In my last blog I talked briefly about developing your Digital Workflow and finished it with a mention of backing up your precious files.
This time I will urge you to think about how safe your images are, probably stored on a hard drive inside your PC / Mac. These devices can fail mechanically or electronically but are also at risk from viruses or malware so as a start point ensure that you have sufficient and up-to-date virus protection.
I use a 3-2-1 strategy to back-up my photos, alongside the other contents of my computer which works like this:
3 – Have at least three copies of your data
2 – Keep them in at least two separate locations
1 – Keep at least one copy off-site
As someone who has lost data I feel much more secure with this approach.
If your hard drive fails you are covered with the second copy but having the off-site copy will protect you against the worst outcomes of fire or theft from your premises. As external USB hard drives are cheap nowadays it doesn’t break the bank to safeguard yourself – so take this as a timely reminder – do it now!
Steve Proctor 