I have been documenting wedding celebrations since 2010 and not once have I lost my clients’ pictures.
Here’s why:
(*knock on wood* some of this is luck but I like to think most is due to preparation!)
1 – Only Use Dual Card Slot Cameras
That means every single time I take a picture, my camera creates an exact copy onto a second card. The chances of both cards corrupting at the same time are very slim! I also never delete my memory cards until the job is complete.
2 – Buying New Memory Cards Each Year
Memory cards are known to corrupt for literally no reason sometimes and the chances of that go up the more you use them. Every time I buy new memory cards they come with a renewal license key to the recovery software I’ll have access to should anything go wrong.
3 – Keep Both Cards in Separate Places
When I leave an event, I place one card in a waterproof case that never leaves my person, and the other in a second waterproof case in my bag. I do this because if I were to get robbed (which actually has happened), there would likely still be an existing card somewhere.
4 – I Do Not to Part With My Equipment Until I’m Home
I make sure to fill up on gas beforehand so I don’t need to stop anywhere before I can back them up a third and fourth time on an external solid state drive. SSDs have less moving parts and are less likely to corrupt than a regular hard drive.
5 – Next Day Culling
The next day, I curate everything and prepare my files for editing. I make JPG versions and upload them online so that if a freak accident were to happen to the RAW files, at least I have those JPG backups. I do JPG because RAW files are massive and would take wayyy too long to upload. This is technically my 5th backup so it’s just not necessary.
6 – Photo Delivery!
Once everything is processed, they are backed up onto two large hard drives + the gallery hosting platform I use called Pic-Time. I then send my clients the link & recommend backing them up 2-3x on their own devices / online to ensure they are saved forever.
Ways to Keep Your Wedding Photos Safe Forever:
– external hard drives
– USB devices (4 to 8GB should be enough)
– individual prints and or a wedding album (BLOGPOST)
Websites That’ll Keep Your Wedding Photos Safe Forever:
– Google Drive
– Dropbox
– iCloud
– CrashPlan
– Amazon Photos
Personally, your images will remain on my hosting platform for as long as I am in business but contractually a minimum of one year.
And that’s it! It may seem overzealous but I take backing up your photos VERY seriously. I don’t trust any technology I don’t understand and I’ll definitely never use a camera without dual card slots.Your photos will (probably) always be safe with me!
