5 Ways to Protect your Photos
Summer time is a great time to get snappy! With the ability to take so many photos, what are the best ways to keep them safe and organized? What if your device or hard drive fails, or if photos are accidentally deleted? We've compiled a list of 5 ways you can make sure your photos will be both safely archived and easily accessible for years to come.
1. Backup your images regularly.
It's hard to keep track of how many photos we take, but the best way to ensure they are saved somewhere other than our camera or device is to schedule a regular upload, like once a week, or immediately after an important event or holiday.
Methods vary, but some common ways to download images to your computer are card-readers, USB cables and wireless transfers. Alternatively, images can be easily uploaded to cloud software. This has many advantages. You can schedule automatic backups, and view your images from your device when connected to the internet, and use this storage space as a backup if you're computer or device crashes.
2. Archive on portable hard-drives.
Don't rely solely on your computer or cloud software for keeping your back up safe. It is a good idea to use external hard drives to hold your images. Many of these portable devices are compact and easy to store. It's best to keep multiple copies of your back ups, to back up to them regularly, and check them often to make sure they are still ok. Only use good quality hard drives. Always keep one of the hard drives at a separate, safe location in case of unforeseen occurrence.
3. Backup on USB Drives.
USB drives (memory sticks) are ready available and affordable. Like backing up to hard drives, more than one copy should be kept, and checked regulary. They can be used in printing kiosks, and will load faster since they will not be storing so many photos. Quality makes a big difference, cheap drives may mean cheap manufacture and more prone to falilure. Always check your drive has backed up correctly after each backup.
4. Organize your photos.
Each time you save your images, develop the habit of organizing them. This will spare you from a big job down the track, and you will find it easy to locate particular images again. An easy way to organize them is to create a folder for each year and then inside that each month, and a new subfolder each time. Name it something like this: "Year_Month_Date_Description" (eg. 2016_01_10_New Years Holiday. Then back it up to your external hard drives or USB drives.
5. Print your photos.
Prints will ensure a hard copy and that your photo will be enjoyed. Use an online service or a store kiosk. Look for a printing lab that knows it's stuff, and can deliver good quality prints. Ask if they offer a hand-printing service for those special occasion photos. Frame your photos, or put them on display as canvas prints.
Why not put together a photo book at the end of each year featuring the best moments of that year? When you're saving your images, create another folder called 'The best of the Year' and save the your favourites in it as you go.
