PADPORT spotted online

by on September 23, 2011

We love the clean design of this presentation and how well PADPORTs essential theme works with the overall feel.  Well Done Jesse Rieser!

About the iPad, Jesse says –

Upon completion the iPad was released. Like many visual artists, I was drawn to the easily customized platform that didn’t require hours of proofing, printing, and the cost of materials. But at the same time, I like the idea of showing nicely printed and sequenced photographs. And, I didn’t see any options to truly customize my presentation and was concerned my branding and identity could get lost in the mix. So I decided to have both and marry the old with the new. Integrate the iPad’s multimedia capabilities with classic book design having hand printed matte pages, half linen construction and a cradle for the iPad. The new presentation has been very well received and excited to share.

It can be found here No Plastic Sleeves and Jesse Rieser’s blog

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a letter from the in box.

by on July 27, 2011

Thanks for the response.
I went ahead and grabbed your app anyway. I’m really liking it so far, thanks!
To be honest, don’t see where all the negative feedback on itunes is coming from.
I’ll leave a good one for ya.
With that said, still look forward to updates! (dropbox func. would be cool)

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Thank you Mark and Adorama. Great review!

by on March 10, 2011

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Dont get left behind….

by on March 8, 2011

Portfolios: Digital vs. Paper

There is much debate going on these days on the merits of showing a digital tablet portfolio versus a traditional paper book when meeting with art buyers and creative people. First, I think it’s important to distinguish between a photographer and a rep when talking about the values of an iPad vs. a paper portfolio.

From the point of view of an agent, the iPad has quickly become an indispensible part of our business. No longer do I feel like a door-to-door salesman, wheeling into agencies with 50-60 pounds worth of portfolios of varying weights, sizes, colors and dimensions – sometimes to meet with a single Art Buyer whose jaw is now quivering. Today, I enter these appointments, without loss of breath, carrying just two, 9.5 “ x 7.4”, 1.5 lb. iPad tablets – and they’re about to get lighter. Valuable minutes that these busy professionals have so generously given me are no longer occupied by me extricating cumbersome portfolios from my ginormous suitcase (usually one of my kid’s canvas travel suitcases with a Transformers theme – I actually miss that part!). Instead of worrying about adequate tabletop space, the book sequence, updated pages, etc., I can focus my introduction on more important topics like identity, positioning and branding.

We have conducted nearly 40 agency presentations, with over 100 Art Buyers, in the last ten months, with just the iPad portfolio (sometimes several). These meetings have received nothing but accolades – for both content, organization and the device itself. I have asked most of these people if they miss seeing physical portfolios from reps, and not one has said yes.

One of our important jobs as reps, besides promoting and representing our photographers to the best of our abilities, is to try to make things easier for the Art Buyer when dealing with us as an agency. We understand and appreciate how time-pressured Buyers and Creatives are these days, and how many hats they all wear. So doing things like focusing our roster on a few targeted categories, creating a great website, marketing only the most relevant work, and streamlining our presentations with an iPad, are important to us! With the iPad, people are quickly able to get a good feel and understanding of the work from each of our photographers – including style and vision. I can now do an even more comprehensive portfolio showing in less than half the time as before ! And, of course, Creative people love it because it is so fun to use (they love their new toys!) And we haven’t even talked about how much more economical it is to ship – and the savings in fuel because of its small size and weight.

From a photographer’s point of view, I think the same basic arguments apply. However, if the photographer plans on doing ‘face-to-face’ meetings, a physical portfolio can provide a nice supplement to the iPad, which I believe should still be the main presentation tool. Again, the ability to update it daily, to show motion, etc. can’t be beat. Plus, the fact that it can be viewed more quickly, allows the photographer to show more imagery in the same time-frame. As a supplement, a very killer and focused physical book, with unique and different imagery – maybe a few select branding campaigns – could provide a useful tool. One of our photographers went on his own portfolio meetings recently, with both his iPad and a physical book in tow. He said it was nice having the book to show, especially when there was more than one person at the meeting. But when I pressured him for an answer – would he have preferred to have 2 iPads, instead of 1 iPad and 1 portfolio? – he said 2 iPads would have been better. That tells you something.

Sure, like any new technology, the Digital Portfolio has its detractors. To say that people like to view the work in print, because that is how it is being used, doesn’t really fly any more. First, considering how many variables that go into printing – stock, size, inks, press, temperature, calibration, resolution, texture, etc – how close really is the photographer’s paper portfolio going to be to the final point of purchase display, or the poster, magazine ad or billboard?? Not very. Also, in most cases, the final product is just as likely to be viewed electronically as it is in print, if not more so. Most usage requests include web AND print these days – few are for print only. So why not present the imagery in the same digital format that they will eventually be reviewing?

Consider these recent statistics, from Crain’s New York:

591 print magazines closed in 2000.

525 died in 2008.

367 more closed their doors in 2009.

Stats aren’t even available yet for 2010.

I don’t even want to guess how many websites have been either launched or updated in that same timeframe that will require new or fresh imagery. That’s not to say other print avenues like point of purchase or billboards are not important. But many publishing experts are predicting that the one thing that may save the print industry …… the iPad!!

www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=5022

According to a recent report on Bloomberg, Apple could ship between 37-40 MILLION iPads this year. And they are only one supplier of tablets. Hello? Where do you think people will be reading their magazines and newspapers in the coming years – and how will the imagery be displayed? Yes, electronically!

There was a time not too long ago when a physical portfolio was the main way a photographer promoted himself, and the only way he or she could get a project was how that physical book was presented. It was absolutely essential and required an enormous investment of resources – time, money, creativity and effort. Today, 99% of all projects we estimate never require a physical portfolio. Which means that nearly all art buyers, producers, art directors, clients, etc. are relying on digital imagery, via websites, iPads, etc. to make these important decisions. I know that some people still like feeling the pages, touching the books and appreciating a well-designed portfolio, and that’s totally cool. If a photographer can get in front of people with a physical book, great! But I would put creating and designing a wonderful portfolio at the bottom of the priority scale these days – well behind a great website, testings, a blog, direct-mailers, networking and identity.

Any new technology has its early and late adopters. We jumped on the iPad bandwagon so early, that we were actually on a waiting list at Apple last March. And we now have three iPads in circulation! I guess it’s kind of like when digital photography came on the scene, there were the detractors and hold-outs. Digital wasn’t real enough or authentic enough. It was too expensive an investment. Anyone could now shoot a great photograph (oh boy, that’s another blog!). The learning curve was too steep. It was a fad (huh?) Now, nearly everyone has embraced digital photography. And those who don’t fully and willfully embrace this next mini digital revolution in our industry, could be left holding the (travel) bag.

Mark Winer

President – Paula Gren Representatives

Original can be found here:

paulagrenreps.blogspot.com/2011/03/portfolios-digital-vs-paper.html

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Weigh in on an idea

by on January 28, 2011

We know that it goes against the norm, and so we thought it best to have you weigh in on an idea.  What do you think about Mixing up the colors of the PADPORT icon for each additional upgraded version?  Let us know if you think this idea is a good one or a bad one.

Thank you!

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PADPORT PRESS- INTERVIEW BY JONATHANJK’s weblog

by on January 19, 2011

Chad Holder of App Development for PADPORT.

PDF version can be found here: PADPORT

We have recently launched a portfolio app for the iPad.  It is called PADPORT and we are very excited about it.  This app is designed to showcase a wide range of artistic expression through your iPad.  PADPORT is perfect for any artist: the photographer, illustrator, model, industrial designer, architect, handbag designer, cabinet maker, party planner, interior designer, painter, general contractor, anyone who needs to showcase their work.  PADPORT is designed to present your product in a simple, thoughtful format.  Upload image or video to your library and create a specialized portfolio to show to your clientele.  Add or remove media on a whim as you customize the order, look and style of your portfolio. – Chad Holder

PADPORT Can be found at any of the links below.

Website, iTunes, Twitter, Facebook, Email

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So with our first question, tell us a bit about the PADPORT team.

I am Chad Holder, I am a photographer based in the states.  My brother and I are working on PADPORT together, it has been a really fun family project and we are thrilled with how it has turned out and excited about its potential.  I am in Minneapolis and my brother is in South Carolina.  We have an overseas alliance who are doing the programming, they are based in India, and an awesome design team working out of Texas.  All in all there are about seven people working on PADPORT.

And are you also a photographer yourself?

Yes, I am a photographer.  But PADPORT isn’t just for the photographer.  It is for anyone who wants to show what they do.  So, any model, stylist, performer, architect or cabinet maker.  We provided a Title section that will display whatever it is you do on the HOME screen.  We also allowed for the option to leave this section blank and it will be blank on the HOME screen.

What gave you the inspiration to write PADPORT?

When I first saw the iPad I thought it would make the perfect portfolio.  It renders images better than print, and the chance to showcase video with stills in the same package was the perfect opportunity. But PADPORT isn’t just for the photographer.  It is for anyone who wants to show what they do.  So, any model, stylist, performer, architect or cabinet maker.  We provided a Title section that will display whatever it is you do on the HOME screen.  We also allowed for the option to leave this section blank and it will be blank on the HOME screen.

Is this your first App for iOS?

Yes, the first.  We had some other app ideas, but this is the one that made the most sense.  We are also working on some more apps that will tie into PADPORT and create a family of apps.

Home Screen

What are these other Apps you plan to do?  Can you tell us a bit more about them or are they top secret with ‘top men’ working on them.

The other apps are at a stage too early to talk about just yet.  But they are going to be for the photographer and the photographer’s client.  With some of the look and feel of PADPORT.

How easy was it to create PADPORT?  How long did it take to get PADPORT to Version One?

We started the ball rolling in June/July of 2010.  So version 1.0.0 took about six months to design and develop.  We had to make a few compromises for the first version in order to get it into users hands, but we are working on some updates that will make the app even better.

Do you write any other Apps for iOS?

No, just PADPORT for the iPad for now.

“With the iPad your portfolio could be more than the printed portfolio.”

Will you write other Apps for iOS devices? More importantly, photography related ones.

We feel that the iPad is the best device to show images and video and so we are focussing on the iPad for now because of the larger format.

PADPORT is a relatively new App in the App Store. Arriving after the release of 4.2. Did coding for iOS 4.2 make much of a difference compared to iOS 3.2?  What made a difference in iOS 4.2?

The timing just worked out to launch right after the release of 4.2.  We didn’t really plan it and 4.2 didn’t really change anything with the app.

How long did it take to write PADPORT?

That’s hard to gage, but we had about 7 people working on different aspects of it for the past 6 months.

Where do you want to take PADPORT with future updates, where do you see yourself in a years time?

We really want to be the go to app for showing your portfolio on the iPad.  PADPORT is theme based and so the sky is the limit in terms of different looks and feels.  We can always design a new theme to meet our users needs or wants.

Right now we are working on it being able to show images full frame on the iPad and also the ability to zoom in and out.  We are working on portrait orientation, and also external display ability.  The option to change the order of portfolios, and a few more things that are going to be cool.

We are about to release version 1.0.1 which has sharper thumbnails.  (That was a big compromise that we had to deal with in order to launch when we did, but it is being fixed in this next little upgrade.)  Also, we received some feedback that users didn’t know to tap the top 2 inches of the screen to reveal the back button, so we are now changing it to tap anywhere to reveal the back button.

Because we just launched last month, we are working on catching up to where we think we should be.  It might be a few more months, but we will eventually get there.

Branded Home Screen

What do you as a Developer want to see in the next iPad, either to aid your Apps or just for your own pleasure?

We really want more memory so the app will function faster.  Also, a bigger pad would be awesome.  I think the camera would be a nice addition to have.

Considering how new your PADPORT is, I’ve already seen FolioBook vs PADPORT in discussions and Google search results. You have a competitor with a similar feature set. How do you see yourself differentiating from your competitor/competition?

PADPORT can show video which I think is very important, Foliobook doesn’t.  Our user interface is so much more user friendly, I still cannot figure out Foliobook and how to get it working.  We worked hard on getting the swiping action right, if you compare the two, PADPORT is much smoother.  Our themes allow for more options on how the HOME screen looks not just a row of galleries along a horizontal line.  We wanted to give the user more options so the layouts are unique.  Both are great apps it’s all preference.

Are you a one man operation or is this a group effort?

It’s a group effort.  We have about 7 people working on the app.

Where are you based and where have you seen the greatest uptake of PADPORT at the moment?

We are in the states, 85% of our purchases are from here.  10% from the UK. 5% other countries.

Do you have thoughts as to why so many of your customers are based in the US?  Those are striking differences.

We think the first reason is that we have been marketing to US photographers through email blasts.  Not that we are excluding the other countries for any reason, it’s just that out email lists are US based.  Also, simply because of geography the US has a bigger population and therefore a greater number of photographers.

I found the built in Photo Application lacking anything for a Pro Photographer, others will feel it’s good enough. Were you concerned of your App’s uptake by other Photographers before committing yourself to creating PADPORT?

Not really, We knew from the beginning that it was a great idea and it was something that we really wanted to build.

Setting Screen

Can you explain anything about the creation process behind your app? Did you involve other photographers or even editors to ask what they would want in a digital portfolio that attempts to replicate the printed portfolio and its presentation?

We started out with some rough sketches that I drew up, we brought in an awesome designer, talked to others to see what they expected in a portfolio and went from there.  Throughout the process we got as much information as we could from anyone who was willing to help out.  It turned out that with the iPad your portfolio could be more than the printed portfolio.  I’m talking about the ability to hot link to your website, compose an email from the app to receive feedback, put your video in a gallery next to an image, change your images and order on the run.  It’s an incredible tool.

How do you see PADPORT existing alongside a printed portfolio?

I have heard of some photographers doing this.  I think because they want to show bigger then the iPads screen.  I think if that is what works for you then that is a great way to go.  A photographer may want to add a few extra images to PADPORT and their video to pull out if the showing is going well.  It’s not a bad idea.

And to just wrap up, anyone notable who is using PADPORT?

There are many great photographers using the app.  We are actually thrilled with how sales are going, and are excited to be involved in helping people show their work.

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PADPORT at the time of writing is priced at £5.99 and $9.99 on the Apple App Store

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I was going through some files and found the first drafts of the PADPORT idea.  It is interesting once PADPORT is launched, to look back and revisit the beginning, to see how the idea morphed and grew into what it is now.  You need to remember that when these sketches were made there were not [...]

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Interview with Chad Holder, Creator of Padport Padport is in the iTunes App Store I’ve been hearing for some time now about Padport. A few friends of mine knew who was developing the app (they wouldn’t elaborate) but, kept it very hush-hush, only to say that it was a portfolio app for the iPad, and [...]

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WOW, response has been great! We knew we had a wonderful product and are thrilled with the awesome comments that we have been getting. Here is just one that we got last night.  From someone who was curious about exactly how the swiping motion worked. “That’s the answer I was hoping for — and perfect [...]

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