Online Cloud Storage: A Photographer’s 401k

Many photographers argue that online cloud storage is simply not necessary. They claim that their images are safely stored on a variety of DVDs and external drives. While this type of redundant system is a good practice, it only provides half the solution. Disasters like theft, fire and flood can erase years of hard work and bring a business to its knees. By keeping an entire catalog of valuable files in one place, you risk a spectacular disaster. To create a truly secure archive, digital files must be stored in an external location.

Online cloud solutions have become much more affordable in recent years. In fact, Mozy.com offers unlimited storage space for just $4.95 a month. The price is the same regardless of the amount of data you upload. Best of all, Mozy can handle just about every type of file imaginable. This includes RAW images from all camera manufacturers, plus DNG, TIFF, JPEG, PSD, and more. Never again will you have to worry about losing photos, videos, audio tracks or text documents. Online cloud storage gives photographers peace of mind.

Mozy has created a neat interface that makes the actual backup process quite simple. It works well with both Mac and Windows operating systems. Get started by logging into your secure account and choosing which files to back up. Users have the option to select individual images or an entire folder. For my workflow, the folder option is the most effective method. Of course, each photographer will have to develop their own unique system to best suit their individual needs.

Backing up large amounts of data can take several hours. Accurate load times are highly dependent on the speed of your internet connection. With a cable modem, five gigabytes took about six hours to complete. The process can also slow down the entire computer. For this reason, I think the best time to make a backup is right before you go to sleep. Just be sure to activate your screen saver, as the computer must be running during this process.

The backbone of a good workflow is organization. If your images are randomly scattered across multiple drives, archiving will be a tedious process. Fortunately, there are several programs designed specifically for photographers looking to keep an organized catalog. Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture are widely used throughout the industry. While Photoshop’s strength is in image editing, these programs really shine in their organizational features. The expression “garbage in, garbage out” certainly applies to digital photography. If you start with a well-maintained library, it will be much easier to retrieve files when you need them.

To start the image recovery process, select “restore files” from the menu. After choosing which files to extract, you are presented with a choice. Do you want to copy the files directly to your computer or order a DVD? Web restoration is free, but a DVD comes with an additional installation charge of $30, plus fifty cents per gigabyte. and $40 for overnight shipping. Although DVD restore is expensive, it is recommended for users who are trying to restore large amounts of data, as a web restore can take several days to complete.

There are several alternatives to Mozy. While we haven’t tried all of them, here’s a brief overview. Carbonite offers unlimited storage for $54.95 per year. This actually works out to be less than five dollars a month. Amazon S3 offers tiered pricing based on usage. They charge for transferring data both in and out of their servers. Swiss Picture Bank differs from the competition in that it does not charge an annual fee. Instead, users pay a one-time fee for storage capacity from 1 GB to 100 GB.

For those who still feel that online backup is not worth it, I recommend using a simple alternative. Create a “greatest hits” folder made up of your favorite RAW images. Copy these files to a flash drive and keep them at work or another area outside of your home. You can get four or eight gigabyte drives for less than fifty dollars. While this isn’t necessarily a high-tech solution, it does give you an extra level of protection.

I like to think of cloud storage as a 401k plan for photographers. It’s not a foolproof system, but it could be a very wise investment in the future. Mozy’s terms of service state that “Mozy, Inc. cannot guarantee complete security.” While this statement doesn’t necessarily inspire confidence, they do state that their “servers are located in several world-class data centers around the globe. Each data center adheres to the highest security standards for optimal data protection.” Basically, this means that despite Mozy’s best efforts, there is a chance that data could be hacked or lost. Personally, I am hopeful that I will be able to reproduce and share my images in the long term. How will you preserve your photos in the digital realm?