10 things to consider when backing up your photographs and data these days:
note: As I was writing the draft of this blog, the hard drive being backed up failed and hasn’t restarted again. #justintime
1. It’s easier than you think. Use a system that makes sense to you. I don’t rely on back up software, there’s another layer of tech to go wrong when I’m in a panic. I just find something other than my main hard drive (it used to be CD ROMs and DVDs, and is now a 500Gb hard drive) that I can copy my files over to. That way I know my way around how they’re stored and can recognize my own systems – usually. I’ve worked in several office and corporate environments and rarely have had an “automatic back up” help me in a time of distress. Usually if my system went down, there went the client to the system and I was SOL. Literally. My research and experience on the subject have lead me to simply making a copy of my files somewhere other than my hard drive.
2. It takes less time than you think. I had 5 years worth of work on a hard drive on a desk top that hadn’t been backed up complete. Sure, I had made safe copies of paid gigs, just for security, but not a complete copy of all the files. One day I went to turn the computer on and it wouldn’t boot up. PANIC. OMG. Realizing that the humidity may be playing a role, I waited a couple of days for things to dry out and then kept warming up the drive by leaving the system on. Eventually, it booted up and haven’t turned it off since. I bought an affordable 500Gb hard drive at Radio Shack and over the course of a day and a half transferring each year at a time and my other business files, the copy is nearly complete. When I’m really paying attention to what I’m doing, I’m backing up jobs as I do them.
3. Peace of mind. In 2009 I had a virus infect my system and it took out my desktop. To this day I’m unable to access those files and that work history and it is a constant reminder to me that I don’t want that to happen again. I can get very frustrated with myself, and can do my best today to learn from my experiences. I figure NASA creates redundant systems to put human life into space and that’s important to everyone, so I can borrow some best practices from them and put them to good use.
4. Every so often a request comes in for a photo of something that someone remembers that I took. It’s an honor and nothing is more frustrating that having to turn down the request because I haven’t done the responsible thing and created a back up. One memorable gaff of mine is having a bride ask for a duplicate of their wedding reception images, the edited version of over 1000 images. I mistakenly sent her a copy of the unedited disk and it didn’t go unnoticed, besides embarrassing, it was unprofessional of me.
5. Related to #4. Having my portfolio of work to go thru every once in while can be very helpful. Especially when someone in the community passes away. Those photos become ever so more important and meaningful.
By having the same material in more than one place, it’s less likely to be subject to permanent loss due to hurricanes, floods and fires etc, or relationship break ups or personal tragedies. When more than one person has a resource, then important family heirlooms can be copied and replaced.
6. In conjunction to #3, it’s nice to know that I can get to my work any time I need to without having to worry about having an internet connection or whether my subscription based cloud is accessible. Whereas I believe most cloud services are based on the assumption of constant connection, I’m old school and my assumption is that I’m connected when I choose to be connected and for how long.
7. Knowing my past. I went thru a period of insecurity and doubt about what was appropriate for me to use in my portfolio. Eventually, with outside help, I came to the realization that the work could stand on its own merits, detached from where I was on my personal journey at the time. I came to appreciate and understand my past from a new perspective and value it all the more.
8. Having eggs in different baskets. This is especially true with family history documents and photos. By having the same material in more than one place, it’s less likely to be subject to permanent loss due to hurricanes, floods and fires etc, or relationship break ups or personal tragedies. When more than one person has a resource, then important family heirlooms can be copied and replaced.
9. Evolving technology. My case in point here is that I have a copy of the original install files for Adobe Illustrator from the late 1980s. Cool huh? But it’s on a 3 ¼ floppy disk…kind of like having a vinyl collection these days. Where am I going to get a drive to read that? I’m usually aware of having a CD or DVD rom drive and I still have my Zip drive to read those archives. Without a crystal ball, I’m always looking for a safe and common denominator.
10. Discipline. I kept putting off backing up my data for all of the usual reasons…I was too busy, I was on a deadline, I had other things to do, what if a big project came in and my system was tied up with this back up business, it would take too long, I didn’t think I could afford it, I would do it wrong….and on and on. Well, it’s the week between Christmas and New Years and I’m out of excuses.
© 2014 michael kerner | All rights reserved. No portion of this may be copied or reproduced without permission from the author.
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