High quality mobile photography just took another leap forward with the latest firmware update for the DxO ONE camera. Photographers can now enjoy a RAW workflow leveraging the 1" sensor in the ONE and working with those files in Lightroom Mobile or Photos for macOS.

Transferring the RAW file in the DxO ONE app.

The process is easy. First update the DxO ONE app on your iPhone or iPad (it's free and in the Updates section of the App Store). Then update the camera firmware by going to Gallery > Menu > Camera Update. After a couple minutes, both camera and software are ready for action. Just make sure that you're recording in RAW in the camera's preferences.

As you take pictures, you'll have the option to transfer selected RAW files to the iOS device, as shown in the top illustration. (To save space, I normally have Jpegs sent to the Camera Roll and the RAWs saved to the memory card in the ONE. Now I have the option to send selected RAWs to the iOS device too.) Once the RAW is in the Camera Roll, you can work on it in Lightroom Mobile or Photos. It will also appear as a RAW file in Photos for macOS if you have iCloud connectivity, or in desktop Lightroom if you're using Creative Cloud syncing.

Working with the DNG in Lightroom Mobile on an iPhone.

And the best part is, you don't need a brand new iPhone to take advantage of this high quality workflow. I tested RAW photography on both an iPhone 5S and 6S, with the process working beautifully on both devices. All you need is iOS 10 and the DxO ONE camera.

Other enhancements with version 2.1 include direct WiFi connection for remote control of the ONE with an iOS device, improved recording efficiency for RAW files, and a one-tap power saving mode.

I'm going to have the DxO ONE in my pocket during my trip to Washington DC next week. I'll put it through its paces both for street shooting and covering the WildSpeak Conference. I'll share some pictures on social media.

The DxO ONE camera with update 2.1 has an extremely high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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The DxO ONE camera has evolved quickly since its release. With the latest Version 2.0 Firmware Update, WiFi capability was unlocked, allowing photographers to detach the camera from the iPhone and continue to take pictures.

The firmware update can be applied by connecting the camera to your iPhone, launching the DxO ONE app, and going to the message center where you'll have the opportunity to upgrade. Once the upgrade has been applied, go to the settings menu in picture taking mode. You can do that by tapping on the icon in the upper right corner, then swiping down in the menu to "Wireless remote control," as shown in the above illustration.

The section provides you with two options. The first, Connect through a Wi-Fi network, allows you to tap into an existing network. Once you select that, the iPhone will pass the network credentials to the DxO camera. This takes just a few seconds. Soon, a message appears, "You can now detach your DxO ONE and take pictures." Now have some fun.

DxO also announced a new tripod adapter that looks very nice. Or, you can use a third party solution, such as the MeFOTO SideKick360 shown in the image below.

The DxO ONE in WiFi mode stabilized with a MeFOTO SideKick..

Once you've finished, just connect the camera again. The WiFi connection will be terminated, and you're back in connected shooting mode. It's easy, and it works great.

The second option, Direct Option, is currently grayed out. The message states that there's an incompatibility with the latest iOS Update. Hopefully, this will be ironed out soon so we can shoot wirelessly without an existing network.

WiFi connectivity is just one of the many new features in the Version 2.0 update. But it's just so darn sexy, I had to start there.

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While many mobile photographers await their upgrade to iPhone 7, there's a lot you can do right now with the 6S, including a nifty RAW workflow thanks to iOS 10 and Lightroom Mobile. It's easy, and the quality is outstanding.

Lightroom Mobile on an iPhone 6S running iOS 10. Original image captured as a DNG file using the Lightroom camera app. No editing quite yet...

Start by making sure you have the latest versions of iOS and Lightroom Mobile loaded. Then open LR on the iPhone and tap on the camera icon in the lower right corner. At the top of the interface look for DNG. If you see Jpeg instead, tap on it and choose DNG from the popup option. Take a photograph. You've just captured a RAW file with the iPhone.

At this point, you can edit it with the excellent tools in LR Mobile. I spent a couple minutes with this file adjusting the highlights, shadows, and color temperature. I then added some clarity and a vignette. The image looked pretty good on my mobile display.

Since it automatically syncs with Lightroom on my Mac, via the Creative Cloud account, I launched Lightroom and examined the shot on the 13" MacBook. It was still a RAW file, and all of my adjustments from the iPhone appeared on the sliders in the Develop module. I made a couple more minor changes, and that was it.

The image was automatically synced to Lightroom on my Mac, with all changes included.

Since I like to use Photos for macOS also, I saved an edited version of the picture via Lightroom Mobile to the Camera Roll on my phone. Now I have the finished shot in the Apple ecosystem as well.

The entire process was intuitive, and the finished image, even when magnified on the MacBook's retina display, was sharp, detailed, and had excellent tonality and color.

The final version of the iPhone RAW file. Photos by Derrick Story.

You might not want to capture every iPhone shot as a DNG, but it's great to have this option for situations where you want to milk every ounce of quality out of the device. I can't wait to see how this looks with an iPhone 7 Plus...

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I don't know about you, but I sometimes capture horizons with my smartphone that aren't perfectly straight. (I'm sure it has nothing to do with my one-handed, cavalier shooting lifestyle.) Then there are other times when rotating an image to the left or right actually makes a more interesting composition.

If the destination for this image is Flickr, I can crop, rotate, flip, and straighten right there in the mobile app. This comes in especially handy if you're just ready to upload, notice that the image isn't quite right, and want to fix it without having to exit out of Flickr to another app. Here's a video on how this works.

This is just one of the many conveniences built into the Flickr Mobile app that works wonderfully on Android and iOS devices.

More Flickr Tips and Techniques

If you want to master Flickr on your mobile device, check out Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere. Desktop users might be interested in Sharing Photos with Flickr. Of course the platforms work well together too, and I discuss how you can integrate all of your devices to create a seamless photography workflow.

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Photo sharing is great, as long as you're not showing any more than you're comfortable with. A quick trip to the Privacy and Safety settings in Flickr Mobile insures that your posts are handled in a manner that you're comfortable with.

In the following video, I review settings for Default Post Privacy, Location Privacy, Photo Safety Level, and the Safe Search Filter, for both iOS and Android devices. These establish the experience that's appropriate for you, both sharing and viewing.

These adjustments only take a few minutes. And I highly recommend that you review them today on your mobile device running Flickr.

More Flickr Tips and Techniques

If you want to master Flickr on your mobile device, check out Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere. Desktop users might be interested in Sharing Photos with Flickr. Of course the platforms work well together too, and I discuss how you can integrate all of your devices to create a seamless photography workflow.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

When I heard the news that Adobe had released Lightroom Mobile 2.4 for iOS and Android, I couldn't wait to test it on my aging iPad mini 2. I figured if it could process RAW files and add local adjustments on that device, Adobe has really created something special. And fortunately, they did not disappoint.

Applying a local adjustment in Lightroom Mobile 2.4 on my iPad mini 2

I started with a fresh memory card in my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II and set the file format to RAW only. I then snapped a few pictures and put the memory card in the Apple Lightning Card Reader, then imported two files via Photos to my iPad mini 2. I opened one of the images in Lightroom Mobile 2.4.

The RAW badge confirms that I'm working on a RAW file.

The first thing I noticed when reviewing the Camera Roll in LR Mobile was the RAW badge over the image that I had just imported into the iPad. So right away I got confirmation that I was indeed working in the format that I wanted.

I then began testing highlight and shadow recovery. For me, that's the quickest way to distinguish editing a RAW from a Jpeg. And indeed the recovery was elegant in both areas, just like working with RAWs on my Mac.

The editing tools worked smoothly and as expected, providing the results that I wanted.

After a few color adjustments, I applied a gradient screen in the lower left corner to tone down those highlights, then finished off with a dash of clarity. Even on an iPad mini 2, the work flowed smoothly and the results were as one would expect on a computer. This was truly impressive.

I then opened Lightroom CC on my MacBook and inspected the shot I had edited on the iPad. It looked the same as on my iPad. (Yes, it automatically synced and was waiting for me.) The image was a full-sized RAW file complete with all of the adjustments I had made in Lightroom Mobile.

All of my iPad edits display properly in Lightroom CC on my Mac.

For all of these features, you'll need a Creative Cloud account, which I've been maintaining for sometime now to stay current with Photoshop and Lightroom. And now Lightroom Mobile 2.4 elevates my nimble cloud-based workflow to new heights. And the fact that it works on a humble iPad mini 2 is even more impressive. Well done, Adobe!

Lightroom Mobile 2.4 has a very high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

The quality images that flow through my Friends feed is outstanding. But to be honest, I sometimes opt for scrolling through Instagram instead, primarily because it just seems easier. (I know, lazy me.)

I think the real issue was when my Flickr friends posted multiple shots in one session. One one hand, I like seeing the different aspects of a particular subject. Those images tell a more complete story.

But when viewing them on my iPhone 6s, as I do 90 percent of the time, groups of images are less immersive. That is, until Flickr updated their mobile app to be 3D Touch compatible. Now I can just press and hold on any shot in the group, and I get a full screen version, complete with title and name overlay. It's really cool. When I'm done viewing the larger size, I just lift my finger off the screen. Here's a short video about it.

It's such a simple thing, but this approach keeps me in the flow of the photo stream. And that makes all the difference when casually browsing pictures.

You can favor the shot by double-tapping on it. If you want to see the metadata or comment, tap once on the image to make it full screen, then use the tool bar at the bottom. BTW: viewing camera metadata is one of the things that I really like about Flickr mobile compared to other apps. Seeing how the photographer got the shot, the settings that he or she used, is interesting to me.

Once I started taking advantage of the tools that were available to me in Flickr Mobile, I started using it more. And as a result, I am seeing more great photography than ever.

More Flickr Tips and Techniques

If you want to master Flickr on your mobile device, check out Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere. Desktop users might be interested in Sharing Photos with Flickr. Of course the platforms work well together too, and I discuss how you can integrate all of your devices to create a seamless photography workflow.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Flickr Mobile goes well beyond just taking pictures with your smartphone. The workflow extends to using your WiFi-connected camera too. The images that you capture with that device can be automatically backed up to your Flickr Camera Roll.

There are a couple things I like about this workflow. First, I'm not limited to using a smartphone for my photography. In the case of this demo, I have a Panasonic LUMIX GM5 connected to my iPhone running the Panasonic app. So I can use all of my Olympus and Panasonic lenses to get exactly the shot I want.

When I transfer the images wirelessly from the GM5 to the iPhone, Flickr sees them and automatically backs them up to my Flickr Camera Roll. This leads to the second thing that I like, which is automatic redundancy. At this point, I have the images on the camera's memory card, the iPhone itself, and online with Flickr. I didn't have to think about any of this. It just happens. Here's a video demonstrating the process from my Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere online training.

These images are also available for sharing online. When they're first uploaded to the Flickr Camera Roll, they're marked as private. So only I can see them. But for the shots that I want to share via my Photostream, I simply change the image from private to public, and it's instantly available to the world.

This is a great workflow for travel. It works with any WiFi camera and Android or iOS device, as long as there is WiFi available.

More Flickr Tips and Techniques

If you want to master Flickr on your mobile device, check out Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere. Desktop users might be interested in Sharing Photos with Flickr. Of course the platforms work well together too, and I discuss how you can integrate all of your devices to create a seamless photography workflow.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

At last, Instagram will now be available in the Share menu for iOS devices, allowing users to send a picture directly from Photos and other iPhone apps to Instagram. Version 8.2 adds this feature, along with bug fixes and performance improvements.

I just tested this capability on my iPhone 6S, and it worked well. I opened an image in Photos for iOS, tapped the Share icon, scrolled all the way to the right, and tapped on More to add Instagram to my list of Share applications. I then selected the Instagram icon. The Instagram option will stay in the Share menu once you've added it.

I was able to write a caption, but there were no editing options. So if you like to use Instagram's filters and adjustment tools, then you'll want to post the old fashioned way. But if you're fine with the image as is, then you can save time via the new Share capability.

The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. Available as an eBook now, and coming to print later this year.

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The quest to tame the mobile Camera Roll may have become a bit more attainable with EyeEm's new The Roll. I've tested it on my library of 5,000 images, and I'm pleased with the results.

The Roll has a few key features, including tagging your pictures automatically, then grouping them by type. This saves you time finding the image you want. For example, if I want to see pictures of my cat, I simply go to the section on Animals, and she's there along with other critters from my iPhone.

Beyond that, however, The Roll identifies what it determines to be the best of a group of images, then makes that the key thumbnail. It also assigns a score to each picture, which is interesting, but of course to be taken with a grain of salt.

The upshot is that your Camera Roll suddenly feels a lot more accessible. And it's fun to browse the groupings such as Portraits, Your Best Photos, Food, Landscape, Beauty, Cute, and plenty more.

It does take some time for all of this processing magic. And you'll want a solid WiFi connection while it's working. My library took about 2 hours to tame.

Once completed, however, images can be viewed as previously described and shared using standard iOS options such as Twitter, Facebook, and Dropbox. According to EyeEm, your privacy is maintained. The app itself is free. And after a few hours of use, I can't see any downside to using The Roll, that is, unless you don't like an organized library.

This product has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.