Backing-up and editing photos on the move but without taking a laptop

[whistule]

I am wondering possible solutions people have found to backing-up and editing photos while on the move around the world but ideally without taking a laptop. I've looked over some of the online photo editors and, being used to using lightroom they aren't quite there yet. I thought maybe about accessing my computer or a server at home via logmein or similar - which would give full editing in lightroom, but the slight problem is getting the pics onto that computer in the first place. You could upload to internet wherever you are and then download to your computer at home potentially (controlling it via logmein). can anyone recommend a site to upload the photos to? or is anyone using an ftp? Anyone else been experimenting with this kind of setup??

The disadvantage of this comared to a laptop is of course that you'd be using a different monitor for editing every time but you can't have it all!!

 

[table1349]

Sorry, but it sounds like the solution is a bigger headache than the problem here.

 

[usayit]

It's not difficult to setup your own FTP server at home assuming your ISP doesn't complain. I agree though.... it's going to be a headache because of the size of your files (assuming raw) and unknown service quality while out and about.

Lets not forget that working on a remote session isn't always ideal either. Youll still need a computer to send and remote with... so why not just bring a laptop at that point.

 

[whistule]

its just the weight and size thing - not to mention the stress of having an expensive laptop. Basically, anywhere I can get power for a laptop, there's an internet connection and computer anyway (unless perhaps you have an solar cell). I'm currently out in Ethiopia and like so many places I go having expensive equipment can make you a target.

As it is i can actually control my laptop sitting on my desk in my studio back in Scotland from out here in Africa. Actually I think VPS hosting is the next step with all this (and probably the future of computing) - so your software is running off exactly the same web-server as you're uploading to files to. So lightroom would be installed on a VPS which you can use over the internet and which works at the same speed as if you were running it locally (assuming a good VPS package).

I was just interested to know if any other early adopters out there are experimenting with any of this yet?

 

[usayit]

nothing you are saying is new and not previously done and currently done. the difference is there has to be a level of service for it to be useful. A level of service I doubt is as widely available as you think. Even at residential services, the upload speeds are capped much lower that download speeds.

Let's take a hotel for example. You sure their ISP isn't going to cut you off or cap you while you upload gigs of data to a remote destination? It doesn't matter if the destination is a home, business, or vps. There is a difference between processing locally and sending the final images to a publisher versus sending everything contained in your cards.

So now that you've gotten your images to the remote, how about calibration of the screen you are using?

By the time you pay the expense of all that effort, you would just be wondering why didn't you just have a laptop.

 

[GeneralBenson]

I agree with every one else, that this sound like much more of a headache than it is worth. I would maybe just look into a really small laptop, like the new 11-inch MacBook Air. That thing is tiny. Sure wouldn't mind having something like that for traveling on the move. As it is, whenever I travel for shooting, I have a 15" MBP, which is very powerful and capable, but also heavy. I also have an iPad, which is very light and easy to carry around, but is significantly less capable. I usually end up taking both, which just completely defeats the purpose of either.

 

[tirediron]

I have shot all over the world and I would no more head to Asia without at least one laptop than I would without my camera. Depending on where in the world you go access and transfer speed range from blazing fast to crippled turtle. Finding access can be a challenge, and in many countries (esp. in the Middle East) many 'sites are blocked at a national level because of the potential for pornography; even accessing Photobucket is difficult. At the very least, get yourself a cheap netbook (as little as $200) and a portable DVD burner. Back your files up on the netbook, and burn a second set to disc. Mail them whenever you're at a reliable post office (Check with the Foreign Ministry for a list of places where using the mail is not recommended).

 

[dylanstraub]

I haven't really had to do this yet but I can use a USB adapter to transfer pictures from the camera to my Ipad. I bought a neat piece of software that does a good job at quick basic editing. The space is limited so you can't do this on a really big scale but it works in a pinch. This app also has the ability to upload to my Flickr page. It's a lightweight solution for say a vacation etc but I wouldn't use that if I was a pro.

 

[skyy38]

Netbook.


:thumbup:

 

[skyy38]

Netbook

:thumbup:

 

[table1349]

Netbook

:thumbup:

Let me see. It has a screen and a keyboard that come together when folded up, or as Wikipedia describes them quite aptly "Netbooks are a category of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers."


I'll take, What is a Laptop for $500 please. :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: