We all encounter problems from time to time in accessing our files.
One such problem this morning made me stop and think about digital file management and how I handle it. Although everyone has their own favorite workflow storage methods I wanted to share a few of mine with you.
File preservation and easy retrieval are important to all photographers. The best way to accomplish this is to be redundant in your efforts. In other words, backup, backup, backup!
Your SD or CF cards are not the place to store your images. The longer your original images remain on any storage media the more likely they are to be deleted accidentally, or the card may get reformatted. In either instance you lose your files. Transfer your files as soon as is possible upon completing your shoot. You should make a copy to your working hard drive and a copy to a backup hard drive. Many photographers will make a third copy to some type of media for off-site storage. Call it an insurance policy. With the growth in cloud based storage lately, there are many sites that will offer you the ability to store your data files online with immediate access from any web connected device. These companies have redundant backup built in to their services. Although there is a cost attached to these services it is very reasonable and easy to use. If you are interested in a service like this you may want to google "cloud based storage". I personally use dropbox.com. Anyone interested in this service just send me an email to kendall@kendalladams.com and I will send you a link to sign up.
An external hard drive is another excellent option. Available now for less than $100 for a 1 terabyte drive, you can easily transfer your files to a device like this and it is easily portable. The normal USB connections you find on these devices will attach to any computer available today. Call this an investment as it can save you a lot of worry and in some instances money.
The bottom line here is to do everything you can to protect your work. Leave nothing to chance and plan for the worst. You'll thank yourself later if you ever encounter a problem with any of your files becoming corrupt or unavailable to you.
Good shooting!!
