Photo Backup: It’ll Cost You

Dollars !
photo credit: pfala

Digital photography is often thought of as “cheap” or “free” when it comes to snapping away. True, you don't have to shell out the bucks each time you use your camera (as is the case with film). Also true is the fact that storage media is inexpensive.

But the brutal truth of photography, film or digital, is that it costs money to take and store photographs. And if you get serious about your photos and protecting them from loss or damage, the expenses only go up.

As your photo collection grows, you'll need more hard drive space. Backing up those photos on other hard drives, DVDs, and online services… they all cost money. Additionally, things like hard drives and DVDs have a limited shelf life — so they'll need to be replaced eventually.

My point is this: Save some money for storage and backups. The costs are recurring and ever-increasing. What good is that $800 camera body you just bought if you don't have anywhere to put the photos? And how bad would it hurt if you lost all your photos from a hard drive crash and you had no backups?

FOLLOW THIS SERIES OF ARTICLES!
TOC — PHOTO BACKUP GUIDE
BACK — HOW MANY PHOTO BACKUPS DO YOU HAVE?
NEXT — WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

Photo storage and backup is an essential part of photography. Don't skimp on this stuff.