As a photographer, having a reliable and effective way to store photos is crucial. With ever-increasing file sizes from high megapixel cameras, as well as the need to keep photo archives available for years, determining the best storage solution requires some thought.
Should you use cloud storage or physical drives for photo storage?
There are two main options for storing photo files – cloud based storage or physical drives. Cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud and Amazon S3 allow you to upload photo files to their servers and access them from anywhere. Physical drives like external hard drives or Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices store photos locally on disks inside an enclosure connected to your computer.
Cloud storage makes photos accessible from any device with an internet connection. It provides offsite backup in case of disk failures or loss. Most services are reasonably priced for abundant storage space. However, upload times can be slow for large collections, and downloads require an internet connection. There are also recurring subscription fees.
Physical drives keep photos on-site for fast local access. A standard external drive is portable to take your collection anywhere. NAS devices operate as private cloud storage on your local network. But there is a risk of drive failure, damage or theft. Drives must be manually backed up, and storage space has an upfront hardware cost.
Many photographers use a combination of both methods. Cloud services provide convenient access and backup of working photo archives. Then larger raw camera files and finished collections are stored on external or networked drives for local use. This balances speed, security and accessibility.
What storage specifications are recommended?
To have a robust photo storage system, some key specifications should be considered when selecting options:
- Abundant capacity – A minimum of 1-2TB should be planned when first setting up a photo storage system. This provides room to grow as your collection expands over months and years. Cloud services offer varying subscription tiers to scale up as needed. For physical drives, a desktop RAID array or NAS device is recommended to start in the 4-8TB range.
- File transfer speed – Look for drives and connections that utilize USB 3.0, Thunderbolt or 10GbE network interfaces. These will provide the fastest transfer rates to import photos from cards or move archives to and from the drive. Cloud upload speed is determined by your internet bandwidth and service provider.
- Drive speed – For physical drives, 7200RPM is ideal for hard disks, while solid state drives (SSD) are significantly faster. The faster the drive, the quicker photo software can access previews and render edits during workflow.
- Redundancy and backup – Having at least two copies of photos in separate locations (such as cloud and external drive) provides critical protection against drive failure. A RAID array can provide redundancy on physical drives. Version history and snapshots help protect files in the cloud.
- Security – Physical drives should be encrypted for protection in case of theft or loss. At-rest encryption and secure data transfer are standard for major cloud storage providers today.
Selecting storage solutions that meet these criteria will lead to the most positive experience managing and accessing photo files for years to come.
What are the best physical drives for storing photos?
When choosing a physical drive for storing photo collections, there are a few specific options that provide the right blend of performance, capacity and reliability:
External portable hard drives
Small external drives with 2.5″ HDDs inside a durable enclosure are extremely handy for transporting photo archives in the field. Models from G-Technology, Lacie and Western Digital offer high-speed USB 3.0 transfers and capacities up to 5TB.
Desktop external hard drives
For storing photos at a fixed workstation, 3.5″ external drives provide much higher capacities ranging from 8TB to 16TB. Look for models with fast drive speeds and transfer interfaces. Popular options are available from Western Digital, Seagate and LaCie.
Solid state drives (SSD)
While more expensive per gigabyte, external SSD drives are much faster than traditional hard disks for active photo editing and workflow. Models with USB-C/Thunderbolt interfaces and at least 1TB capacity from Samsung and SanDisk deliver speedy performance.
Direct attached storage (DAS)
DAS units are multi-bay enclosures that contain anywhere from 2 to 16 internal hard drives for expanded capacity and redundancy. Many utilize RAID configurations to balance speed, capacity and redundancy. Popular DAS options from Promise, QNAP, LaCie and Drobo work great as photo repositories.
Network attached storage (NAS)
NAS devices contain multiple internal drives and connect directly to your local network. This allows centralized storage accessible to all computers on the network. Leading brands like Synology, QNAP, Netgear and Western Digital provide robust OS and software, high-speed interfaces and ample drive bays.
Carefully considering the storage technology, capacity, speed and connectivity features will help photographers select the ideal physical drive models for reliable photo storage and workflow efficiency.
What are the best cloud storage options for photos?
When utilizing cloud storage providers for housing photo collections, there are several top services with beneficial features for photographers:
Google Photos
One of the most popular cloud photo services, Google Photos provides free unlimited storage for photos up to 16MP and videos up to 1080p resolution. Paid plans add more capacity for full resolution files. AI-powered search makes finding photos a breeze.
Amazon Photos
Included with Amazon Prime membership, Amazon Photos provides unlimited full resolution photo storage as a Prime benefit. It also integrates with Amazon Drive for cloud file storage and sharing. Facial recognition and geotagging enable intelligent searches.
Adobe Creative Cloud
Along with its suite of photo editing apps, Adobe CC includes cloud storage to sync and access files across devices. Basic plans start at 20GB, and 1TB or more is available with higher tier subscriptions.
Dropbox
Dropbox pioneered the concept of cloud file syncing and sharing. It’s flexible storage tiers and robust sync and collaboration features make it suitable for storing photo archives. Plans range from 2GB for free up to 3TB for subscription fees.
Apple iCloud
Deep integration with Apple devices makes iCloud a seamless choice for iPhone photographers. But limited free storage means paid plans are needed for archiving extensive collections. Family plans allow pooling of storage capacity.
Each service has specific advantages, so reviewing usage needs and workflow is recommended to pick the best cloud photo storage provider for your needs.
What file formats are best for storing photos?
The file format you choose to store photos in has a big impact on photo quality, compatibility, metadata and archive integrity. Here are factors to consider:
RAW vs JPEG
RAW files contain unmodified sensor image data for the highest quality potential, but require significant editing before use. JPEG shrinks files through compression, but at the cost of discarding image data. Many photographers shoot RAW for capture but convert edits to JPEG for storage.
JPEG quality level
If using JPEG, maximize setting quality levels to 8-12 to prevent excessive compression artifacts or banding. A “10” level provides a robust quality to filesize ratio for storage purposes.
Non-proprietary formats
Public formats like JPEG, TIFF and PNG have universal software support. Proprietary RAW formats vary between camera manufacturers and risk future compatibility issues as technology changes.
Color space
The sRGB color space is recommended when converting RAW to JPEG or TIFF, as it provides the best compatibility with displays and printers. AdobeRGB has a wider gamut but is less supported.
Metadata
Ensure metadata like descriptions, keywords and copyright info are retained when converting RAW to other formats. This aids organization and searchability.
File backup
Regardless of format, having copies of the original files as shot in camera provides insurance against corruption of edited/converted versions.
Choosing the right photo file formats for your storage and workflow needs results in images preserved in their highest quality and accessibility into the future.
How should photos be organized on drives?
With large photo collections spanning multiple drives, having an effective file organization system in place is a must. Some guidelines for structuring photos on storage drives:
TopLevel folder structure
Start with a top level folder structure based on broad categories, such as:
- Client name or ID number
- Year
- Location or event name
- Camera bodies (if separating RAW files)
Project subfolders
Within each top category, create subfolders for each individual project or shoot using descriptive names like:
- Client-ProjectName-Date
- Year-Month-Date-Location
- Year-EventName
Image subfolders
Optionally, further separate images into subfolders within each project for file types or other groupings like:
- RAW, Edits, Exports
- Location1, Location2, Location3
- ProductA, ProductB, ProductC
Descriptive filenames
Using filenames like “DSC0124.jpg” makes images hard to distinguish at a glance. Rename with a descriptive convention such as:
- ClientAcronym_Project_ImageDescription_YYYYMMDD.jpg
- Year_Month_Date_Location_Image#.jpg
Catalog in DAM
Maintain a catalog in digital asset management software that references the folder paths and filenames to aid organization.
Consistent naming and nesting of folders and files makes locating images quick and intuitive while reducing duplication across drives.
How often should you backup photo archives?
To protect against catastrophic data loss, backup frequency is critical when maintaining photo archives. Here are some best practices:
1. Frequently for active work
During active projects, backup working photo folders to redundant drives daily or even multiple times per day to limit losses to only recent intervals in the event of disk failure, accidental deletion or corruption.
2. Post-project archives
After finishing a project, create two complete archived copies of the collection, with at least one stored offsite, before formatting memory cards. Re-backup archives to new media every 2-5 years.
3. Portable/travel drives
For external drives used in the field, do an extra backup after each major shoot or at the end of each day before transporting. Maintain 2-3 copies of all images once back at your studio or office.
4. Cloud storage
With cloud services, images upload in the background continuously. But re-download a complete copy of cloud archives once per year to check integrity and have a physical backup.
5. Backup original camera files
Always maintain backups of your original, unedited camera RAW or JPEG files even after editing and converting to other formats.
Frequent backups provide the highest level of protection against permanent loss of irreplaceable images.
What is the best practice for long term photo archive storage?
Photos may need to be accessible and printable for portfolio, exhibition and licensing uses for years after capture. Here are some tips for long term archive storage:
- Use multiple media types – Rotate images through HDD, SSD, optical discs, tape and cloud services to mitigate format obsolescence.
- Refresh media every 2-5 years – Copy archives to new latest generation media to avoid degradation and failure.
- Maintain 2 offsite copies – Store original and backup archives in different physical locations for redundancy.
- Re-scan old negatives/slides – Digitize vulnerable analog media to modern digital copies.
- Organize files and catalogs – Neatly structured files and DAM catalogs prevent “dark archives”.
- Document archive contents – Keep manifests listing contents, formats and notes for each archive copy.
- Use open standard formats– JPEG, TIFF, PNG avoid proprietary RAW risks. Maintain copies in original RAW too.
- Test restoration – Periodically confirm archives are intact by restoring sample images.
Dedicated long-term archive management ensures future access, preservability and integrity of photographic works.
Conclusion
Storing photos requires care and planning to protect invaluable images over decades. Following these best practices provides both robust image quality andarchive reliability:
- Combine cloud storage for convenient access with local physical drives for performance.
- Select physical drives optimized for speed, capacity and connectivity.
- Utilize cloud services with needed capacity, security and accessibility.
- Store original RAW files along with edited JPEGs for flexibility.
- Organize photos in descriptive folder hierarchies on drives.
- Backup frequently to multiple destinations for redundancy.
- Manage archives for long-term preservation and access.
With ample reliable storage that meets these criteria, photographers can rest easy knowing their images will be safely maintained for the long haul.