iPad 3 and Photography ⇥

On this week’s Talk Show, John Gruber commented on the pattern of Apple’s iPad keynotes, noting that specific apps were demoed at each event. The first demonstrated productivity apps, and the second expanded into the creative realm of GarageBand and iMovie. However, the third major part of the iLife suite still has not been ported to the iPad. Neven Mrgan has some thoughts on why a straight port of iPhoto wouldn’t be good enough:

Perhaps Apple is rethinking the whole photo workflow: how we shoot, how we store, how we edit, how we share. If that sounds hopeful, I’ll let it fly on the wings of iPhone’s success as a camera. It would be neat if everything that happens after we tap (tap!) to shoot changes as much as that act of taking pictures itself has changed in the last five years.

I wholly agree—iPhoto for iPad simply isn’t a good fit. Smart points throughout this piece. He mentions that the inclusion of a photo printing service would be strange (emphasis his):

Look at this incredible paper-like screen. Your photos have never looked this good! Now let’s use this futuristic piece of interactive glass to print your pictures, then mail them.

I agree that it’s an odd combination, but I think there’s still something inherently special about a printed photograph in a book or a greeting card that can’t be replicated by a screen. Apple clearly agrees.