OUR WORKFLOW & BACKUP STRATEGY
The most important thing for us is to safeguard our client’s pictures. Can you imagine that conversation? I can’t. It’s important to have a sound workflow and a backup plan. In 2013 we talked about our workflow (PHOTOGRAPHY WORKFLOW AND BACKUP… THIS IS HOW WE DO IT.) So much has changed since then that we thought it was time for an update.
LOCATION
One key element is having a camera with a dual card slot. You can record to two memory cards for redundancy. We use the Canon 5D Mark III with professional cards from SanDisk and Lexar. We also always have two photographers; both Angela and I shoot every event.
If you are using a camera with a single card slot, then it’s important to use small card capacities (4-8GB). Using smaller storage forces you to switch cards more frequently and not put all your eggs in one basket. That way, if one card fails, you only lose some images – not all of them.
Always keep your memory cards on your person. Always put them back in the same location on your person. Make a routine of it.
POST PROCESSING
We take extra precaution when it comes to storing our files. It’s important to have a multi-layer backup plan.
Once we have the images back in our office, we IMMEDIATELY import them into our system. The files are copied and not moved from the memory cards (cards are formatted one day before the next event). Have enough cards so that you are not rushed to erase a memory card. Always import using a high-quality media card reader. Always correctly eject the card from the computer. The number one reason for memory card failure is not a defective card, but poor quality card reader and incorrect use.
We import our images to our Drobo set up in the dual redundancy mode. Even if the two drives fail, we will not lose any files. Our Drobo and PC are backed up to the cloud. We use a service called “Crash Plan”. Crash Plan offers unlimited off-site storage.
Once we have perfected and refined our images in Lightroom and Photoshop, we export them to Zenfolio (off-site) and backup to our unRaid server (local).
There is no right or wrong approach to this. This is just our approach. Would love to hear your feedback.
