Yes, I’ve heard clients say this.
Yes, it makes my heart drop into my stomach.
Yes, this is your photographer’s job to make sure this never happens to you.
It’s become customary in the last 10 years for photographers to just hand over digital files and never see their clients again. There is no way for them to insure that said clients have downloaded the images to their computer, backed them up to multiple storage devices, and made sure prints were made.
That’s not how we’re going to do it when you work with me.
How can we insure that you’ll always have your photographs? We follow these steps together:
During your Reveal and Ordering session, we will work together to pick your favorite photographs. With every digital file purchased, you will get an 8x10 matted print, an album, or a Story Box.
We go over the fact that you will need to back your digital file up on an external hard drive, as well as online storage (such as Dropbox, The Cloud, etc.).
Every digital file that you purchase from me will be backed up BY ME for life.
When is the last time you had professional photographs taken of you? How were they delivered? How did that make you feel? How do you view your memories? Do you even know where these photographs are at this point?
Personally, I get overwhelmed thinking of all of the little tasks I "need" to get done. I let so many important things slide because "more" important things get in the way. So, let me take some of that off your plate. It’s so important that all of those memories on your computer, and phone, are backed up.
I would highly recommend that you use an online storage, while also backing up to an external hard drive. Here are my recommendations:
Online storage
Dropbox You can sign up for a free basic 2 GB account by clicking the link. You shouldn’t need more storage than this if you’re just backing up personal photos. If you decide you do need more space, they have pretty cheap plans for individuals.
Amazon Drive If you already have a Prime Membership, they have free online storage. You get unlimited photo storage and 5 GB of video storage.
Google Drive For simply having a Google account, you get 15GB of free storage.
Hard Drive
WD 2tb elements portable external hard drive I’m only recommending one because it’s the brand I love and use. This size should be plenty for personal use and is currently on sale.
Printing your personal photos
There is a huge difference in having your photographer use their professional lab to print heirloom quality prints. I will always recommend that you go through your photographer. But, for things like getting personal photos off of your phone, or camera, I recommend Chatbooks. They are decent quality. At the end of the day, with these personal photos, it’s just important that you have them printed in case something happens to your device. You can use their app right from your phone and create a book. I love super easy stuff like this!
Please back up your photographs. We also have no idea how we will view online photographs 10 years from now, so please print your photographs. A lot of us have extra time right now and it’s a great time to get in touch with your photographer about printing those photos.
