Okay, so you’ve already read my article on my iPhoneography kit (if not, read it here) but let’s be honest – sometimes, despite its convenience, the iPhone camera simply cannot provide the type of photographs that you’re looking for. Whether it is due to wanting to play with depth of field or needing a good zoom, sometimes a proper lens is needed to capture the image that you want. That’s why, when I’m traveling with the serious intent to shoot and write, I usually carry around my DSLR with me.
My DSLR of choice is theNikon D5300. While it is only a crop sensor, I find that the lighter body of the D5300 is easier to carry when I am on the road for extended periods of time. I grew up on Nikon cameras (most of my friends in photojournalism shoot either on theD7000 or the D610) and find that the Nikon control scheme is intuitive and easy to control while shooting. For the D5300 I have thekit 18-55mm lens that it comes with, as well as Nikon’s35mm f/1.8G for when I want to play with a shallower depth of field. For my needs, the D5300 is a great camera, as it provides more than enough focus points and great images for a moderate price.
With images now captured on my DSLR, the next step is to get them to a platform powerful enough to edit on. While I wish I could boast that I can get an image right in camera each and every time, that’s not the case, and I like to address my pictures before ultimately sending them to print.
So, what are my options? I could directly connect my camera to a computer or aniPad using a USB cable, but that means remembering to pack yet another small, easily forgettable item in my kit. I could also eject mySD card to upload directly to my computer, but then I am constantly physically moving the SD card around from location to location, which knowing me, will likely result in a lost card.
This is where one of my favorite camera accessories comes into play. TheToshiba FlashAir card is an SD card that allows for a wireless connection from my camera to my computer or myiPad (I tend to carry around my iPad as I prefer to travel light). In a few seconds I can connect and send photos straight from the D5300 to the iPad without needing to remove the SD card or connect with a USB cable.
While the initial set up of theToshiba FlashAircard can be a little tricky, once the WiFi connection is established between theSD Card and my iPad, I am able to quickly send photos from my camera directly to my iPad to edit. Sending photos is a rapid process, and the images are deposited directly in the photo library of my iOS device. The convenience of being able to wirelessly transmit my photos to my tablet is astounding – I am repeatedly amazed that we are able to cram a WiFi transceiver into such a small package.
Once on my iPad, it’s a simple matter of opening up an editing app, adjusting my photos on a screen that’s much more conducive to editing than the iPhone’s, and then connecting to theLG Pocket Photo Printer that I already have. The rest, as you can guess, is quite literally history (I’m serious, I’ve already written about it – check it out here if you didn’t at the beginning of this article). No wires to worry about, and I am still able to shoot great images from a DLSR, transfer them to a tablet to edit, to finally send them to a wireless printer so that I can focus on writing and photographing my adventures rather than fret over where I may have misplaced a cable. It’s a wireless workflow at its best! Now if only I could figure out better wireless charging options!
