Paranoid Photographer Covers Methods in Image File Backup

I am a type A personality with a tendency toward paranoid thoughts in most areas of my life.  Yes.  It's true.

It is no wonder that I am also very adamant about backing up my image files and justify it with very real (in my mind) reasons in my paranoia.

I wanted to share with you and encourage you to backup your image files using multiple methods.  It will give you peace of mind and also ensure that your priceless memories will never be lost.


     1. External Hard Drive

Backing up your hard drive with an external hard drive is one of the quickest ways to backup your images. Depending on your system, you can set it to copy your hard drive once a day to once an hour if you like.

If your hard drive ever decides to fail, you know you are safe with this baby helping you out.

HOWEVER - both CPU hard drives AND External hard drives have a history of failing from time to time.  

     2.  Online Image Storing Website

Say your house gets broken into and someone steals your computer and your external hard drive.  You will be so glad you backed up your images ONLINE on a reputable website with reliable servers.

I personally recommend:  www.smugmug.com

My favorite aspect about this website is that there is an "Owner Save All" function.  In the worst case scenario where you DO need to retrieve your images from the internet, you can with one simple click.  Smugmug is also a very reputable website that caters to professional photographers and consumers as well.

      3.  Print them out - via prints or photobooks

I am an old school scrapbooker, which leads me towards printing my images.  However, I can also argue that technology changes with time.  That external hard drive and CD that you burned may not be readable in 25 years.  

Can you image if someone handed you a floppy disk of images?  We'd have NO way of reading that.  Because technology changes, you need a kind of "old fashioned" medium of passing down your images and prints/albums are it.

Paranoid thought about prints - what happens if they get lost in fire or water damage?  Well, you'll be glad you did have them online, where it will be easy to reprint.

      4.  Burn a DVD or CD of your images

I recommend this last because it is known that DVDs and CDs do degrade with time.  It is fine in a pinch (and I do it as well).  Remember to immediately download/print/upload any images you receive on CD/DVD.

       5.  Leave your images on your camera's SD or Compact flash card a little longer

Personally, I do not delete images from my camera's compact flash card until I have backed up the originals in multiple methods (as listed above). 

Overwhelming isn't it?  I hope not!  I am here to encourage you and emphasize that you do not have to do ALL the items on the list.

My best advice is to pick the 2 methods that are the most easy and feasible for you to do.  Which methods do you believe you can actually accomplish?  Reflect and choose those methods.

Another tip is to do it ONCE a month - at the end of the month.  Don't think about it ALL day long ALL month long.  Just make an appt with yourself once a month on the 30th/31st of the month to download all your images from that month, upload to an online album to share with family/friends and keep safe, and backup on your external hard drive.  That's it.  30-45 minutes of your time.

I hope this helps you and encourages you to back up your files.  You do not want to be the one that has the sinking feeling in your stomach when a tech-guy tells you, "Hmmm...I don't think I'll be able to pull these images off your hard drive.  I am really sorry."

Do any of YOU guys have tips for backing up your files?  How do you organize your photo-selves?