Storing Photographs

When you use a film camera you automatically have a method of recording and storing images you take, the film. Digital is different. The memory card on which you record the images you take is not really meant for long term storage. It's designed to be used again and again, like a VHS cassette. It's also a very expensive means of storage. In order to permanently keep [archive] the images you take they need to be moved elsewhere. But where? And what's the best method of preserving them?

One of the benefits of digital capture is that, unlike film or magnetic tape, no degradation of the image occurs over time because the information is stored as binary code. However, whilst digital information cannot degrade, the media it's stored on can. Memory cards, CD/DVD's and Hard drives can all become corrupted through careless handling, misuse, or just plain failure of the media through the passage of time. Although these are not common everyday occurrences, nevertheless they do happen, and if they happen to you and you lose all your images, well it's not very good to say the least.

So we'll take a look at the different ways you can store and preserve your images, and we'll tell you the steps we have taken to try and ensure we don't lose any more, because yes, in the early days when we first went digital 

- 1999 - we ended up losing many images.

Temporary Storage

Memory Card or Portable device?

In order to use a digital camera you have to have somewhere to store the images you take with the camera. This usually means a memory card of some type that is inserted into a slot in the camera. There are some digital cameras, usually at the cheaper end of the price range, that have internal memory instead. Sometimes these also have a memory card slot, sometimes not. 

Whatever type of memory is used, it is only really meant to be a temporary place to keep the images. Indeed one of the selling points is that memory cards can be used over and over again. This helps to offset their relatively high cost compared to other forms of image storage, Hard Drives, CD's etc, which are much cheaper per Mb of storage. This was especially important in the early days of digital cameras when memory cards were hugely expensive. As the capture resolutions of digital cameras increased and larger capacity cards were needed, other methods of temporary storage were introduced to try and offset the then still high cost of memory cards. Portable CD writers and Hard Drives with memory card slots are now common. Using these you can transfer images on memory cards to these devices until such time as they can be stored elsewhere. 

The idea behind such equipment is that when you are away from home, out for the day perhaps, or on holiday, you can take as many shots as you want, and store them on these devices when your memory card becomes full, so you can use it again. Some incorporate fairly large LCD screens, up to 4" in some cases, so you can view and check the images you have taken, and you can often connect them to TV's in the same way that you can with your digital camera. There are those who look on these as a permanent means of storage, but although this method seems to be a good way to work there are some drawbacks. 

Once an image is written to a memory card it is fairly safe. Transferring it to other media always opens you to the risk of losing it. Although portable hard drives of all sizes, large and small, are now quite common, and would appear to be more robust against knocks and shocks, they aren't really meant to be constantly jostled and bumped. A small drop could, and often does, easily render them useless. In the same respect writing images straight to CD can lead to loss, if the writing process is interrupted/corrupted. And having to carry around a large amount of heavy ancillary equipment is not something we would like to have to do. Or second guess just when we will need to transfer images from a memory card. If you elect to keep your images on the memory card as well, to avoid any problems, you have to wonder whether moving images in this way is worthwhile.

As portable devices are still quite costly, and the cost of memory cards has now started to fall quite rapidly, we believe the best course of action is simply to use more memory cards. They are small in size and easy to store. In the case of travel abroad by air, they are unaffected by airport X-ray security scanners, which it has to be said, are also now to be found in many border crossing points on land.

It's true you don't get very large screens on the back of camera's with which to check shots taken, nor are they always terribly accurate as regards image quality, but the same can be said about the screens on most devices.

If you are convinced you need to take portable storage and a means of checking your shots on a daily basis then we would suggest you consider a small, cheap laptop. These days they can be bought for about the same price as a lot of the more expensive portable storage devices, and are far more versatile, with much bigger screens. Just recently we found a little laptop in our local office supplies store. Using a 1.4Ghz Celeron and running XPsp2, it's got a 12" widescreen TFT, wi-fi, USB2 and Firewire ports, plus a CD/RW drive. At £399 something like this is well worth considering as an alternative to the devices that are just portable storage and cost just as much.

An interesting point to note is that as memory cards have become cheaper to purchase, some digital camera users, especially professionals, have got into the habit of using several memory cards together, swapping them around at regular intervals so that when taking a number of shots for an assignment not all the images are on the same card. This is a form of image back-up, ensuring that in the rare case of memory card failure, not all the images from a particular set of shots will be lost. 

for more information on memory cards please visit this page -  Memory Cards

Transferring images to a computer

Equipment connection

Once you have taken all the shots you want they need to be transferred on to a computer so you can view, edit and permanently store them. To accomplish this you need to connect the source where the files reside, either a memory card, a camera with internal memory, or perhaps another portable storage device where they are to the computer they are to be moved to. There are two basic ways in which you can undertake this task. 

The first method involves connecting your camera to the computer, usually via a USB interface. All cameras come with the leads to enable you to do this, and in many cases software is supplied to enable you to transfer and edit your images. The drawback as far as this method is concerned is that the camera's own power supply is used to enable transfer. If you have no alternative to this, then often connecting the camera to a source of mains electricity, via the camera makers power adapter, is best. If the camera should lose power during transfer, because of a low battery, it is likely the images being transferred, indeed all images on the memory card, could be lost.

A better method of transfer, and one that is becoming quite common now - one could almost call it the default method - is to insert the memory card into a card reader and transfer the images using it. Most card readers use USB and many are now 'multiformat', in that they have slots to suit almost all the different types of memory cards made. The latest Desktop and Laptop computers now often have built-in memory card slots, although most only accept certain card types.

File Transfer methods

There are several ways to move image files from one location to another and the one you choose to use can depend to a certain extent on the O/s you use, Windows/Mac/Linux etc, and how the camera that was used names the image files it stores on the memory card. Some use serial numbering, where the number given is sequential and follows a chronological order. If say 03549 was the last named file then 03550 will be next and so on. This will occur irrespective of whether a memory card with files already on it, or a blank card is inserted and used. Many cameras are able to record up to 10,000 image files (00000-09999) before the number sequence reverts to zero. However there are lots that reset the file name to zero every time a empty memory card is used and will only number sequentially until the card is emptied of files. 

A problem arises here with either a camera that resets each time, or when one has taken say 10,000 images and the camera then re-sets to zero and starts again. You cannot store files with identical names in the same location/folder. Any attempt to put a file in a location with an identical name to one that already exists results in the original files information being over-written and thus lost. So care must be exercised when moving files.

If you use Windows XP we believe using the picture and scanner wizard to move images to your computer, whilst it isn't the quickest, is probably the easiest and safest method. This is for a number of reasons. First you specify the file name sequence to be used for the images being moved, and you can thus choose whatever name you want, and you can choose the location where they are saved. You also have a choice as to whether the images are deleted from the memory card afterwards or not. For safeties sake we believe it's best not to delete them at this stage, but to re-format the card later in the camera when it's next needed, and only after it's been ascertained that the images have transferred correctly to the new location and backed-up. (see the next chapter)

In fact with many image files, and especially those of any importance that can't easily be taken again, say when we have been to far flung destinations around the world, we tend to leave them on the card(s) until such time as permanent storage is undertaken. 

If you prefer a quicker method of transfer or perhaps don't use either XP or even Windows, then the universal copy & paste method is we believe the best and safest to adopt. This is preferable to just moving, as if anything goes awry then the images are still in the original location, and copying can be attempted endless times until it's successful. You just have to copy to an empty folder before re-naming the images to a sequence you want.

If this all seems rather a lot of fuss over nothing, then believe us it's nothing compared to the feeling you get when you discover images have disappeared for one reason or another and can't be retrieved whatever you try.

Saving your Images

When you transfer your photos to your computer, in order to keep track of all the images saved there, it's best to store them in a default location. If you use Windows, unless you specify a certain folder,  My Documents will automatically be chosen as that location. This will be on the primary 'C' partition. You don't have to use the default location of course, nor does the My Documents folder need to be kept on the 'C' drive. 

On our laptops, (we no longer use desktops), we have the hard drive partitioned into different sections. The primary partition, 'C' is for the O/s - Windows - along with the program software installed, with another 'D', where all our personal files are kept. The 'My Documents' folder is situated here. (the default location for it can be changed so any files/folders you save go here rather than on the 'C' drive by default). We use a folder -  My Pictures - located in My Documents, and sub-folders within it to store all shots taken until they are archived.

The purpose behind storing your files on a different partition or drive to that of the operating system is simply one of safety. In the event of a serious problem with it, you can't get the computer to boot up for example, and you find that you need to re-install the O/s, (which means wiping all the data from the partition), your files and folders are safe and sound and will not be lost as they are on another one, and will not be affected.

Although Windows XP does include easier to use disk management tools than previous Windows versions for formatting, defragmenting and partitioning etc, these are still rather limited. We suggest that whatever O/s you use you invest in one of the disk management partitioning software applications that are available. Some can be found on the covers of Computer magazines, older versions are often offered for free.

The best type to have is that which can move/re-size/merge and split partitions that contain existing data as well as create and delete them. With XP's tools all you can do is create and delete. So if you have a partition with data in it, you can't alter it's size. When you first partition a hard drive you have to specify the size of the partitions which you might find later are either too big or small for your needs. The 'D' partition needs to be big enough to hold all your files, with spare space to add more, but at the same time doesn't need to be too big and take empty space that would be of more use on the 'C' partition. As much spare disk space as you can find should be allocated to the 'C'. This gives the O/s plenty of room for virtual ram when applications are working - Adobe Photoshop calls this 'scratch disk capacity'. 

The software we use currently use and which we can recommend, is Norton Partition Magic 8 by Symantec - www.symantec.com . It's not the cheapest around, there are several others, but we know this works well without problem. When you are making alterations to your hard drive partitions this is vitally important. If something amiss were to happen, well, that's all your data gone.

Temporary Image file Back-up

While you have your files on your computer, and before they are archived permanently, it's a good idea to keep a back-up of them elsewhere. We make regular back-up's of the all the files on our laptop hard drives to portable USB2/Firewire hard drives. To do this you can use the Windows back-up utility or any other back-up software you have if you wish. We don't.

Although most types of back-up software  can save files incrementally - just new or changed files - they do so in a compressed native file format that can only be read by that software, and can only be restored by the same software. Wary of the problems this could lead to, if the software corrupted etc, we prefer to save files as they are, in the native format they have been written. This means that not only can they can be read by any software that can open the files, they can be moved easily to another location should the need arise as you would any file or folder.

So we just use the copy and paste method. It's safe and simple. To keep up-to-date and accurate back-ups we regularly delete the back-up copy and replace it, because just copying and pasting to a location adds new files and replaces changed ones but doesn't remove any files that have been deleted. 

Whatever you chose to do we do strongly recommend you make back-ups of some kind.

File Formats

When you have reached the stage that you have your images on your hard drive, in the file format that they were taken in, Jpeg, Tiff or Raw, the question arises, what format do you save them in whilst working on them, and in what format do you archive them?

Jpeg

Taking the Jpeg format first, if you do not intend to alter them in any way, then just leaving them as they are is best, so long as all you do is open them and close them without re-saving them. Opening a Jpeg file to view it, no matter how many times you do it, does not alter or degrade the information in the file. Nor does re-naming the file. However opening a Jpeg file, making some changes to it, and saving those changes does. Not much, but the more times you do this the more the image degrades. The reason behind this is that the Jpeg compressed file format is a 'lossy' format. What this means is that when you save files in this format, the process involves information being discarded, in order to compress the file, and then re-invented when the file is opened. 

In order to preserve the highest quality in your Jpeg files, if you wish to make alterations to them, there are two ways to go about it without significant degradation of the image. The first is to carry out all the alterations you wish to make to the image in one go, it doesn't matter how many or of what type, and then when you have finished re-save it.

If you cannot make all the alterations at once, maybe you haven't the time or aren't sure whether the changes are right, then do not re-save the file as Jpeg, but instead save it in the un-compressed Tiff file format as an additional file. As no information is lost, no image degradation takes place. This also means the original Jpeg file remains untouched. Make sure you save the file in the Tiff format with the same name as the original Jpeg file. When closing the original Jpeg file make sure not  to save any changes made. Keep working on the Tiff file - not the Jpeg - re-saving it as needed, until you have finished with the image. 

Once you have finished making all the changes you want to the image, and are sure it's what you want, re-save the image as a Jpeg. As long as you stuck to exactly the same file name you will now be asked if you want to replace the original file with the altered one, If you are sure you do, say yes and the altered file now takes the place of the original. The Tiff file can now be deleted, and you now have a Jpeg file which has only been re-saved once in that format.

Tiff

A number of cameras offer the chance to save shots as Tiff's. As un-compressed files these are large, take up a lot of space, and some cameras are slow to process them. The advantage is seen as one of quality, as no information is lost or made up. They are useful for files that are constantly changed as we have indicated above. However most users find little in quality terms between them and identical images saved using the highest quality Jpeg settings. Unless you have a specific reason for doing so, we think its best to archive such files using the highest quality Jpeg format, rather than as Tiff, saving considerable space. The Tiff file option is now disappearing from camera options as camera makers find few use it.

Raw

This is a new way of saving images to memory cards. The image taken is not completely processed by the camera and the information is saved 'Raw'. Although the images can be viewed on the cameras LCD screen they cannot be viewed on a computer until they have been processed by 'Raw converter' software. This is provided by the camera maker, and allows the user to process the images as they require, set the ISO rating, the colour balance etc. This can be labour intensive and time consuming. There is at present, no set file standard, each camera maker setting their own. Although not as large as Tiff files, most Raw files are again larger than Jpeg's. 

When these types of files first appeared they were hailed as the digital equivalent of the film negative in some quarters, being seen as totally un-processed information. However, wiser souls have since pointed out that no image generated by digital cameras is totally un-processed. However, whilst files can be saved in the Raw file formats, once they are processed they have to be saved in another file format, again Tiff or Jpeg being the most common. 

Our opinion, after many thousands of digital images shot around the world, is that although Tiff and Raw files are well regarded, and can under certain specific conditions provide slightly better quality images, on balance saving files at best quality Jpeg settings both at the taking stage, and subsequently for archiving purposes, is the best all round option. Jpeg's have become almost a universal file format by default and virtually any device can open and read them. This does not apply to other file formats, where support is patchy. 

But this is only our view - the choice is yours.

Permanent Archiving of your images

Once you have saved your images to your computer's hard drive, adjusted them in a photo imaging application if desired, and perhaps printed them, then the question of long term storage arises. If the partition you save your document files to is large enough, and you make regular back-ups of it, you can just leave them there. But eventually the time comes when you have so many images and folders it's hard to find what is new, what needs adjusting, and those that need preserving just as they are. 

There are software solutions that can be used to keep track of all you images, whether they are on hard drive or disc, but these have one flaw. They rely on the use of keywords to search for files, which must be attached to all your files, and multiple keywords if the file covers more than one category. We have looked at such software. Our problem is not only the time it would take to back-catalogue all our present files, but adequately categorizing them.

Under these circumstances archiving elsewhere those files that you want preserved is a good idea. Saving them to CD or DVD is one option. Saving to another Hard Drive another. Either course of action is useful, but both have their drawbacks. Searching lots of CD's to find one image can be tiresome and time consuming, and as we have said previously CD's/DVD's can become unreadable. On the other hand Hard Drives can fail, but give fast and easy access to images. There is no substitute for scanning thumbnails to see what images you have that might suit a particular purpose.

So our solution to the problem is simple, if rather belt and braces.  We do both!

Writing to Disc

The first task to do is chose the images you want archived, sort them and write them to Disc. There are many Disc writing applications you can use. Any that will reliably write Data Discs will do. Easy Creator or Nero are probably the best known, we use both. There are others. You can use either CD's or DVD's for this task depending on the numbers of files you need to write. Until recently we used CD's. Lately, as file sizes and numbers of shots taken has increased, we have used DVD. Eventually, all image files currently archived on CD will be transferred to DVD, as this results in the need to store fewer discs. Although you can use any type of disc for this purpose the write once type's, CD-R or DVD-R/DVD+R are generally preferred as they can't be over-written accidentally. Moreover some drives can't read re-writeable discs as easily as the write once variety. 

Originally we used to write files to disc, CD-R's, as the need arose, using the multi-session disc format, and then delete the files from the hard drive. However, some corrupted disc's and lost files later, we decided that perhaps this wasn't the best way to go about it. Some disc's seemed to corrupt whilst we were adding a session, losing access to all previous sessions and files. So now we wait until we have sufficient images to fill a CD or DVD, and then write all the files in one session and finalize the disc. 

Once you have written your files to disc we find its best to check the files are readable. Getting your CD/DVD writing software to verify the files it's written is a good idea. Most have this option. We also check the files by running the disc and using XP's picture and fax viewer to confirm that the files can be read by viewing them. 

Hard Drive copies

When you are sure that the files have been written correctly onto the disc, then copy them from the original hard drive location into a folder on the secondary/portable hard drive you want to keep them on. We use portable hard drives for this purpose. Name the folder as photos on such and such a disc so you know where they came from and where to look for them on the disc should the need arise. Check them again by viewing to make sure they have copied correctly and are accessible, and then store the disc for safe keeping. 

The original files in the My Documents folder can then be deleted. You now have images safe on disc, but easily accessible on Hard drive. In this way the archived files are kept separate from those that aren't, both are backed up and both easily accessible on hard drive.

Keeping track of your photo's and making back-up copies is just really good housekeeping. It can, at times, seem a rather boring task, but is far preferable to the sinking feeling you get when you discover you have lost images you have spent time and effort taking, especially if they are un-repeatable.