Avoid Digital Disaster
We’ve all been there—a hard drive crash that wipes out important files. When it comes to digital photos, you’re also in danger of losing unique images and special memories forever. Avoid a digital photo disaster by following the file back-up rule of three:

1. Save images to your hard drive, create folders and name files:


• Get in the habit of uploading photos either the day you take them or when your memory card gets full, whichever works best for you. Try to pick a free moment when you know you’ll be able to take your time and not just dump and dash.

• Put images that go together or follow a similar theme in their own individual folders and give them a memorable name along with a date.
• Name each individual image something clear that will immediately identify it to you.
2. Save images to a photo storage/sharing website:


• There are many password-protected websites out there that will house your photos for free or a small yearly fee if you have a large volume of uploads. Simply type: “photo sharing” into your favourite search engine to find websites and recommendations.
• Not only is this a great way to back up your photos, it also makes it easy and almost instantaneous to share your images with family and friends
• Many of these sites also offer additional services, such as making multiple prints or providing tools for creating customizable scrapbooks.
3. Save images to an external storage device or disc:


• If you have an external hard drive or flash drive for backing up files, use it to back up your image folders as well. Plug in your drive and back up your photos as soon as you have everything uploaded and named on your main computer hard drive.
• If you have a modest amount of photos to back up, use a rewritable CD. If you have a large amount, use a rewritable DVD for more storage space.
• Store your external storage device and/or discs in a separate location. For extra protection, store discs inside a fireproof box or safety deposit box at your bank.

1. Paper Particulars: Acid-free, archival, alkaline—choosing the best type of paper for preserving your photos can be confusing, but we’ll take all the mystery away.


• Acid-free Paper: has been processed to remove lignin (a chemical compound of wood) to keep it from yellowing or deteriorating over time.
• Archival Paper: is an especially permanent and durable acid-free paper, ideal for storing and preserving photographs and important documents.
• Alkaline Paper: a more environmentally friendly paper, that is also more easily recycled than archival paper and lasts for approximately 500-1,000 years.
2. Sketch Album: There are tons of pretty photo albums lining the shelves of your local stores, but why pay top dollar when you can make your own and have the freedom to arrange and label photos however you please? Try these tips for creating your own organized album using a sketchbook. It’s part photo album, part sketchbook and all yours.


• Look for a plain, bound book with blank, archival paper. A horizontal book with an expandable spine to allow more space works best. Try embellishing the cover with fabric or ribbon, adding scrapbooking elements or decoupaging images to customize it to your liking.
• Purchase pre-folded, adhesive photo corners to affix your images to your pages. Using photo corners solves the problem of having too many vertical spaces or not enough horizontal spaces for photos in your album. You decide the arrangement! Plus using photo corners minimizes damage to your images and makes them easy to remove.
• For labeling photos, use an acid-free/archival safe pen (gel pens are a good bet) and utilize your sketchbook space to tell a little story, add a doodle or funny observation. Just don’t forget to date the pages or individual images.
3. Smart Scanning: If you have access to a scanner, either at home, at work or at a local store that does photo development, you can back up your printed photos in a digital format.


• This is a great option for saving and preserving very old photographs. With the photo-editing software available today, you can also restore your photos to or close to their former glory. This way, you’ll never have to say goodbye to grandpa’s graduation photo or grandma’s baby picture.
• Once you’ve scanned your desired photos, be sure to follow the same digital photo back-up ‘rule of three’ detailed above. It may seem like overkill to save your images in so many places, but remember that the happiness and joy they bring to your life is irreplaceable. Unlike other valuable items that can be insured and replaced, the only way to insure your photos is to back them up and store them safely.