Abstract: In embodiments of a mobile-first photography workflow device, digital photos that have been captured with a digital camera are received by the workflow device, and proxy images that each corresponds to one of the digital photos is created, where the proxy images have less data than a corresponding one of the digital photos, yet remain configured for photo editing. The proxy images are communicated to a tablet device that can receive and display a proxy image that has the less data than the corresponding digital photo. The workflow device can then receive a metadata update from the tablet device, where the metadata update is associated with a photographer editing a proxy image. An edited digital photo can then be generated at the workflow device based on the metadata update applied to the corresponding digital photo, and the edited digital photo can be synchronized with additional computing devices.