When you’re hired to document a certain event or capture portraits of a very special time in someone’s life, it’s not smart to leave things to chance-even in your photography backup process. It’s very important that you dot all your i’s, cross all your t’s, double-check, and then repeatedly repeat. One part of the photography process which allows for error is backing up the images. My images always reside in two places simultaneously from the very instant they are captured.
1. Immediate Backup
Many of today’s camera bodies now come with two card slots. There are many ways you can program your camera to utilize the dual slots. You can record a RAW file to one, and a JPEG to the other. You can set the second card to only capture the overflow when the first one is full. However, I think I use my dual card slots in the most beneficial way. I use my secondary card slot to immediately make a backup of every RAW image I capture. It’s not often that a card will become corrupt, but it does happen. Why chance it?
2. Backup on Import
When I import the images to my computer, I will also create a copy of the RAW images on a separate, external hard drive. The unculled, unfinished RAW images live there until I have finished culling and post-processing.
3. Backup Finished Images
Once I have completed post-processing the images, I delete every RAW file that was not selected for a final edit. I then export all the RAW files as a finished JPEG. These files will live on my local hard drive as well as on the external hard drive. Once I have completed copying the finished images, I delete the folder with the unculled, RAW images. I now have dual copies of each RAW file, each finalized jpeg, my Lightroom catalog, and any Photoshop edits.
4. Permanent Backup
When the images become too old to continue to store on my local hard drive, they are transferred to two separate hard drives. One hard drive is kept locally, and I store the other off-site. In addition, my clients also have instant access to any images that were part of a digital collection or PASS gallery. This gallery is also backed up in the cloud for an additional ten years.
Until next time, be positive, happy, and healthy, and don’t forget to be photographed.
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About Ata-Girl
I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I cater to outdoor-loving couples who prefer to have all the realness captured on their wedding days. I am the wedding photographer for the outdoor adventurers, the romantics, the laid back, the snugglers, and those who wish to capture all their realness.
I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!
You can always call or text, but if you really want to get to know me, schedule a meetup!
I started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. I enjoy documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I love being a part of people’s journeys and consider myself privileged to document their legacies.
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I am a published author (purchase my book here), a podcast host (listen here) (watch here) and a WPPI-C certified professional, full-time wedding photographer. I specialize in a 10-day image delivery, same-day prints, same-day slideshows, Italian handcrafted wedding albums and I have a mobile meeting space.
When I’m not behind my camera, you can find me hiking, cycling, backpacking, camping, enjoying water sports, listening to music (Elvis and Prince), hunting for arrowheads, reading audiobooks, occasionally eating a few glazed donuts (my only weakness to sweets) and then re-starting my keto diet about every 10 days. The most important things in life are for me to see my two daughters happy and to create a family history my grandparents and grandson would be proud of.