What's new

How do you store digital photos?

cherryberry

cherryberry

Hottie Patottie!
Joined
Jul 18, 2009
Messages
3,361
My digital photos are starting to overtake my computer. How do you store your photos - disk, external HD, offsite? I'm getting a new computer at the end of the week and I'm wondering what to do here.
 
I have a collection of CD/DVD's all the way up to 2010. But I got scared that they wouldn't last forever, so I added those, along with my recent photos to an External Hard Drive and since they sometimes crash too...I also back up to BackBlaze online. It's like my very own little personal security box. :)
 
I keep a file by year. Then in that file I keep a file with the month. Then in the month file I keep a file with the event. If it is something common like just playing in the backyard I will sometimes end up with more than 1 file per month so I just add roman numerals to the end. I keep these on an EHD which I download directly to from my SD card then they are backed up to Backblaze.

I have been trying to keyword in Bridge when I download to make finding things easier but sometimes I still just have to search through the folders. I just went through the summer months of the last few years looking for swim photos for Lauren's new kit.
 
I do almost exactly like Alli with the years/months/folders on my external hard drive. Then I back up to another EHD and burn to DVDs which then get stored in a safe deposit box at our bank. Yeah. I'm a freak. :)
 
I've been debating the same thing! Wondering when I get my new Mac, how I'm going to organize all of my pictures for backing up purposes. Not sure if I want to use Time Capsule or do an online backup... decisions, decisions... :whistle
 
Last edited:
I have an EHD, so all of my pics go on there instead of my computer. For back-up, my DH set up a Thecus storage array. It's fully redundant to multiple drives. When my parents come to visit we swap out a drive and send it home with them, so we have an "off-premise" back up. Very nerdy. I love it! :giggle
 
Last edited:
yes laura, that is quite nerdy! my husband would be SO proud of you :giggle

i have one copy on my laptop and another copy on an ehd. so far that's it. i'm thinking i maybe should invest the time in an online backup of some sort. ???
 
Karen said:
I do almost exactly like Alli with the years/months/folders on my external hard drive. Then I back up to another EHD and burn to DVDs which then get stored in a safe deposit box at our bank. Yeah. I'm a freak. :)
Click to expand...

OMG! In the safe at the bank?!? LOL! That's hysterical, Karen!!

I have a system like Ali's too. Except mine are divided into separate folders for each kid, friends, family, holidays, etc. Then I back up on a second computer, and two EHD's. I need to burn each year onto CD's though.
 
I'm at the same point Tiki. I have over 25000 photos on my computer as well as my entire digi stash. I'm pretty much out of space now. Something's going to have to go to an external soon.

As for backup, I use an online backup service (Mozy but I will need to switch at the end of the year) and then I have one Time Machine backup on an EHD too.
 
I used to do that too. Everyone thought I was nuts. We then moved and I just haven't got around to doing it again. :giggle

Karen said:
I do almost exactly like Alli with the years/months/folders on my external hard drive. Then I back up to another EHD and burn to DVDs which then get stored in a safe deposit box at our bank. Yeah. I'm a freak. :)
Click to expand...
 
Right now I have everything backed up in 2 places. I have 2 external drives so I either have something on my internal drive and an external or on both external drives. Thing is, my externals aren't compatible with the mac so I don't want to shell out for 2 externals right away. I thought maybe I could do online for awhile ... not sure yet
 
i back up to dvd and send one copy to off-site relatives so if anything happens to our house... sigh. i also do online backups, but once they leave my computer to dvd, they aren't backed up online anymore. i did the redundant ehd thing, too. may switch back to that for the off-site backup copy again since they have come down in price so much lately.

and my files are all by year/month/day. i don't think i've missed many days, so, someday when i have time, maybe i'll go back and do 365 for years past! lol.
 
oh, as for storing, i do a folder for year/month and then i rename each file to put the day first in the file name. i.e. a photo on march 2 would be '0302 DESCRIPTION' That way they are arranged in chronologic order in the folder.
 
I have a folder for each year. When I upload my pictures from my camera to my hard drive, I get Adobe Bridge to rename the file to the date the picture was taken. I then sort by file name and have a nice chronological arrangement. I religiously tag in Bridge too - who's in the photo, where it was taken, and what's happening.
 
I have everything on my EHD by year/month/date. I back up to DVD each month. Well, my goal is to do it each month. I'm several months behind. :)
 
Hmmm, I have had to learn the hard way, I always kept on computer and didnt back up or burn to CD's, well go figure my computer took a crap and I lost 1500 pics! I am diehard they stay on my memory stick and SD card until full then I print! I use two camera's I have a Cybershot thats stays in my purse for any precious unexpected things. If it is planned I take my big camera. Now I never miss a photo moment, nor do I loose any photo's. I do put them in my computer, but dont erase from card until after I take to get printed.
 
I shoot RAW, soooo the storage is insane it's about 1Gb per 65 photos, I have an EHD and I use Backblaze (which also backs up your EHD in addition to your personal computer) and I should be burning to dvd's but I don't. I can't shoot jpeg anymore so I am very particular about what photos I take/keep. It cuts down on the clutter I guess :)
 
Back
Top