The process for how to backup photos as a wedding photographer is one of, if not the most, important step to master when beginning! I have a multi-step process to ensure all of my photos are safe from theft, fire, card malfunction, etc.! I account for pretty much every situation out there!
Below are the 4 ways I backup my wedding images: dual memory cards I keep until delivery, 2 hard drives, cloud storage, and a fireproof safe!
Step 1: At the wedding
In my opinion, it’s absolutely crucial to shoot with a camera that has dual memory slots! While I completely understand not all cameras have that, for shooting a once in a lifetime event, I think it’s a non-negotiable! Make sure your camera settings are set to “record to multiple” so your SD and CF cards have duplicate images. While nowadays it should be extremely rare that a card malfunctions, it’s still best to have that back up!
Step 2A: How to backup wedding photos at home
So now you’re home from the wedding and need to back them up! Here’s what I do:
- Hard drives: I backup the images to 2 external hard drives! One is a standard hard drive and the other is a Gdrive.
- Cloud storage: I also keep the photos on my desktop and back them up to Backblaze. This is a cloud storage that backs up everything at a given point in time. I pay for a membership that allows me to access files for up to a year! Cloud storage is crucial in case anything should happen to your hard drives! Once they are uploaded to Backblaze cloud, I remove them from my desktop unless I’m editing.
- The cards: Lastly, I of course don’t delete any images off of my cards until after I’ve delivered the final images and the couple has confirmed that they are in love with them!!!
- Fireproof safe: I store my harddrives, SD cards, and camera equipment in a heavy duty fireproof safe.
Step 2B: How to backup wedding photos while traveling
How to back up photos as a wedding photographer while traveling is a very similar process. I follow the same steps as above but of course won’t be able to immediately put the cards and hard drives into the safe. To be extra safe, I’ll carry one set of cards with me everywhere I go just in case something were to happen at my hotel room or airbnb while I’m out and about! Plus I will have backed up the images to Backblaze on the cloud so this is just an extra precaution!
There you have it!!! All the ways I protect the most important images in my client’s lives!! Want more wedding photographer tips? Check it out here!
Photos by Rachel Christopherson Photography on how to backup photos as a wedding photographer
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