According to the latest data, close to five billion photos are taken every single day. Thanks to the ever-improving quality of smartphone cameras, taking photos is now an important part of daily life for most of us. We take photos of ourselves, our friends, our surroundings and even our foods. Photos are a fun way to share parts of your life with others, and also a great way to save important memories.
The downside of digital photography is that they can easily be lost if you’re not careful. Accidental deletions, losing your phone or hardware issues are common problems that could unfortunately mean you’d lose potentially thousands of important photos. It’s a good idea to have measures in place to keep them safe. Backups are the best solution, and there are a few different ways to do that.
Backups Using External Memory
Most people like to backup their important photos on an external memory device such as a USB stick, SD card or hard drive. You can find lots of external memory solutions when you click here, with a variety of options suitable for all types of photos and videos.
Backing up your photos on an external memory device is a great option because it means that you can easily transfer files whenever you want. If you lose your phone, you still have all the photos saved on the memory stick. In addition, when you get a new phone it’s very easy to transfer them across.
Most smartphones are designed to take micro SD cards, and you can find USB sticks that are compatible with these devices. However, larger hard drives may be necessary if you want to save and keep a large number of files. Video files are particularly large, so you’ll need more storage if you take a lot of videos.
Using Cloud Storage
While external memory devices are popular, cloud storage is fast becoming the primary way people backup their files. If you have an iPhone, you’ll already be familiar with iCloud, which lets you save all of your important photos and documents. All you need to use it is an Apple ID, and you can access any of your files provided you have the login credentials. Android users can also make use of apps such as Google Photos, which lets you access all of your photos and videos through your Google account.
The advantage of cloud storage is that you can easily view and manage your backups from any device. Provided you have the login for your account, you’ll be able to check on the status of your photos from your computer, tablet or new smartphone. This saves you having to transfer files over, and also reduces the amount of physical memory you require.
The downside of the cloud is that if your account is compromised, someone else could gain access to your valuable pictures on gold and information. There have been numerous high profile cases of people’s iCloud accounts being hacked, which may result in embarrassment and loss of data.
Encrypting Your Files
If you want to keep sensitive photos, videos and documents secure, you really need to improve your security. For cloud storage accounts, make sure you use a secure password and two-factor authentication. You can also keep sensitive files in a special locked folder, which will add another layer of security before it can be accessed.
When using backups on an external memory card, make sure you always encrypt your files. There are lots of programs that allow you to easily encrypt files, ensuring they can only be accessed with a specific password.
Print Out Your Faves
Here’s a simple hack to keep precious pics safe – print them out! I know digital backups are essential, but having physical copies of special photos can be comforting. Services like Shutterfly make the process super easy these days. Simply upload your favorite shots, then order high-quality prints, photo books, calendars. you name it! The bonus? You get to beautifully display meaningful moments around your home. Just store prints properly in acid-free albums or frames, and they’ll withstand the test of time. Thoughtful family photos or fun vacation snapshots – it feels good to have tangible memories.
Double Your Backup
Want extra security for your priceless collection of photos? Then don’t put all your trust in one backup method. I recommend covering your bases with a double backup approach. Save your files locally on an external device, but also upload copies to secure cloud storage. Best of both worlds! Alternatively, you can diversify by printing a selection of meaningful pics to accompany your digital backups. However you prefer to mix and match – varying your storage methods means less risk if one option fails. Think redundancy and enhanced keeper security for those irreplaceable shots. Losing your memories would be devastating…so get double protection!
Get Geo-Savvy (Unpopular Trick)
Use geo-tagging and location tracking to your advantage as a backup tactic. Enable these settings on phones and cameras so pics get embedded with GPS data. If devices get lost or stolen, the embedded info can help trace them. Also if hardware fails, geographic markers could help rebuild collections by showing where images were captured. Use geo-search on backup drives to resurrect photos without timestamps. The location pieces together puzzles. So tap into GPS as a backup aid! Of course deactivate geo-tagging if privacy is a concern. But the location link offers creative recovery potential if disaster strikes your photo stash.
Go Private on Instagram (Bonus)
Want to secretly stash your favorite snapshots online? Consider creating a private Instagram account to securely store special images. Simply download the instagram app, sign up for an account, then change settings to “private” so only approved followers can view content. Then start uploading your cherished photos! Instagram compresses images which could affect quality, but it’s an easy way to keep pics protected behind a login. The app is available across devices for on-the-go backups too. Turn on auto-save to transfer camera photos to Instagram automatically. Just ensure your account username and password details are written down in case you ever get locked out. As long as you trust your followers, it provides an extra backup globe for precious memories!
