I am a little bit of a nut when it comes to backing up my couple’s photos. ESPECIALLY their wedding photos. There is a special magic of your wedding day that just cannot be re-created. So I want to make sure that I am never put in a situation where that is even a thought. My couples know that their wedding images are in safe hands with me. Here is what I do to make sure I never lose a precious memory.
Dual Memory Cards
My camera has the ability to write to two memory cards at the same time. I always write to two cards. So, immediately there is a second copy of your wedding photographs. If there is ever a failure with one of my cards, I don’t have to worry. There is already a second copy!
Second Shooter
I also have a second photographer with me who is capturing the same moment that I am. If anything were to happen to one of our cameras to where both cards were unusable, we have another angle of the same moment! If you did the math, you realized that your moments are capture on four memory cards at the same time. The chases of all four failing/getting lost/being stolen are pretty slim.
Storing Memory Cards
Speaking of equipment being stolen, I never let my memory cards leave my side. I have a camera strap that keeps both of my cameras on me at the same time. Once a card is full (or almost full) I put it in a memory card wallet that stays in a flip belt on my waist until I get home.
Downloading The Images
When I get home from a wedding, I immediately start downloading the images to my computer. Once the images are downloaded, I cull through and select all the final images. These are then transferred to two disc drives on my computer.
The Cloud
While I am sleeping, your images are being uploaded to the cloud. I sleep with the memory cards on my nightstand and keep them in my purse until all your images are uploaded the cloud. Then, and only then, can I rest easy knowing that your images are safe.
I know that was a lot. But that is how much I care about keeping my couple’s images from their wedding day safe. I hold to the backpacking rule “Two is one and one is none” when it comes to keeping your photographs safe. At any given time I have at least two copies of your photographs and at the end of this process I have three copies (so really two by the backpacking rule)!
