Comments on: Quick Tip: Backup Your Photos on DVD

By: The Exponential Photo Collection

The Exponential Photo Collection — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:58:12 +0000

[...] I was doing some overdue DVD backups, I realized that my collection of photos has been growing at an exponential rate. Earlier backups [...]

By: Alan Cook

Alan Cook — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:15:42 +0000

I actually prefer CD to DVD. This is because i have times when burning photos to dvd resulting in the dvds getting damaged only after a few months.

That’s really strange because i expected them to last. So far, i had several experiences with easily damaged dvd. But, i did not have the same problems with CD.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:00:19 +0000

Actually I’m a little bit paranoid and I backup all my files on DVD and in two hosting accounts specially paid for this.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 08:52:52 +0000

As for me, I tested numerous variants with many backup utilities like Acronis Yrue Image or GBM, and decided to backup to dvd with my own hands, hehe
What about disasters, has anybody ACTUALLY tried those online backup services that backup software manufacturers offer?

By: Brian Auer

Brian Auer — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 04:31:21 +0000

You shouldn’t be losing any image quality by just copying the file to a disc. All the 1′s and 0′s should still be in order. You lose quality when you save a JPEG multiple times from photo editing software. So JPEGs should be fine backup candidates.

And yes, an offsite backup is a good idea. Some people use safety deposit boxes, but you don’t always have to go that far. I usually just send a copy of my latest backup to my Dad. He lives pretty far away, so the chances of disaster striking both of us at the same time are pretty slim. I do the same with my digital videos.

For my backup scheme, I have a folder for each year and subfolders for each photo shoot that are named by YYMMDD. When I backup on disc, I just put the subfolders in there. Then I write the start folder and end folder on the outside of the disc. Since the folders store themselves chronologically, I know that I have everything in between the two dates.

By: davew

davew — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 21:43:54 +0000

I have a couple of questions -
Wouldn’t you lose some quality of your jpg files with multiple copying process?
Does that mean only RAW or TIF files make good backup candidates?

Secondly, should really consider one level of backup (DVD media would be easier) to an off-site location for added safety.

At this point, my biggest issue is to come up with a good mechanism of naming my folders, so I can keep track of what has been backed up, etc…… Maybe someone can share them backup scheme.
dave

By: Brian Auer

Brian Auer — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:28:24 +0000

Well, you could try holding me… but I’m pretty sure I weigh more than you.

By: Ron

Ron — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:06:35 +0000

This is a great article with some very good tips. I totally believe in saving my photos to any extreme. How would I ever replace a picture of holding my first grandson, 25 years ago. They become more valuable as time go’s by. Besides, I don’t think I could ever hold the big guy again.

By: Brian Auer

Brian Auer — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 05:37:45 +0000

Everybody does it differently, and there’s no right way to do it. It seems like the more photos I rack up, the more I get nervous about losing them. I’ve gone from absolutely no backup, then adding external hard drives, then duplicating on DVDs, and now I’ve also added online backup. The DVDs are just another layer of protection.

Andrew, if you don’t want to backup all your photos on DVD, you might at least consider the ones you’ve put work into. Think about all the hours you’ve probably put into post processing your favorite shots. Now think about how you would feel if you lost all of them — probably like you were robbed.

The other reason I backup so much is because most of my photos are actually of my kids. Those photos are irreplaceable. I can’t go back and get another shot of my kids growing up, so I’ll do everything in my power to keep my photos safe.

By: Andrew Ferguson

Andrew Ferguson — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 19:27:40 +0000

Niels: I’m aware of the need for multiple backup levels for pros. However, as someone still in their “hobbyist/learning” chrysalis period, I’m still not sure that a multi-level backup is necessary for me.

Thanks for the tip on voltage spikes! My backup drive is always off unless I’m actively reading/writing data, but I never thought to completely disconnect it.

Man, where were you when I lived in Ottawa