Apple Mac Mini M1 for photographers – A compact but powerful workstation

Hello! My name is Rikard Landberg (@landberg on Instagram), and I mostly shoot documentary projects. During the pandemic, most of my projects are on hold and instead, I have been photographing my family. I use an E-M1 MarkII with two lenses, 12mm f/2 and 17mm f/1.8.

Enough about cameras. Now let’s talk about a boring (IMO) but necessary part of photography, computers! To be more specific, the Apple Mac Mini M1.

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But first, you need to know my angle when writing this. Every review of the M1 Mac Mini only talks about import/export time and benchmark results. I don’t care about benchmarks or how long the import/export takes. I only care about the user experience. I just want to edit my photos smoothly without spending too much time in front of a computer. Also, I want it to last, hate buying new computers. If it takes a long time to import or export, I can just take a break and hang out with my kids while waiting. My thoughts are only about my user experience.

My goal was to have a very compact workspace because space is limited in my house. After hours of research, this is what I ended up with:
• Computer – Apple Mac Mini M1 16GB
• Screen – Asus ZenScreen IPS display that only needs a USB-C/Thunderbolt to run
• Screen stand – Satechi iPad stand
• Keyboard – Apple
• Mouse – Rapoo 3510, it’s cheap but feels great
• Card reader – Sandstrøm USB 3.0 SD, CF and Micro SD
• Desk – IKEA

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I bought my first Mac Mini back in 2005 when it was first introduced. Back then, it was kind of a struggle to use Mac, there were way more options and apps for PC users. But I had artistic ambitions, and therefore I fooled myself to believe that Mac was my only option. I have been using Mac ever since, mainly PowerBooks and MacBooks. When my trusty MacBook Pro 2014 broke, I bought the cheapest MacBook I could find, a MacBook Air 2019 with an Intel i5 processor and 8GB of RAM.

I knew the specs weren’t impressive, but how bad could it be? To be honest, it sucked! Lightroom Classic really struggled with medium/large libraries and simple tasks. Rendering times in Final Cut Pro took so long that it killed the joy of editing. I’m fine with waiting when exporting a video, but I don’t want to wait while editing. I started to use an iPad Air 4 for my creative work instead. When Apple announced the Mac Mini M1, I was a bit sceptic. It sounded too good to be true.

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Then I got a larger video assignment, and I needed a new computer, so I bought the Mac Mini M1 16GB. I mostly use Lightroom Classic and Final Cut Pro. Even though Lightroom Classic isn’t native to the M1 chip, it runs real smooth. Best photo editing experience I ever had. I don’t do heavy editing but even with my old MacBook Pros, Lightroom felt a bit sluggish at times. The tools and slides are responsive and immediate. Previews are instant when scrolling through images. The RAM is never close to max out. I honestly don’t care if Adobe will release a native version or not.

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Final Cut Pro is just insane. It handles 4K like it’s nothing. I can add grading and effects and still playback without any dropped frames in full quality. It’s a great computer, the best I have ever owned. The only negative is the USB connections. There are only two USB-C/Thunderbolt and two USB 3. I need more. But I guess that’s why someone invented the USB-hub.

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My Lightroom workflow is super simple. I have an import preset that converts all the images to B&W while also adding a small curve adjustment. I never see my photos in colour. After importing, I first make a selection of my favourites. When selected, I do as little as possible to my images. I mostly adjust highlights, shadows, whites and blacks. Curves, dodge/burn and, on very rare occasions, some cropping. No presets except for the import black and white conversion. Maximum two-three minutes per image, that’s it!

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