Backup is one of the techniques that every photographer should respect for the safety of the photos he/she takes. In terms of information technology, the backup is the process by which one makes copies of already existing information. Photographers usually spend a lot of time thinking about how to turn a photograph wonderful, impressive, being a true work of art, but how much time do they allocate for the safety of the photos?
Among other advantages, digital photography era allows photographers to ensure protection to their photos.
What is the purpose of backup?
Many photographers are caught by the enthusiasm of making photos and they take many shots, but without ensuring that they are protected. Many times, photographers lose the work of an entire day if the images are deleted from the memory card. Therefore, the main purpose of the backup is to ensure data protection, meaning that the photographer must transfer the photos from the photo camera card into the computer, laptop or an external hard drive. For some types of photos, it seems somewhat difficult to protect them, because in many cases the photographer cannot carry his/her laptop with him/her, but there are many other solutions.
More briefly, the backup should be part of any photographer’s workflow, if he/she respects his/her passion.
When and what information do we save?
Besides the fact that the photos should be saved in an exterior source, it is very important that the photographer knows what information to choose, because not all photos are successful and it would be useless to save unrepresentative data. Regardless of the type of photography, any photographer can take a short break in which to select the photos he/she wants to save. The more backup is realized, the safer the information. It is true that if numerous photographs were made in a relatively short time, it will be difficult for the photographer to study each image in part, so the backup will be performed automatically.
Depending on the chosen backup software, the photographer can choose the function “Incremental”, which greatly facilitates his/her work, given that during every backup, one will add only the information acquired after the previous backup session. This method is more convenient for the photographer because it will not duplicate the photos.
For more safety, many photographers recommend keeping more copies in different places in your computer.
Each photographer is free to choose the most successful photos, so he/she will make copies of the photos he/she wants. Even if the photographer shoots several photos, he/she has to realize the fact that not all of them will be used in the future.
Therefore, backup should be adopted by all photographers, no matter if the photography is just a hobby for them or their job. It is true however that for a professional photographer who participates in numerous events, frequent backup session is essential.