7. Drive mirroring through software: Drive mirroring basically means that you can use a program such as Norton Ghost, Acronis or Drive Image to make an exact copy of all of the contents of your hard drive. The process can be done manually or automatically. The data image can be done on DVD, CD, to another hard drive or across the network to another computer. Some programs allow incremental backups where initially you create a full backup and after that only the files that have been changed from the last backup are backed up. One of the advantages of drive mirroring is that it allows the backup of the operating system files along with the data. In the case of a computer crash you can replace the failed drive run a disaster recovery CD or floppy and restore your computer to a working state in a matter of minutes.
8. File synchronization: File synchronization programs have been around for a long time. They allow you to have a real time copy of the data in two places simultaneously. The synchronization can be set to happen at a specific time or in real time. The idea is that if you change a file on the master computer the corresponding file on the remote computer also changes.
9. External hard drives: With the price of hard drives dropping everyday they present a great alternative for backups. Units equipped with USB or Firewire ports are the most recommended. They are portable enough to be taken offsite. You can either buy ready to use units or you can buy an enclosure that holds several drives and populate it with hard drives. Some of the ready to use units come with a basic backup programs that allows one touch backup of specified directories or complete hard drives.
10. Drive Trays: Computers can be easily equipped with hard drive trays that allow the easy removal of hard drives to be stored away from the computer for safety. The advantage over portable USB or Firewire is that internal hard drives use a faster connection to the computer.
11. Backup to disk: As hard drive prices have been decreasing, backing up to disk has become commonplace as a replacement to tape backups. A server or a unit attached to the computer is set up with several disks and the backup software is scheduled to backup the files to a different disk every day of the week. The advange is that there is not tape library to manage and the process can be totally automated. In addition the process is much faster than with tape.
As we can see there are many options for file backups with different levels of reliability, automation and price. Ideally, the wedding photographer will use a combination of the above backup strategies. Relying on a single strategy can be fatal to your wedding files, your business, and professional reputation.
Setting up scheduled backups is a must. With the data volume that the typical wedding photographer deals these days a couple of days without backups can create a big liability in the event of a disaster.
Keeping a backup copy at a remote location is also a must. It doesn't matter how many copies of your data you have, if all of them reside at the same location they are potentially exposed to the same level of risk.
Some photographers have found that for weddings more than a couple of years old it is wise to give a copy of all the files to the client. This makes the client happy and the photographer gets an extra backup copy.
It is also recommended that you take the outmost precautions at your place of business including an alarm system and that you physically secure your computers with antitheft cables and that you keep all the backup media in a safe. Also, your working computers need to be equipped with surge protectors and battery backup systems to avoid damage due to lighting or electricity spikes.
In addition to the above strategies the wedding photographer must have liability and disaster recovery insurance.
To some, the above guidelines may seem paranoid. However, the wedding day memories are too precious to be lost.
Juan Carlos Torres is a very respected and awarded wedding photographer in Oregon. He has a Masters Degree in Remote Sensing with a strong background in digital image processing and photography. He is a member of the several professional photographer organizations including the Professional Photographers of America, the Professional Photographers of Oregon, the Wedding Photojournalist Association, and the Oregon Wedding Photo Guild. His wedding photographs are unique and very artistic and have been featured in national and international magazines. For a sample of his works please visit Portland Oregon Wedding Photographer and Salem Oregon Wedding Photographer For a discussion on wedding photography see our Blog at Oregon Wedding Photographer