Preserving Your Memories and Photographs for the Future

Hurricane Sandy’s devastation started me thinking about the viability of digital photographs. Realizing that I haven’t taken a photograph, that wasn’t digital, for the last 20 years made me realize how few of the images I did have that were actually in print form. If we lost power, how could I access them? Even if they were archived on DVD, would I have a way to access them after a disaster? Twenty years of my life would be lost and I would be left with fading memories. Immediately I decided I needed to use another method to archive my precious photographic moments.

It’s a good idea to back up your files on a regular basis. Storing them safely in a water and fireproof box and having a hard copy could prove invaluable should we have a massive power failure in the future. Backing up your files offsite using a service is good if you can afford the cost. This service runs about $50-$100 a year. There are places like Shutterfly and Kodak online that offer free space for you to upload and save your files for future printing and sharing, but the space they offer is limited. A good process is to download your files from your camera to a folder on your hard drive then immediately back-up that folder to a DVD. Then, after you decide your best images, get those printed (in two sets) and store one set in a metal filing box. Use the other one to view and share or put into albums or scrapbooks.

The bottom line is our memories and our photographs are priceless, and we need to preserve them for our family’s future enjoyment and ours.

Here is a list of places to store your images online:

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57462902-285/comparing-the-best-ways-to-store-your-photos-online/