Don’t know where to start on how to back up your images?
Now that you downloaded your gorgeous images to your computer, how are you backing them up? Most photographers won’t keep your images saved after a certain period of time.
You want to make sure that you secure your investment right away!
Here are my top 3 that I recommend. Now, there are better ones out there, but I am also thinking about the future and choosing companies that will most likely not shut down.
#1 Dropbox
Everyone knows Dropbox and most people know how to use it. It is not exactly the prettiest format but it does the job and also can hold any type of files.
Reasons why I like them:
- Super easy to use, straight to the point
- Store any file types
- Widespread integration with photo editing apps
- Different types of plans (You can use for both personal and professional)
- It has been around for a while
The basic account is FREE and includes 2GB of storage, with the possibility of getting an extra 500MB of space for referrals.
The Dropbox Plus account comes with 2TB of storage for $9.99 per month billed annually, with an additional 1GB for referrals (up to 32GB). You also get remote device wipes, 30-day version history, priority email upload, and the ability to restore your folders or entire account to a specific point in time .
https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/AACfW-SRV5mioqLdlYF3HB6rLTMIY8ACg70?src=global9
#2 Google Photos
- Free productivity apps included
- Lots of free storage
- AI photo organizing
- You most likely use google already
Google Photos is another great photo cloud service especially because most people have a gmail account. It is free with 15GB of storage for all your high-resolution photos (up to 16 megapixels) and videos (up to 1080p) a dedicated photo cloud space, which may be better than Google Drive. Google Drive is meant more for sharing files and collaboration, and not just for storing photos. I must say, there is a bit of a learning curve to use and organize everything. However it is by google and you know, they’re not going anywhere.
For more space, you can opt for Google One with 100GB at $11.99 per year, 200GB at $29.99 per year, 2TB at $99.99 per year, 10TB at $99.99 per month, 20TB at $199.99 per month, or a whopping 30TB at $299.99 per month. (Honestly, I’d just start with the free version and see how much you actually use before upgrading.)
#3 AMAZON PHOTOS
- Comes with Amazon Prime for free
- Has family vault so you can share photos
- Some say it can be a bit complicated
- If you want more storage, it is affordable.
- Reputable company, and you know this company will never go away.
Ahh yes, the big al-mighty Amazon. Now you know Amazon is amaz-ing if you shop from here and even better if you have Amazon Prime. However, Once you cancel your Amazon Prime subscription or allow it to expire, you revert back to the free plan which only gives you 5GB of space. Amazon says:
If you exceed your Service Plan’s storage limit, including by downgrading or not renewing your Service Plan or no longer qualifying for an Additional Benefit, we may delete or restrict access to Your Files. We may impose other restrictions on use of the Service.
Both Prime Photos and Amazon Cloud Drive offer the same unlimited photo storage. However, for all other files – including videos – you’re limited to 5GB. Once you exceed that number you’ll need to purchase more storage for those files.
Another options for backing up your images
What are my TOP 3 choices for backup? For business purposes, I’d go with DropBox and or Google.
Amazon is great and reliable, but again I’d say it’s more for family. Personally, I have and use all three for different reasons.
This is just my opinion, if you have HUGE files and LOTS of images you want to store, you may want to consider more hardcore options such as Idrive.
Now that is just 1 backup. You should always have a backup for your backup.
Top 2 external hard drives you should have for your images.
External hard drives I personally use or have used.
- Western Digital My Passport Ultra 4TB external hard drive- https://amzn.to/3mSUwGQ
- Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB-https://amzn.to/3kMRnXi
- WD 4TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive https://amzn.to/2EwOYAJ
Now depending on size of space you need ofcourse the one you choose will vary. I would personally recommend to stick with Western Digital or Seagate.
I also have heard Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC, Samsung T5 SSD, Adata SD700, are great too. I just have never used them myself. The whole point though is to make sure that you are backing it up. Again, this is just my opinion but you should always do your own research and choose what works best with you! This is an investment you don’t want to loose so let’s back it up right away!
Are you using any not mentioned above? I’d love to hear your feedback! * Links above are amazon affiliate links * and would greatly help me if you can use them!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. You can see my services on this page here.
And make sure you are following me as well! I am at FB/IG @rivereightandco
Thank you for reading!
Kay K
