If your a wedding photographer, then you have probably heard of doing a “Same day slideshow” at the reception for the wedding guest to see. Brides and grooms love it and get to leave for their honeymoon with those beautiful images fresh in their mind.

And of course it takes ……………well……………..guts……………. to put up images that are unedited, straight out of the camera. Nerves of steel. Possible a slight lean toward insanity. Not really, but knowing your putting out unedited images in a slideshow during the reception will ensure one thing……………you will learn how to get it right in the camera almost all the time.

When I first started I used a laptop and the Photo Mechanic program to set up a slideshow. I would place it some where at the reception and hope everyone got a chance to view it. Then this year for my birthday my sweet hubby got me an IPAD and I discovered the wonderful way a IPAD slideshow actually gets the guest at the wedding talking and having fun.

Yes it is a little nerve wracking to just hand over your IPAD to people you barely know and trust it gets back to you at the end of the night. I have it insured, protected with a replacement plan against accidents, and we try to just keep an eye on what table it is currently at through out the night. The great thing about the IPAD is that everyone gets to view the images at their own pace. The older family members can stay comfortable seated and still get to see the fun that everyone used to have to stand for 10 minutes looking at the laptop to view. I love the happiness that just 15 minutes and an IPAD can bring to my clients now.

The problem for me was learning how to load the images onto my IPAD. I was shooting with a MARK II and it only reads Compact Flash memory cards. So what did everyone tell me……………………..buy the camera connector card and just read it from your camera. Which went against the 2 engraved in stone rules I had always heard.

1. Unless it is completely unavoidable never connect your camera to a computer and 2. Never use your computer to erase your cameras memory card, always erase or format in camera.

So after having those two rules in my head for years, it was hard to just throw one to the side. I did some researched, then some more, and then a little more. Since I had the newest IPAD there was no compact flash card reader available and if I tried to connect a card reader via the camera connector, all I got was a message that said there wasn’t enough power to operate the card reader. In the middle of me research I found a shining light.  I am sharing it with you. If, like me, you don’t want to connect your camera straight to your IPAD but would love to use your IPAD to make a slideshow.

You will need a few things to make it work. A camera connector, a battery pack, a USB power sharing cord, and a card reader.

So here is my IPAD

On the left-hand side is the Verbatim Battery pack. Cost about 25.00 and can be purchased at Walmart.com. The great thing about this little pack, it can also fully charge your phone or IPAD. It works as a back-up battery. On the right-hand side is the card reader I use. It reads all types of memory cards and has a small male usb connector. Also available at Walmart for around 15.

On the left-hand side is the typical IPAD camera connector you can buy almost anywhere for around 15-25 and on the right-hand side is a USB power sharing cord I got for 5 on-line. The power sharing cord I purchased has a regular USB connection and a mini male USB connection since I knew that is what my card reader needed. USB power sharing cords with two full size USB connectors are available.

and here is the set up. Plug in the camera connector cord, then connect the power sharing cord to it. Add on the battery pack and then the memory card reader and in a matter of seconds your images will pop up on your IPAD. Then you select the images you want to load onto the IPAD, hit “import selected”  and there you have it. You images are loaded on your IPAD. If you need to read another card, simple pull out the current memory card and put in a new one for the IPAD to read. Once your done downloading your images, unplug the cord set up, disconnect the battery pack and  your ready to create.

If your interested in a program that will let you do some simple edits, there is a IPAD program called Snapseed. It is amazing, but remember, your not trying to provide edited fully finished images. In the middle of capturing a wedding day……………ain’t nobody got time for that.  😉

At this point I pull the images into an album and label it with the couples name. Below are a couple more images of the set up. It really is so easy, simple, and stress free. I simple leave all the cords connected in my bag and just unplug the battery pack when I am done each time. I added in charging the battery pack to my list of wedding prep I do and that’s it. I love it. Now that I am shooting with the MARK III I have purchased a sd card reader that attaches straight to my IPAD and I use it for everyday stuff.

Here are the links to the items I mentioned above. Hope this helps those of you struggling with how to make a same day slide-show with out connecting your IPAD to your camera.

Card Reader

Battery Pack

Power Sharing Cord

 

 

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I am a Wedding & Lifestyle photographer, Spider hater, hot tea drinker, sarcasm loving, mom of two boys, and center of my sexy hubby’s world. I truly believe there is no better job than to capture the memories of the most special times in a client’s life. I believe in passion, in love, in forever lasting romance, in hope, in joy, and in laughing until you almost pee yourself, because laughter heals the heart. I believe the glass is half full…and even if it really is half empty, I’d rather not know. I choose a smile over a frown, tears of joy over tears of sorrow, and I believe that brokenness makes your stronger, not weaker, so take the negative life may throw your way, and turn it into the stepping block you need to climb higher in life, always keep yourself at the higher level instead of lowering yourself down to the level of others.

I service all of Louisiana including, Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake, Carlyss, Eunice, Alexandria, Shreveport, Lafayette, New Orleans, Monroe, and  Natchitoches. Serving all of Texas including, Beaumont, Dallas, Huston, and Orange Texas. Serving Mississippi and Alabama. Destinations anywhere including, Florida, California, New York, Cancun, and other destinations abroad.  Check out my website here: http://suzygphotography.com

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