This is The Digital Story Podcast 1,037, Feb. 3, 2026. Today's theme is, "The 5 iPad Photo Apps That I Depend On." I'm Derrick Story.
I love my laptop, but I don't want to take it everywhere! Many times these days, I'm toting an iPad mini, compact camera, and my iPhone. Does that mean I can't edit and organize on the go? It does not! And thanks to these 5 mobile apps, I'm fully functional wherever the road takes me. I'll cover them today, and more, on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.
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The 5 iPad Photo Apps That I Depend On
For most photographers, who don't write about the craft of host a podcast, the first decision to consider is ecosystem: Adobe, Apple, or none. I think Cloud connectivity is important for mobile workflows, so I suggest figuring out which online storage option works best for you - Creative Cloud, iCloud, or something else. That decision also drives your software choices.
For Adobe users, Lightroom Mobile is head and shoulders above the competition. It plugs into a great ecosystem that also includes Lightroom Classic and Desktop, has amazing editing tools, and the organization is solid.
And even for iCloud users, Lightroom Mobile plays nice and lets you send your favorited edited images to Apple Photos.
Speaking of Apple Photos, it is solid, smart, and an excellent hub for iCloud users. The addition of Clean Up brings sweet AI magic to the editing suite, and the app plays very well with many of my favorite programs.
One of the application is Nitro that fills the gaps a few notable gaps in Photos, primarily RAW processing. I can open RAW files in Nitro that aren't supported by Apple, edit them, then save them to my Photos library. Nitro had a comprehensive array of editing tools. And if you don't want to be tied to iCloud and the Photos library, it will let you work directly with the Files app that gives you complete control of organization, but is still sharable across devices.
If I need top notch noise reduction or sampling up to increase the resolution on the iPad, I turn to Photomator with its sophisticated Denoise and Super Resolution tools. Plus it has a comprehensive editing suite that includes adjustments like Channel Mixer, LUTs, and Monochrome. And like Nitro, Photomator gives you the option to work with the iCloud Photo Library or the Files app.
And finally, the Luminar Mobile App has continued to evolve at a rapid pace. In addition to its robust editing tools, it now has AI Enhance, AI Structure, AI Relight, AI Skin and Body, plus Sky Replacement and amazing presets. Full sized edited images can be saved to the Photos Library or smaller versions shared with other apps.
I pair these apps with theOM System Tough TG-7, my trusty OM System OM-3, and Fujifilm X100V.
So regardless if you have the latest iPad mini, or a larger Apple tablet, these apps are sure to impress, especially when you add an Apple Pencil Pro to the mix.
This Week in the News
Laowa has a new macro option for Micro Four Thirds users as featured on DPReview.com
This TED Talk hilariously shows that the best way to make people care about wildlife is to make them laugh at comedy photos as featured on DigitalCameraWorld.com
Can a Pocket-Sized Telescope Be a Real Astrophotography Tool? as featured on FStoppers.com
Virtual Camera Club News
Workshops!
The 2026 TDS Photography Workshop Season. We are featuring webinars, online workshops, and in-person events focused on creating impactful images in the company of those who love photography as much as you. Our workshops are like no others, and we think you will throughly enjoy the camaraderie and the tips and techniques.
This week I want to feature the Becoming a More Creative Photographer online workshop. It's easy to study the technical aspects of photography to improve your camera skills. There are endless books, videos, classes, etc that cover aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, but what about creativity? What techniques can we employ in order to create more compelling and expressive photos? This course will seek to answer those questions. The first session is on March 5, 2026. Online participation begins a week before that.
Stop by The Nimble Photographer Workshop Page and reserve your spot today.
Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me.
Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view.
If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at dstory@gmail.com.
The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear.
Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout.
The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.
Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.
Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.
See you next week!
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