Backups and Workflows and Data Security

So we're a few years into digital photography and probably, like me, you've a few hundred gigabytes or maybe even a couple of terabytes of image files on your Mac or your PC.

You've the original raw files, some PSDs with lots of layers, TIFs in 16- or 8-bit and thousands of JPGs in different sizes for mailing or sending or storing or sharing.

And along the way, sometimes painfully, you've learned like all good IT-savvy people to create backups.

So, in addition to a regularly copying everything to an external hard disk, you have hundreds of CDs and DVDs in a nice binder "somewhere safe" (and, no, unfortunately, filing your binder under your computer desk next to your printer does not qualify as somewhere safe).

And if you are really cautious, you made two copies of every disk and have another set in another nice binder or storage box off-site - either at a friend's or relative's house or in the office.

All good. And probably safe enough. Maybe.

But, there's a better way. And it needn't cost an arm and a leg.

Online storage. Services like Backblaze, Mozy, Dropbox and even Google Docs will store your photos online (notice my refusal to use 'in the cloud'... not because I'm a luddite but because the term is needlessly ambiguous and almost meaningless).

For less than £3 per month, you can back up everything. All those files and folders somewhere safe and sound on the internet where you can retrieve them when you are ready.

I've experimented with a few. Google Docs is easy but I found finding my images difficult after uploading. I love dropbox for sending files to customers (beats CDs and DVDs hands down for ease of use and cost) but wanted something that would synchronize everything on my computer without any hassle. So I went with Backblaze and so far I'm delighted.

Online backup is simple, there are no disks to store and I know that in the event of a computer failure, I can retrieve my files at any time. Of course I still back everything up to a hard disk but am no longer copying stuff to CDs and DVDs, which is both time- and money-saving.

Next week: are photography magazines dead?