filed in

My Backup System: How I Keep Your Photos Safe

Last month I talked about some questions you should ask your wedding photographer. One of those was making sure they have a good backup system for your photos after they’re taken. This is SO important to your photographer choice, especially your wedding photographer since those moments can’t be replicated. Backing up your images ensures that even if their computer or hard drive fails, they will still be able to deliver your images to you. I thought I would take you step by step on my backup process for all of my photo sessions. Here’s how I keep your photos safe!

Oldfield River Club wedding ceremony
oldfield river club ceremony

Step 1: Shoot on Two Memory Cards

I would be remiss if I didn’t start with the way I use memory cards in my camera. Most professional cameras have 2 memory card slots. So while I’m shooting, the photos aren’t getting captured on one card, but TWO! The second card slot functions as a backup copy of the photos I take during your session. I do this for peace of mind and on the off chance that one of the cards malfunctions before I can back them up.

Step 2: Copy Photos to External Hard Drives

As soon as I get home after a wedding or photo session, I start copying the RAW files on the memory cards to TWO different external hard drives. No matter how long a day I’ve had, I can’t go to sleep without doing this first. I’ve had nightmares about missing photos if I don’t back them up as soon as I’m home. 

Step 3: Copy to Cloud Storage

Having a copy of the images separate from the rest that can be accessed from anywhere is extremely important. As a part of my backup system, I upload RAW files to Dropbox at the same time as I’m copying them to my external hard drives.

Step 4: Save Unformatted Memory Cards

Until I deliver the edited image gallery and ensure there are no issues, I keep the unformatted (undeleted) memory cards filed away in a container in my office. If there is a problem with any of my backups, I’ll turn back to my memory cards to get images to you! 

The backup process is such an important part of the photography process. With a backup process in place, you can be sure you will receive your edited images safe and sound.

Looking for a photographer for your Charleston wedding? Let’s chat about your big day!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

cameron, owner of Photography By Cameron, wedding photographer in Charleston, SC

I’M CAMERON

WELCOME TO THE BLOG

Hey there! I’m Cameron, a wedding photographer based in Charleston, SC. Here on the blog you can see my latest weddings and portrait sessions, read the sweetest wedding day stories, and get all of my best tips for the wedding day and beyond. Grab a coffee and enjoy!   

find your way around