As a photographer, having a solid data backup plan is absolutely essential. Losing your photos due to hardware failure, theft, or accidental deletion can be devastating. In this article, I’ll cover several recommended backup models that photographers should follow to protect their work.
Local Storage
Having local storage and physical backups of your images is the foundation of any good backup strategy. There are two main ways I recommend implementing local storage:
External Hard Drives
External hard drives are affordable, widely available, and offer a great way to maintain local backups of your work. As a photographer, I recommend having at least two external hard drives – one to serve as your primary backup, and a second that you can alternate backups with or store offsite.
Some tips when using external hard drives:
- Invest in quality drives with high storage capacity. Look for trusted brands like Western Digital or Seagate.
- Use a dedicated drive just for your photo backups. Don’t store other files on it.
- Keep drives in a safe, secure place when not in use. Consider investing in protective cases.
- Replace drives every 2-3 years to minimize risk of failure.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
A NAS is essentially an external hard drive that connects directly to your network and can be accessed by all devices on that network. Unlike a single external drive, a NAS can serve as a central hub for all your storage and backup needs.
The main benefits of using a NAS include:
- Ability to access files from anywhere with an internet connection.
- More storage capacity for backups.
- Option to set up automatic backup routines.
- Can be used to share files and collaborate.
Quality NAS systems like Synology or QNAP can be expensive, but provide an excellent on-site storage and backup solution.
Cloud Storage
While local backups should form the core of your strategy, having offsite cloud backups provides an added layer of protection against theft, natural disasters, or hardware failure. There are many good cloud storage options available, but these are my top recommendations for photographers:
Backblaze
Backblaze is one of the most affordable and photographer-friendly cloud backup services available. Their software seamlessly backs up external hard drives and NAS systems, making automated offsite backups easy. Backblaze offers unlimited storage for a low flat rate.
Amazon S3
Amazon S3 provides affordable, scalable cloud storage through Amazon Web Services. While more complex to set up than consumer backup services, S3 offers more flexibility and customization for your storage needs. Using S3 requires understanding concepts like storage buckets and access controls.
Dropbox
Dropbox is a popular file hosting service that makes sharing and accessing files from anywhere easy. While pricier for large amounts of storage, Dropbox offers useful features for collaboration and syncing between devices. The basic Dropbox plan includes 2GB of free storage.
Google Photos
For photo storage and syncing specifically, Google Photos offers unlimited full-resolution photo storage if you’re willing to allow some compression on video files. The service is free and provides convenient cloud access to your entire photo library. Just be aware that Google does use your photos to train algorithms.
Redundancy is Key
The overarching strategy I recommend is redundancy. Maintain multiple local and cloud backups, and occasionally create additional offline backups of your most important work using external drives or Blu-ray discs stored in a safe location. With a redundant backup strategy, the risk of ever losing your photos is extremely low.
Backup Regularly
Finally, the most important thing is to actually perform regular backups of your latest work. I recommend:
- Backing up to your primary external drive anytime new files are added or changed.
- Performing a full backup to a second local drive on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Running cloud backups on a daily or weekly basis, depending on how often your work changes.
Conclusion
Protecting your photos through diligent backup practices gives peace of mind and ensures you’ll never lose your irreplaceable work. Follow these models – combining local external drives, cloud services, redundancy, and regular backup habits – to develop a robust backup protocol. Safeguarding your photos should be every photographer’s top priority.
