Adobe Processing software - high level view

[Colin Southern]

Colin
This whole backup process really gets me running in circles. I am sure that MOST other users are the same.

You can tell me I am way off the mark and should consider other means, but my method of backup is to me simple and I hope adequate.

Multiple backups of info stored on my computers. Save at least one copy in a fire safe. I do not worry about operating systems and and stuff like that on the computer itself, I mostly save just my data. I plan on retiring soon (a somewhat realistic dream), which means I could tank 32 years of info and not even blink an eye. My family photos and personal photos/working portfolio are what my main concern are these days.
This is all due to the fact I am trying to simplify my life, which just 3 years ago was a really crazy/hectic/killing me kind of lifestyle.

Hi Pierre,

It really comes down to risk management (which are two very short words for a very thought-provoking area).

Just a couple of notes though ...

Data saved in a fire safe is at risk. Many confuse a fire safe with a data safe; put coins, notes, and typical backup media (hard drive - tapes etc) into a fire safe - let it burn to its one or 2 hour rating - and your money will be just fine, but chances are your data will be toast. Money and documents can withstand much higher temperatures.

Ideally, you really want to have your data stored at a safe remote location. A good example is Christchurch -- one of my country's biggest cities - about 400km from where I live - and it suffered MAJOR damage via a series of earthquakes. I'm sure that many had their data stored in safes - and a year later they still can't get to it (and who knows if it's intact); many of the buildings are in the red zone and folks still can't get in to rescue their data.

For what it's worth, my personal reigme is ...

- Data normally resides on a RAID 1 mirror pair on my primary PC - so if one of the 2 drives fails (and it's happened) then I lose exactly - nothing.

- Commerical projects (my landscapes for sale - studio & location shoots for paying customers) are written to 2 DVDs - one stored at the studio - one stored at home (I used one just the other day when I sold a canvas print - went to open the file to print another one - and found that it had been corrupted. Pulled out the DVD - restored - in business again.

- I keep work-in-progress on a portable solid-state hard drive - which travels between home and work with me

- Fairly recent copies of the SSD drive contents are mirrored on my home PC

- I upload a copy of projects to MediaFire.com (not a guaranteed backup service, but I'm happy to live with that).

- I also backup my systems to an external HDD

So up to 8 copies of the data are floating around at work - home - on the net.

In your case - you choose not to backup OS files - that's understandable. I do back them up, but having just said that - I really don't care too much if they're recoverable or not. Having just said THAT, having things like printer profiles backed up saves time (just learned that the hard way).

In your case, you might like to consider a set-and-forget automatic internet backup?

Just some rambling thoughts - no right or wrong - just degrees of safety.

[herbert]

This whole backup process really gets me running in circles. I am sure that MOST other users are the same.

The luxury of digital is that you can back-up.

I once heard an interview where the person was asked what they would take with them if the house was burning down. They said their photographs. Everything else could be replaced.

With film you had to be very careful of your originals. Now with digital even if you make a simple copy and put it somewhere separate from your computer you are a lot better off than in the film days.

Colin has to be careful because people pay him to produce photos. Failure would mean no pay day. I am careful because I have experienced computer failure and don't want to lose my photos.

A simple back-up is better than no back-up. Just copy your photo library to an external disc each week and you will be covered for most failure scenarios (regarding your images).

Alex

[Glenn NK]

I think of Lightroom as a tool for image processing, and Photoshop as a tool for image manipulation.

Increasingly photographers are finding that there's very little that they cannot achieve by way of image processing in Lightroom alone, and therefore PS is not really necessary.

FWIW because I don't need compositing etc, I saved myself a whole heap of $$ by sticking with LR.


Tim

That pretty well sums it up for me too.

Glenn

[Glenn NK]

Colin has to be careful because people pay him to produce photos. Failure would mean no pay day. I am careful because I have experienced computer failure and don't want to lose my photos.

Just copy your photo library to an external disc each week and you will be covered for most failure scenarios (regarding your images).

Alex

Well put.

I've never earned a sou from photos and never will. If I'm home when a fire breaks out, I'll grab my gear, and two external HDDs. And run.

Glenn

[Colin Southern]

If I'm home when a fire breaks out, I'll grab my gear, and two external HDDs. And run.

Heaven forbid it happening at all, but if it did it would probably be during the night - smoke alarm wakes us - and we end up feeling our way out whilst crawling and choking on the smoke. Sorry if I'm sounding a bit OTT about it, but I'd bet a chocolate fish that many have died trying to save things like data / photos / passports etc.

[Macmahon]

I hope so, but in reality, in my experience with the population general, I'd say less than 30% do - and 80% of those consist of "copying their photos to a single memory stick"

Hey, I know people like that. I'm just glad it ain't my data!

Tim