Photos are important – people run back into burning homes for them

Someday you’re going to want the photo you took today…

… it may not be today

• Tomorrow you might want to send one to your Mother

• In 2025 you may want it for her Sweet Sixteen party

• In 2030 it could be part of the slide show for her wedding

• In 2086 you’ll need it to put together the 80th Birthday presentation

… will you be able to find it?

• Maybe it never made it off the memory card

• Maybe your computer’s hard drive will crash

• Maybe you’ll replace your computer and not copy what really matters

• Even if it’s still in existence, will you remember that it was file IMG_0483.jpg in folder C:/mypictures/2008July?

We’ve all got shoeboxes & albums

“If I never see another 300-print album it’ll be too soon…”

Anonymous consumer, observing a display of 300-print albums for sale

Film was easy

• Throw all the prints in a shoe box

• Leave the negatives in the envelope and scatter them all over

Film became the image

You can always see a negative

Digital doesn’t make an image

Digital cameras just make numbers – instructions for making a print.

Without a machine (computer)…

I’m a big believer in making photo prints…

…someday – when I have time

Someday never comes!

Credence Clearwater Revival, 1972

What to do TODAY

Memory Cards

≠ safe storage

Memory Cards

≠ safe storage

Where are mybaby pictures?

Your computer’s hard drive is no place for permanent storage!

MTBF

One acronym you need to know:

MeanTimeBeforeFailure

Virtual Drives

• That is, two drive letters that are on the same hard disk

• …when that one hard disk fails, both drives fail!

Your computer’s hard drive is “Image Cental”

But don’t stop at Grand Central

Online doesn’t mean forever

What’s safest for the long term?

• Memory cards – NO!

• Hard drive only– NO!

• Online only– NO!

• Hard drive plus CD or DVD - BETTER

• Hard drive, CD & removable hard drive

• Hard drive, online, CD, removable drive

• PRINTS – they’ve stood test of time

CDs and DVDs are fairly stable – until the next format change

How long will my CDs last?

• Less than forever• Buy good CDs and store them safely• Be careful how you label them• Store a second copy off premises• When they develop something better,

copy everything over• Don’t worry too much…

How long will my CDs last?

Make a second copy and store it off premises!

Give a copy to your kids

External USB or FirewireHard Drive

How will I find my pictures that I’ve so carefully backed up?

• Picassa (free from Google)

• PhotoBackup

Software that helps:

Old systems die easy – and fast

Image File Migration

Myth – my digital pictures will last for centuries

Or until they fade away

The BIG memory card

is not your friend• You’re going to keep on shooting ‘til you fill it up

• Anything more than 640 mb won’t fit on a CD, so you’ll copy it to your computer – if you copy it at all!

• Anything more than 4.7 GB won’t fit on a DVD, so you’ll copy it to your computer – if you copy it at all!

Myth #3 – bigger is better when it comes to memory cards

Yes, but …

Your memory card holds as much as a shoebox full of photos!

All CDs and DVDs look just alike