Tech-Talk Tuesday: Data Storage

In today’s Tech-Talk Tuesday post, I’m covering my data storage and backup systems that I use to run my business. My sweet husband, Hugh, is in the technology field and is as passionate about Data Storage as I am about Photography. I’m grateful for all of his help in designing my current storage system and I hope that it helps you to create a more reliable and secure system for your business!

Your Computer should never be your primary or sole data storage unit.

Computer hard drives fail. We hear stories about it all the time… The blue screen of death, corrupted files, physical damage, and any other laundry list of things that can go wrong with even the most reliable of systems – often does.

I was taught early on that a photographer needs to be prepared for the worst case scenario and it is in this cautious mindset that I setup a multi-tiered data storage system to protect my client’s images! Every client has their own file folder that contains: RAW images, their individual Lightroom Catalog and JPEG Exports. By keeping all of these files and image edits in the same folder – I’m able to easily move a client’s entire wedding or session from computer to computer, make edits down the line, and stay organized in the process.

I treat my Computer like a working drive… not a storage unit.

Because each wedding I’m photographing can take up 100 – 200GB of memory in RAW files alone and I’m photographing one wedding every weekend during the season, I simply cannot store an entire season of data on any given computer drive (nor would I want to). Even having more than two weddings on my current computer nears its storage capacity – so I developed a system that utilizes my computer as a temporary working drive… the place where images live only as long as they are under production.

While I’m editing a wedding, the client’s folder (with RAW Images, LR Catalog, and exported JPEGs) are stored on my Computer Hard-drive and are manually backed up each night to a Second External Hard Drive whose entire purpose is for projects that I’m currently working on.

And as soon as weddings and engagements are finished being edited on my iMac, those image files (and their respective Lightroom Catalogs / RAW Originals) are then transferred to a variety of data-storage systems that I have in place to protect my photographs.

The Flow Process of Data Storage
– During Development: While photographs are being culled, edited, and processed they are kept on my main computer (iMac) and backed up nightly to an external hard-drive.
– After Production: Once a client’s photographs are complete, they are uploaded to an online gallery for viewing + sharing and are delivered to the client. Simultaneously they are moved to my high capacity RAID Storage System and backed-up offsite as well on a Cloud Storage System.

So, how do you store images after a wedding day? Where do those files go?

1)  RAID Storage System (Drobo): My main storage unit is a RAID System by Drobo, which is acronym for: Redundant Array of Independent Disks, which provides better protection for your data. By pooling data across multiple drives, RAID Systems like the Drobo work to prevent data loss from a single drive failure. ( I own this drive, HERE.)

2) Cloud Storage System (Backblaze): In the unlikely event that my physical drives are destroyed in a catastrophic event (fire, flood, act of God), I want to have an off-site backup system for my data. Backblaze is an affordable cloud-storage option that continuously backs up my main computer as well as any hard-drives plugged into my iMac (including my Drobo, Western Digital, etc.) quietly and quickly in the background.

3) Online Image Gallery (PASS): I use and love PASS as my Online Gallery System and it acts as an additional location where High Resolution Image Files are stored. My PASS Galleries stay live for one year and the images are stored on the cloud for ten years. I recommend that all of my clients download their images and store them on multiple external hard-drives before they are archived to insure prolonged and convenient access to their memories for a lifetime.

Ultimately, we never know what technology will look like in ten years. Remember when Floppy Disks were used? When we burned CDs and DVDs and now many computers are removing optical drives entirely! As a Shoot and Share Photographer, I provide the high resolution image files to my clients so that they have the freedom to cherish their precious memories, store their images independantly, and print them at their own discretion. In addition, I recommend that my clients purchase a professional album for their home to outlast any future changes in technology and offer an amazing selection of gorgeous heirloom products for my clients to invest in after the wedding day.

I hope today’s post helps you to develop your own multi-tiered storage system. It is so important as creators of content that we maintain a secure backup of all of our data both on and off site! If you have any questions about how I keep my photographs secure, feel free to ask – I’m here to help in any way that I can! And just a reminder that as a participant in Associates Programs, some purchases made from the links in this post help to fund the free Educational Content that I share on Tech-Talk Tuesdays!