We take a lot more photos now that we have digital cameras, that much is true. Right?
What to do with all of these files once we have them is the issue.
Here are my suggestions:
1. Get them off the memory card they are stored on and out of the camera.
2. View, assess, and organize them using the software that came with your camera.
3. With the majority of software, you can distinguish between the documents that are good enough to print out or share and those that are less desirable and will sooner or later go in the trash or recycling bin. To avoid confusion later, create a new, distinct folder just for the good ones. (For image editing pointers, check out the “Photoshop Tips” page on my website. (See Link below)
4. Once you’re sure your files are safely downloaded, use the camera’s (NOT your Computer’s) “Erase All” or “Reformat” option to clean these files off the card so the camera is ready to use next time … and you don’t get confused wondering which files are which.
“Checking to see if these are the Christmas 2018 photos I took… or was it Easter, 2006?”
5. Naturally, you could just leave all of your photo files on your hard drive and ignore them… until you start running out of space. After that, you must decide whether to keep items that you will probably never look at again or to store them somewhere else.
Assuming you want to keep these files, here are the two best ways to do it:
– Buy an external hard drive and drag everything there. (This is also a good backup and security measure to protect your files, including any photos, because your computer’s hard drive WILL crash at some point. All of them eventually do.)
– Copy photo files to a CD or DVD. Put them somewhere in a box with the proper labels on them. A DVD can hold up to 4 gigabytes of data, compared to a CD’s approximate 700 megabytes. I suggest that you use only “R,” not “RW,” CD disks are safer and less prone to accidental overwriting or erasure.
These days, I favor using an internal or external hard drive. All three of my home and studio computers are connected to a HUGE external USB drive via my router. Practically everything is kept there. I also have two 120 gig internal drives that back up my main hard drive automatically three times per week, two 80 gig external Firewire drives, one 120 gig external (just for my laptop), and two 120 gig internal drives.
Unless you’re a complete photo nut like me, you obviously don’t need THIS much storage. However, something IS necessary.
Decide on what it will be then. Choose your system—disks or hard drives—and make it a habit to use it frequently.
Do not forget that these are YOUR photos. These are the pictures you’ve taken to preserve the significant people, places, and events in your life!