OmniFocus for iPad (for photographers)
Posted: July 31st, 2010 | Author: Wade | Filed under: Software, Technology | Tags: iPad, OmniGroup | 2 Comments »Here’s a quick note to alert you to a handy new app that I think is worth investigating if you’re a photographer with an iPad.
OmniGroup, if you don’t know of them, are a class act. Half a dozen of what I consider the better computer applications that I use are of their making. One that has been particularly useful, a “Getting-Things-Done” tool named OmniFocus, was just last night migrated to the iPad to compliment its existing desktop and iPhone versions.
Now you’re either the sort of ultra-organised person who is predisposed to keeping to-do lists to manage their time or you are not, and no computer program is likely to change this. But the very polished to-do list manager that is OmniFocus does offer an especially pertinent function for photographers, whether they feel the need to subscribe to the “Getting Things Done” time-management religion or not.
Ever had a number of long-term, concurrent assignments, each perhaps with shot-lists as long as your arm detailing of all of the pictures that you need to tick off during a period lasting weeks or months? If you’ve ever been commissioned to photograph construction projects or government programmes spanning several offices and requiring you visit each, you’ll relate to this and OmniFocus for iPad will probably be quite handy.
I say that because of it’s mapping feature. As well as sorting lists of pending tasks by Projects, Due Date or any of a wide array of other fields I won’t confuse you with by explaining here, OmniFocus can present these lists by geographic location, superimposed on a map. That means when you arrive at your road tunnel construction site for visit five of that particular project, the location awareness of this software will present you with an up to date version of the shot-list you have been maintaining on your desktop computer or iPhone, filtering and displaying only those to-do items that are geographically pertinent – in other words, your shot-list for that location.
While I like OmniFocus a lot, at $AU48 it isn’t cheap for an iPad app and that will make the decision a far less straight forward one for some users. For those people, it’s possible to achieve a slightly watered-down version of the same effect with the iPhone app that sells for $AU24.
OmniFocus for iPad in map view: See your shoot locations plotted on the map and drill down to your shot-list for each.
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I struggled with Omnifocus on the Mac – it always felt very powerful, yet quite complex. The complexity seemed to take time away from the tasks I was trying to get done, which was a problem for me.
Putting my photographer’s hat on, I find these types of programs invaluable to keep notes on future locations and ideas.
Thanks for the tip!