entire process only takes a few seconds. Plus, the photos can go to other devices, such as my iPad without the hassle of plugging things in.
Thanks Derek. Don't forget that PhotoSync works with Windows PC's as well.
Thanks Derrick. PhotoSync also works with Windows PC's as well.
Since Photo Stream doesn't sync videos, PhotoSync seems to be a better all around answer for getting those off the phone.
I do like Photo Streams' advantage about the syncing just happening without having to be told to send the pictures though. Too bad about the lack of video support there...
Thanks, Derrick. I can't believe A3/iTunes/iPhone doesn't do automatic sync of photos taken on the iPhone. This app fills the gap.
Is there a way to designate a specific folder to sync to? It seems like the app automatically chooses a folder.