Online service for storing photos. Selection: the best services for storing photos in the cloud

No more lost photos.

Recently, cloud services for storing files have become extremely popular. There are at least three reasons why you should store your photos in the cloud. Even when there is enough space on your home computer.

Firstly, storing photos on a special server is safer

Secondly, it will allow you to access your photos from anywhere you have internet access. And thirdly, it is more convenient to insert images into your blog or website - to do this, just copy the URL of your image from the hosting and paste it where necessary using HTML tags.

Since recently the number of cloud services tends to infinity, we invite you to take a look at the 7 best photo storage facilities in our opinion. Considering that 1 photo session weighs on average 15 GB, and wedding photography is approximately 50 GB, we will try to calculate the cost of storing them for a month on each cloud.

One of the most famous photo storage facilities. The service is very flexible to use. It is possible to organize photos into albums, then create collections from them. Other users can track your work updates and comment on them. Or you can choose to block access to your photos, making them completely private.

Flickr has two interesting tools: Camera Roll And Uploadr to improve the organization. Camera Roll – a chronological feed of photos, like iOS apps Photos. You can scroll through months and years until you find what you're looking for. Uploadr is a desktop tool for Mac and Windows that uploads photos from any folder on your computer or external hard drive.

You are getting 1TB of free space to storage. This is enough for 500 thousand photos. Each uploaded photo has a size limit of 2MB; video - 1GB (or 3 minutes). You can upload photos in their full original resolution.

Flickr offers 2 paid plans: the first will get rid of ads, the second will give you more space. For $6/month you can get all the functionality of a free account, but without the annoying ads. If you need more space, the $499/year plan (yes, we read that right) gives you an extra 2TB of photo and video storage. The downside of this storage is that it is not possible to store RAW.

Approximate cost of storing 1 photo session: 232 rubles/month.

Approximate cost of storing 1 wedding photo: 772 rubles/month.(if 1 TB provided by the service for free is not enough for you)

Google + Photos

This service can highlight the best shots, improving the clarity/brightness of the photo, putting them together to create panoramas or GIFs. Google does all this on its own - all you have to do is upload a photo. It is possible to automatically upload photos from your phone or tablet using Google apps+ for Android and iOS.

There is 15GB of free space in storage, but this space is also designed for both Gmail and Google Drive. Fortunately, photos smaller than 2048x2048 pixels and videos shorter than 15 minutes do not count toward your storage limit. If you need to upload longer videos and larger photos, you can get an additional 100GB of storage for $1.99/month or an additional 1TB for $9.99/month.

Approximate cost of storing 1 photo session: 9 rubles/month.

Approximate cost of storing 1 wedding photo: 31rub./month

Dropbox is suitable for storing files of any type. File organization is made in the form of an intuitive system of folders, which you can access not only from your computer, but also from mobile device: The service has official applications for IOS and Android.

All this and 2 GB of memory is provided absolutely free on a standard Dropbox account. The Pro account already offers 1TB of disk space, but will cost the user $9.99 or $99.99 per month or year, respectively. In addition, for each friend you invite to the service, you receive an additional 500 MB for free. Despite its versatility and ease of use, Dropbox lacks only the socialization interface that, for example, Flickr has.

Approximate cost of storing 1 photo session: 7.50rub./month

Approximate cost of storing 1 wedding photo: 26rub./month

Microsoft's cloud storage offers a set of capabilities very similar to those of Google + Photos. The design and organization of work in OneDrive is similar to Windows 8, so it’s quite easy to navigate. Still, the service isn't designed exclusively for photographers, so don't expect the same photo browsing experience as Flickr.

Prices are close to Google prices: 15 GB - free, 100 GB - $1.99 per month. But 1 TB is only $6.99 per month, plus for this money you also get the Office 365 software package. The downside of storage is that viewing photos is not as well organized as that of competitors.

Approximate cost of storing 1 photo session: 6rub./month

Approximate cost of storing 1 wedding photo: 22rub./month

Shared Libraries allow you and your friends to share photos, but you can make any of your photos private. The service has the ability to integrate with Lightroom and Elements; in addition, Revel itself has tools for quick editing.

Easy downloading is provided by official applications for Windows, iOS and Android. Revel has support for RAW formats.

For the first 30 days of using Revel you can upload an unlimited number of files, then the free subscription limits you to what you can upload up to 50 files per month. This limitation is removed by purchasing a Pro subscription that costs $5.99 per month.

Approximate cost of storing 1 photo session: 9rub./month

Approximate cost of storing 1 wedding photo: 18.50rub./month

The Yandex service offers 10 GB of free space for storing photos on the server. Additional 10 GB costs 300 rubles per year, 100 GB – 800 rubles, 1 TB – 2000 rubles. The size of an individual downloaded file is limited to 20 MB, which is more than enough. There is a plugin for Internet Explorer And Mozilla Firefox, which allows you to simply drag images into the browser window with the mouse.

The album viewing interface of Yandex.Photos is simple and convenient, consistent with the style of the entire portal. For uploaded photos, you can determine the access level so that they are visible only to you, the users you specify, or all visitors to the service. Yandex.Photos provides applications for almost all existing mobile platforms, and also provides an interesting built-in printing function that allows you to print photos directly while on the site.

Approximate cost of storing 1 photo session: 3rub./month

Approximate cost of storing 1 wedding photo: 10rub./month

Cloud Mail.ru

The service provides not only a set of code fragments and widgets for placement on external sites, but also printing of images. The service periodically holds thematic competitions with good prizes among its users.

Approximate cost of storing 1 photo session: 7.50 rubles/month.

Approximate cost of storing 1 wedding photo: 25rub./month

Final table

*Prices are converted into rubles at the dollar exchange rate as of 10/11/2015.

At the beginning creative path the photographer studies light and composition, color and poetics, photographic equipment and the needs of the customer, the economics of art and the psychology of fashion models; but it is important to study one more point - how to save photos. The topic is voluminous, complex and full of marketing, manipulation and misconceptions. A topic... that I would like to clarify for beginners.

Initially, I tried to select a format, and a little later, a type of drive that could, as far as possible, reduce the risks of data loss. This was clear from the first, to be honest, not the most correct edition of this note, which it was time to update. Of course, there will be no truth in it either, just a special case (scenario) from the life of one photographer.

• Photo storage
  • Responsibility and legacy
    • Temporary work
    • Valuable photos
  • Special case
    • Elaboration of the structure
    • Creating Backups
      • Media selection
      • Scenario selection
      • Prevention
  • FAQ
    • How to store personal photos
    • Where is the best place to store photos?
• Instead of a conclusion

Note:

The volume of the story is a consequence of the path: the choice of format, optimal drives, led to the need to learn the basics of backup; OS Windows update - to *nix, which are better suited for personal file storage; combining “operating systems” - to a scenario based on the life of a photographer, and the desire to simplify technological chains that should free up time and guarantee results - to specialists who will help find a solution, but first - they will study my situation and spend their time talking.

I am updating the note to help beginners: realize the value of a photo archive in the everyday life of a photographer and to collect the necessary developments of technical specialists - links to notes (from blogs) and detailed guides, which there is no point in retelling; It’s better to read, understand, apply and, if problems arise, look for a solution; I quote the words of the guys from Paragon Software because their attention to detail and desire to find a personal, rather than standard, solution helped me save time and money and protect my photo archive.

Photo storage

The footage is not an archive yet, only digital information. Its safety is rarely a concern: modern cameras duplicate information onto a second flash drive, and many genres teach photographers to shoot on a computer (Tethered Capture). To lose a photograph, irrevocably, in the process of creation - you have to try hard. For greater protection, it is worth setting up automatic uploading to cloud storage (via the same laptop, for example) to protect yourself in case of a software failure, static electricity, or other way to destroy the original data. But what next?

Most troubles happen later:

• Lost access to online storage.
• Physically damaged the storage medium.
• Was infected with a ransomware virus.
• Accidentally, or prematurely, I deleted a folder from my PC.
• The power supply failed and destroyed all the PC components.

Of course, these are not all threats, but I hope they are visible a common problem- Camera manufacturers study the sad experiences of photographers, but what do we do? Often, we believe that this happened due to someone’s fault, or to someone who did not take into account “this” and “that,” whereas with us everything is fine. No matter how it is. 🙂

Storing photographs begins with studying the computer, with understanding it as a tool: your own, personal, which is used at the right time to solve certain problems; the rest of the time there is no access to it.

Play games, watch movies, listen to music or correspond - for this it is better (and wise) to purchase a separate device (sometimes a laptop plays its role), which will be used by loved ones (and the photographer himself), because a working PC:

• Consumes more electricity. Indirect costs that affect the price - the cost of the final photograph.
• Connects to the Internet according to schedule. Update software, synchronize data (if the photographer works with online services). Constantly online is a vulnerability.
• Most hard drives (the optimal type of storage) break at startup, not during operation; unnecessary switching on/off - acceleration of time between failures.

A photographer's computer is a working tool. Limited access, both physical and via the network, will help protect data: both from accidental errors and technical failures, and from deliberate theft of information, or attempts to damage or destroy it. As additional security measures, it is better to set up a firewall, exclude routers from the network (vulnerabilities in firmware and dire consequences for owners), and set up Internet distribution for a work PC through a laptop, on which set up firewall rules and, if you have time, regularly analyze traffic in order to identify unsuccessful (breathe a sigh of relief) attempts to gain access, including through vulnerabilities in the installed software (and take timely measures: update the software, write a bug report to the program developers, or temporarily uninstall/select a replacement). Protecting the device from power surges is additional measures that can be called mandatory and priority.

Personal opinion. It does not eliminate the need to create at least one backup copy outside of the work PC, but more on that later. Now it’s important to talk about disks.

Most photographers complain about the small number of slides in modern cases, about the lack (sometimes there is) of ports for connecting all disk drives. Sets of 4-6 discs are becoming the norm, but there is no point in this:

• The power supply will short out and... you know what will happen to all the disks and photo archives.
• The ransomware will penetrate and... you will understand that you cannot store everything in one place.
• More disks mean a more powerful power supply, higher power consumption and heat dissipation.

Optimal disk set:

• 1xSSD. For software. Data, including open projects- it is quite possible to store on regular hard drives to increase the service life of the solid-state drive.

• 2xHDD. United in RAID 1, mirrored disk array. If one disk fails, a copy of the information is on the second; bought new disk, synchronized and off we went.

The capacity of hard drives is not for everybody, but in the beginning 2 TB will be enough. Believe me, it’s better this way - if you bought a lot of disks, for example - 4, then it’s better to pack one in an external box, or send it to an external network storage, as a basis for RAID 1. A backup copy means peace of mind, collecting all the disk drives in one “ box" is an unjustified risk.

Of course, storing photos is not only a PC, understanding it as a working tool and, more importantly, a personal one, but also an archive that cannot be regarded as a dump of all information. Over time, the understanding comes that:

1. Taking pictures is easy.
2. Conveying it to the viewer is much more difficult.
3. Preserving what you have is more important than capturing something new.
4. It is the photographer’s responsibility to understand what he decided to leave/keep.

At the beginning of my creative journey, I studied the attitude of my colleagues towards digital archives in order to understand whether I needed other people’s habits, or whether it was worth developing my own.

As a result: I abandoned software cataloging, I manage the order in the folders myself; and left the understanding of the archive as a scrupulous collection of all information: passing frames take up space, but do not represent value, so I give the prints to the customer, and after a month (if suddenly... it’s better to wait) I delete the temporary information, I am not obliged to store it (more on that it is important to specify in the contract, or notify in advance. And if the customer needs digital files, for printing or as a backup copy, then you can arrange it as an additional service, but exclude passing images from your archive).

The criterion for clearing the archive of temporary frames is time. The recommended schedule is once a year (this is more convenient for me). They opened it, looked at it and assessed whether the frame would be useful for an exhibition or a book; if it comes in handy - we don’t touch it, no - we create a reminder, for example, in Thunderbird (I’ve been using it since switching to Xubuntu), preferably annually: check “such and such a folder”, or “such and such a file”.

The desire for a clean archive and selective accumulation of photographs will help develop three questions:

1. What to store?
2. For what?

I don’t remember who gave this advice, but it was useful. I hope it's not just me.

This is where I’ll finish the introductory part and move on to the main scenarios that will explain what and how to store, once I’ve figured out my computer and understanding of the photo archive.

Responsibility and legacy

All footage is subject to sorting in two stages. First:

• Technical defect - in the trash.
• Plot marriage is similar.
• There are no defects - leave.

And the second one to reveal:

• Temporary files.
• And those that need to be transferred to the main archive.

Yes, for ease of use, archives should be divided into:

• Temporary - all ongoing projects.
• And the main one is a collection of the author’s most valuable works throughout his entire working life.

The safety of this data can be ensured as follows (main scenarios).

Temporary work

1. RAID 1 on a work PC and a backup copy on an external drive; additionally, you can use a cloud service, because background synchronization will not take much (relatively) time.
2. RAID 1 on a work PC and a backup on a personal file server. You can buy a ready-made solution (NAS), the main thing is to study all the nuances, or assemble it yourself, without unnecessary functionality (the best option for a photographer).
3. RAID 1 on a work PC and 4 backups: on an external drive and on a personal file server, cloud online service and one more - away from the working PC: in a photo studio, in parental home, or... the main thing is to be reliable.

The most logical solutions, the first two, which will help save current projects, but the third scenario is reliable, but updating the copy in a timely manner outside the home - this, we admit, will be difficult, and if the relevance of the data is in question, then the reserve will be of no use It’s not enough, but you never know... It makes sense, if only there was a desire. 🙂

Side notes:

• NAS. Ready-made solutions are the first thing everyone thinks about, but the coin has two sides. It is unknown where and when the vulnerability will be discovered. Whether the manufacturer will release a patch is the same. Pay attention to this moment, Google will help with the rest.
• Discs. Hard drives - low cost 1 TB, careful handling and regular backups, after the end of the factory warranty, diagnostics, status tracking; utilities will help with the latter: for Windows and .
• Cloud. A controversial decision, since the hoster can delete data (under any pretext) or restrict access (if using foreign services), another threat is ransomware... and also the use of data for machine learning. Alas…

Delve into, study and compare with your needs.

Valuable photos

1. RAID 1 on a work PC and 2 backup copies: on an external drive and on a personal file server (it is advisable to assemble it yourself, based on a full-fledged OS).
2. RAID 1 on a work PC and 3 backup copies: on an external drive and on a personal file server, as a bonus - backup to optical discs: DVD or Blu-ray (yes, alas, not fashionable, but reliable if you comply with storage conditions).
3. RAID 1 on a work PC and 4 backup copies: on an external drive and on a personal file server, optical drives and a separate file storage, or an external drive at your parents’ home, in a photo studio, or in another safe place.

It is better not to show valuable photographs on the Internet, only previews, otherwise it will be difficult for the author to prove his rights if full-size photographs end up on the Internet, or even worse - raw files from which many copies will be made; a separate problem is the customer, not everyone, and this is good news, social media and online parties are interesting, many private customers do not want you, as the author, to show their pictures to the public; It’s better to respect other people’s privacy, then there will be fewer problems.

Choose a solution that will help you control your equipment, the frequency of creation (we’ll talk about this later) of backups, timely software updates, so as not to miss malware, which can immediately erase years of work. A separate point is access (at least convenient wi-fi networks, but a wire is better, and the connection is established while the copy is being created and updated, after which it is disconnected, so that if the malware infects a working PC, it will not be able to get to the backup; The rule also applies to external drives: connect, create a copy, disconnect. What is safe is what is isolated).

There is no point in laughing at optical discs, the drives will not disappear from sale, and their reliability has been tested by time (even if they say it’s old, it’s reliable). The disadvantage of the solution is that it is very, to put it mildly, inconvenient, but if you get involved, then recording a disc at the end of the year is normal.

Note:

Special case

Before the changes, there was difficult situation. RAID 1 on a work PC and a separate external drive (connected for a while, made a copy and disconnected) to create a backup copy. I checked the files in a primitive way, I agree - by checking the hash sum. I excluded cloud technologies at the very beginning; I value privacy and the ability to control access to my data. As an additional measure, valuable footage is recorded annually on an optical disc.

There were advantages to this situation:

• Something happens within the PC - there is an external drive, temporary files are safe; valuable - similarly (additional copy on optical discs).
• Separate storage - the ability to protect data from the human factor; work with files only if you are of sound mind and have a solid memory.

And significant disadvantages:

• Lack of automation.
• Large time costs.

A separate problem is a laptop: through it the Internet is distributed to a work PC, but I want to transfer access to data through an “intermediary”, how to automate all this, and most importantly - taking into account life in the province (costs are important), so as not to waste too much, but to do convenient and reliable, preferably - once and for all, so as not to change habits, not to relearn - these are the thoughts with which I turned to the guys from Paragon Software Group.

A. Bondar: Hello. It is necessary to protect your work data, including the most important photo archive, from everyday troubles: software or hardware failure, targeted attack, system infection (special attention - ransomware), human factor, which cannot be excluded. How to approach solving this problem?

Paragon Software Group: Hello. Is our software will help speed up and simplify the process of creating backups, but you must store the backups themselves somewhere. This is what I would ask you to clarify: on what media will your backup copies be stored?

A. Bondar: I think this is a separate request - help me choose the configuration: devices, technologies and scenarios.

Paragon Software Group: What's in stock? Explain all source data.

A. Bondar: A work PC on which 2 disks are combined into a RAID and a separate hard drive, which I connect to make a copy of work files and update the main photo archive. Laptop available operating system- Xubuntu, a Debian-based distribution. And it would be nice to use it...

Paragon Software Group: For what purpose?

A. Bondar: While it distributes the Internet, sometimes I open raw files on it in order to understand, evaluate, time frames, or do a rough conversion; I transfer the data to a flash drive and I think this is not the most convenient option.

Paragon Software Group: That's right, distributed file access will make your life easier. But it will improve - a separate file server. You can buy a ready-made solution or do it yourself, everything is quite simple. But it is quite possible that a cloud service will solve your problem most quickly, compared to setting up a server. Are you considering this option?

A. Bondar: No, not at all.

Paragon Software Group: Why?

A. Bondar: Basically, my customers are ordinary people. Commercial photography is in the very distant past, completely forgotten. Many people don't do social media. And they don’t broadcast their lives on the Internet. They don't want their photos to be seen strangers. No, not because something immoral was filmed, they simply divide life into public, personal and media, which is formed by the Internet space. They don't like the online ecosystem and don't want to be part of it. It's their choice that I have to respect. That’s why I don’t consider the cloud, there are too many “buts” there. Actually, just like in OS Windows, which I endure for the sake of Adobe Photoshop, but “I remind her regularly”: “Respect the user’s privacy!” Advice from Hacker magazine helps with this, thanks to the editors.

Paragon Software Group: On a work PC - Windows, on a laptop - Linux. Right?

A. Bondar: Yes exactly.

Elaboration of the structure

In the context of the dialogue, I would like to explain to readers the structure of my photo archive:

• Temporary archive
  • 2018 (used to relying on dates)
    • January
      • 18.01.2018
        • From the shoot
          • All files
          • 1 sorting
          • 2 sorting
          • Left
        • In progress
          • After conversion
          • Bottom line. No sharpness
        • Bottom line
          • To the archive
          • Preview
          • Seal
• Main archive
  • 2018
    • January
      • 18.01.2018
        • Left
          • Seal
          • Action
          • Presets
        • I doubt
          • Seal

Nothing complicated, like any archive - it is tied to the date. The structure seems logical to me, its main advantage is the minimum requirements for disk space: there are no unnecessary and distracting folders that increase the volume of technical information.

Creating Backups

Backup is not a word, but a topic. Sophisticated, fashionable and shady. They talk about it, sometimes they use it. And you often hear:

• It's good that there is a backup...

• Too bad I didn’t make a backup...

Some talk about backups, others think about it, others do it, and only live by it. Why is there such a division? In my opinion, it's simple; the photographer gradually comes to understand his craft:

• What is important.
• What is valuable.
• What happens if…

The guys from Paragon Software answered more simply (there was a time when I asked them a general question):

- Andrey, everything is simple here. Until you step on the rake, you won’t look at your feet. Often, it is indifference to their work and time that leads people to a sad result: the system has “collapsed”, the data has nowhere to transfer or restore... the understanding comes that if... yes, “if only”, to spend more or less effort earlier, then now the data would be intact, and this is the main thing. After all, what is “data” for a photographer? This is an opportunity to fill out your portfolio, make prints, in other words, show an example of the final product you are selling. If there is nothing to show, then there will be nothing to attract - there will be nothing to sell. What's next? It’s not hard to guess: either it’s all over again, or a change of profession.

What was said is true, but I had another question on the topic of backups.

A. Bondar: The software simplifies the process of creating backups. But many colleagues believe that if you are not paranoid (like me, about privacy), then there is no need to combine methods: set up RAID and you work; transfer files to an external hard drive and work; upload files to the cloud and work; you buy a NAS and that’s it, with an abundance of solutions, the best is chosen. What's wrong with this?

Paragon Software Group: The fact is that a mirrored disk array will not relieve a photographer or other person from the need to make backup copies. RAID is not a backup. And its proper maintenance is difficult to understand: constant monitoring of the state of disks, the file system, file integrity... of course, it’s good that you have time to figure it out, get used to it and constantly monitor it, but not everyone is interested in this and therefore Unfortunately, they work - for now it works: there is no control over changes, and there is no understanding of what will happen tomorrow, or in the next moment. Cloud or network storage are excellent and, in many ways, reliable solutions, but modern ransomware has learned to scan the network and infect data over a local network, synchronize damaged data to the cloud - many users have become convinced of this possibility. The external drive may not turn on, or, as sometimes happens, you drop it and expose it to electromagnetic waves. And it is also possible to infect files on an external drive. If a photographer values ​​his photo archive, then there should be a rule in his everyday life: store backup copies on different media, and if possible, combine all available solutions that will ensure mobility, security and, most importantly, autonomy.

Note:

Answers to frequently asked questions .

Media selection

As mentioned earlier: before the changes, I placed backup copies of both archives on an external hard drive; RAID - as insurance in case of failure of one of the working hard drives installed on the working PC; Recording on optical discs is a preservation method that many have abandoned, but it suits me and I don’t dare change anything.

During a conversation with the guys from Paragon, I came to the understanding that it would be nice to get (and as I realized later, I was thinking correctly) a personal file server: for storing backup copies and organizing distributed access to files, in order to use a laptop, take the load off the work PC and establish data exchange within a home local network, but what to do - buy a ready-made solution, or assemble it yourself - I decided to ask around, but above all, to clarify the points for myself: security, flexibility, reliability.

A. Bondar: Routers, like all IoT devices, have shown that a ready-made solution involves risks and a “the user is to blame” situation:

• Wants to use the device “forever”, not 3-5 years.
• Waiting for software updates from the manufacturer when it appears a new version"glands".
• Counts on prompt corrections and maximum standard security.

And also “skinny” Linux and secret life your device. “Out-of-the-box solutions” scare me. What can you say about this?

Paragon Software Group: Choice is a compromise. If you want convenience, take a ready-made solution and use it: insert the cord, disks, plug it into the network and carry out basic setup, and that’s it - your backups are stored in an attractive box. If you want reliability and flexibility - figure it out yourself, if you want privacy - figure it out yourself, and if something breaks, there is no service center, and you will have to read forums and manuals, and watch how time slips away - the most valuable resource .

A. Bondar: Indeed, a compromise. Thank you for outlining the prospects, but I decided to choose option 2 - assemble it myself. What do you need to consider?

Paragon Software Group: To begin with, set the task correctly - what is needed? Store only, or including, backup copies, provide access to data over a local network from where data will be downloaded, because you can implement a cloud based on a file server, the same ownCloud allows you to set up a private cloud, and of course - security: updates , OS and software; RAID and scheduled maintenance.

A. Bondar: And then RAID?

Paragon Software Group: You can refuse. It all depends on how important the photo archive is to you and how critical its loss is. RAID is the user's choice, so many (including top NAS) leave this choice to the buyer: if you want, activate it, but if not, be happy with the total disk capacity. But if you think about it, a backup copy, which, among other things, is mirrored onto several disks inside the server, is peace of mind, and you better take this into account.

A. Bondar: Okay, I'm used to RAID, but what about the OS?

Paragon Software Group: If you like Linux, use it. Distributed access - Samba, configured on any distribution. Your server will be available for iOS, Android, Windows and macOS devices.

A. Bondar: Indeed, there will be no problems with access (useful manuals and, as well as analysis of errors, special cases and bugs), Samba has been “chewed up” in the RuNet.

Paragon Software Group: Just don’t forget that your task is to exclude additional routers, leave the file server in a separate subnet where the Internet is blocked and you don’t need any cloud functionality. The laptop and work PC must be on the same, first, subnet, and the file server must be on the second. This will solve the security issue. And that’s it, install our software on your work PC and make backup copies.

Scenario selection

I set up the equipment, installed the program and thought:

• The contents of the archive are heterogeneous:
  • .tiff
  • .jpeg
• Updated chaotically:
  • On filming days:
    • .txt (all thoughts, comments, notes - a separate temporary text file)
  • On processing days:
    • .tiff
  • On print days:
    • .jpeg

Regularly creating a full backup is an unnecessary waste of time, a waste of PC resources and excessive energy consumption. I understand that there is a solution - a partial backup - but, logically, the basic template is a stencil, and I want the program to take into account the life (and this is normal) of the photographer, and not offer to play by its own rules.

A. Bondar: The day of shooting, the day of processing, the day of printing - how can you explain your everyday life to the program? So that incremental backup occurs quickly and accurately.

Paragon Software Group: Job - Backup & Recovery functionality (included in the Hard Disk Manager software) will help you customize scenarios for yourself. Anything you need:

1. Specify the event (when to copy).
2. Specify file types (what to copy).

I'll explain with an example. You return from shooting after 16.00, by 17.00 all the files are on the work PC and a regular event - “such and such a day” and “such and such a time” (let it be Wednesday, 21.00) - is about to start. At the appointed time, the program checks:

1. Is the drive (on which the files you specified (.cr2) will appear) connected?
2. Have new files (.cr2) appeared?

There will be new files - the program will add them to the main archive. Scenarios are unlimited. Don't be afraid to experiment. 🙂

A. Bondar: I like that. But there is a question - when to make an incremental backup, and when to make a full one? For example, a file server is more convenient than a disk. I assume that I will make frequent incremental backups so that the backup copy is always up to date, but with the disk everything may be different - I will only make full backups to an external hard drive.

Paragon Software Group: Everything is individual. You can take into account your schedule (and project deadlines) or the devices you chose to store backups, and you can come up with a separate scenario for your everyday life. In this matter, the program does not limit you.

A. Bondar: So I’ll take a sheet of paper and a pencil (my favorite tools) and spend the evening thinking about setting everything up once and not redoing it again. But that comes later. Now I’ll clarify something else, I hope. Backup, specialized software and script settings, but what about standard Windows tools? How does your method differ from MS, what is the advantage of your software?

Paragon Software Group: You value privacy, right? Our software will not only help you create backup copies, but also securely encrypt them (create a container, set a password on it, and no one without a password will have access to your archive. If someone steals a disk or the entire computer, it’s for him will not help, because it will detect the encrypted container, but will not be able to do anything with it, because it does not know the password). Don't be afraid of encryption, because it guarantees complete confidentiality, even if you contact a professional data recovery laboratory.

A. Bondar: About 15 years ago, I would have said: “This is risky!” But now that KeePass has simplified life, I agree, it’s a useful functionality. But I'll give you another example. Child, family and life of a photographer. The child didn’t notice and poured a mug of tea into the system unit, in addition - a jar (or maybe two) of raspberry jam. I tried to fix everything - I took out the hard drive to wipe the liquid off it, and like any toy, it dropped it on the floor. Scary scenario. But in life there are a lot of situations when the hard drive is physically damaged and can no longer connect to the PC. Known path- recovery in the laboratory. What I mean is, how is information stored on disk? Is it possible to damage the archive?

Paragon Software Group: No, it cannot be damaged, only lost - this is a feature of the approach to creating an archive. How does Windows File History work? Copies files to a specified location - on an external drive or file server, and does not compress them. Because of this, if you damage the disk (or rather the platters inside), you will not be able to recover all the files, even in the laboratory. How does our program create an archive? The files are placed in a container; the files are compressed and the resulting archive is written so that it is physically located on one sector of the disk; if this sector is damaged, the archive will be lost, if any other sectors are not, the absolute integrity of all your data.

A. Bondar: That's why RAID and copies on different media, and not just on a work PC or external hard drive. The method is interesting, a kind of small fireproof safe for files: it cannot be opened without keys; destroying it completely, along with all its contents, is possible. To close the topic of file integrity, another question - bad sectors appeared on one of the disks, on a work PC. The user lost sight of this, launches the software to create a backup copy, what is the program's reaction?

Paragon Software Group: Notification that standard method archiving is not all good - there are problems and you need to use raw copy. The program finds out about disk problems thanks to Windows services, in particular Volume Shadow Copy.

A. Bondar: Thank you. All scenarios that were familiar to me were explained. Now I’ll customize it for myself and get back to photography.

Prevention

On this moment, I create backup copies of the photo archive according to the following schedule:

1. Monday: full backup.
2. Tuesday to Saturday: partial.

Incremental (partial) backups are made automatically so that after filming (after all, I’m not a robot, I might forget) or working in Ps, nothing is lost. I create a full backup manually. That's why:

• Monday morning is a convenient time to perform scheduled PC maintenance:
  • Check the main archive: review the temporary files, remove those that are weak, and mark them again if you are in doubt, and add them to the scheduler.
  • Assess the condition of disk drives - study S.M.A.R.T. data. If something confuses you, then run additional tests and carefully analyze the attributes.
  • Update the file server software, then the working PC.

Only after I am convinced that the disks are working properly, the archive is cleared of “garbage”, all data is intact and there has been no penetration, I start the full backup process. Because the time spent on all the tests and “reviews” is spent in different ways: from 3-5 minutes to 3 hours, and so far I haven’t been able to create a single script. I can start it at 8 am, or at 11, after second breakfast, or at 9-10, while I’m reading email.

Each photographer has his own policy for creating backups, because:

— Everything depends on the needs of the user and his disk space, work schedule and the author’s attitude towards his works - an equally important criterion that excludes a standard solution and calls for taking into account recommendations, adopting the experience and best practices of colleagues, and adjusting them to suit yourself, your personal happening.

Again, the words of technical specialists from Paragon Software, which I heard and applied, without the desire to join “those” or “them” who make backups once a month or year; I hope you, after reading this note, will not blindly copy a particular case, but will understand:

1. What threats exist?
2. Why do they concern the photographer?
3. What solutions will help secure archives.
4. Why backup is not a magic pill, but a set of measures.

Optimal structure of a photo archive

It all depends on the specifics of the work:

• Stream shooting, or targeted projects.
• Retouching, or raw conversion and preparation for printing.

I can’t know the specifics of each photographer, in the article I explained the structure of my archive, if you like it, take it as a basis; if not, use this advice:

The optimal archive structure is a mess in which you quickly find what you need.

An evening or two, with a pencil and a piece of paper in your hands, and you’ll pick everything up; act, don’t wait for ready-made solutions.

Where is the best place to store your photo archives?

Convenience... everyone understands this differently:

• One stores “on the side”: all his data, savings and work projects. To not think about technical side question and make demands, “if suddenly something...”
• Another: on your server, or another solution that allows you to control and customize everything for yourself, taking into account your budget, skills, requests, etc.

Both are comfortable. Who you are? Don't know. What is convenient for you? I can not know. A special case is in front of you - analyze, evaluate your skills and the further development of technology.

Instead of a conclusion

I continue to work, make backups in a timely manner, and study the topic of backup. I don’t plan to give up Linux; on the contrary, I regularly fill in the gaps. If something changes in my practice, I will share it with the readers.

Don't risk your photos - upload and store them on a secure cloud service. Today we will check the top 6 of them to find the best place for storing photos. Backing up your photos isn't likely to make you excited, but rather to remember how boring it was when it meant wasting a lot of time burning photos to CDs.

Luckily, you can now save your photos to safe place has become much easier thanks to various cloud services. “Cloud” is simply online storage in technical jargon. You can choose from numerous sites that offer 1GB to 1TB of free disk space on your remote hard drive.

Backing up to the cloud not only saves you the hassle of burning files onto CDs or hard drives, but it also allows you to access your photos from anywhere you have internet access.

Another bonus of using cloud storage is the ability to share photos; for example, Flickr allows users to not only view your photo, but also leave a comment under it.

Of course, if you prefer to keep your photos private, most services make it easy to set access restrictions so that your photos can only be seen by you or those with whom you share the private link.

So, to determine the best cloud service, we compared 6 of the best: three aimed at photographers and another three for general use.

2 GB

Dropbox is great for storing any type of file. The organization of files is made in the form of an intuitive system of folders, which you can access not only from your computer, but also from your mobile device: the service has official applications for IOS, Android and Blackberry.

All this and 2 GB of storage are provided absolutely free with a standard Dropbox account. The Pro account already offers 1TB of disk space, but will cost the user $9.99 or $99.99 per month or year, respectively. In addition, for each friend you invite to the service, you receive an additional 500 MB for free.

While Dropbox is an excellent service for its versatility and ease of use, it ultimately lacks the socialization interface that Flickr, for example, has. Perhaps, if the Dropbox developers add the ability to exchange opinions on hosted files, this service can be called the best.

Pros: Ease of use and the ability to save files of almost any type.

Minuses: In terms of cost and social capabilities, it is inferior to Flickr.

Verdict: The best service for storing files of various formats.

Rating: 5/5

Best cloud service for storing photos: 02 Google Drive

Amount of free disk space: 15 GB

Google Drive isn't just another cloud storage service, it's also a service with several free office apps. Like Dropbox, Google Drive is focused on file sharing, allowing multiple users to edit publicly shared files.

You can also store photos on this service, but it won't offer you the same sleek or user-friendly interface as other more photo-focused online storage services.

By default, the user is offered 15GB of free storage space, which can be expanded up to 100GB for $1.99 per month or up to 1TB for $9.99 per month.

pros: Cloud storage is integrated with several useful applications.

Minuses: Mastering the functions of the service may seem complicated at first glance and takes some time.

Verdict: Excellent storage with ample capabilities, but the organization of storing and displaying photos is too primitive.

Rating: 4/5

Best cloud service for storing photos: 03 Microsoft OneDrive

Amount of free disk space: 15 GB

Microsoft's cloud storage offers a set of capabilities very similar to those offered by its main competitor, Google Drive. Everyone who is familiar with the package Microsoft Office With OneDrive's built-in office apps, you'll feel right at home.

The design and organization of work in OneDrive is similar to Windows 8, so it’s quite easy to navigate. Still, the service isn't designed exclusively for photographers, so don't expect the same photo browsing experience as Flickr.

Prices are close to Google's: 15GB is free, 100GB is $1.99 per month. But 1 TB is cheaper than Google - only $6.99 per month, plus for this money you also get the Office 365 software package. So, this is perhaps a very profitable option.

Pros: The Pro subscription is cheaper than Google's service.

Minuses: Viewing photos is not as well organized as that of competitors.

Verdict: good balance between versatility and cost.

Rating: 4/5

Best cloud service for storing photos: 04 Flickr

Amount of free disk space: 1 TB

Where most cloud storage providers tell you to fork out for a few gigabytes of storage space, Flickr offers an entire terabyte for free, covering its costs through unobtrusive advertising. If you want to turn off advertising (although it is virtually invisible and not disruptive), you can activate this feature for $50 per year.

What also sets Flickr apart from its competitors is its ability to display photos in a beautiful photo stream.

Other users can track your work updates and comment on them. Or you can choose to block access to your photos, making them completely private.

Flickr is still more focused on displaying rather than storing your photos, so it can only display images in JPEG, GIF and PNG formats. If you need to download RAW, Dropbox is the best solution.

Pros: Ideal for organizing and displaying a huge portfolio of photos.

Minuses: There is no option to store RAW.

Verdict: Excellent free storage of huge size for those who are not embarrassed by the need to store photos only in JPEG.

Rating: 5/5

Best Cloud Photo Storage Service: 05 Adobe Revel

Amount of free disk space: 2 GB

Revel is a photo storage service that offers attractive image galleries. Shared libraries allow you and your friends to store photos together, and at the same time, you can make any of your photos private.

The service has the ability to integrate with Elements; in addition, Revel itself has tools for quick editing.

Easy to download thanks to the official apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.

Revel has support for RAW formats.

For the first 30 days of using Revel, you can upload an unlimited number of files, then the free subscription limits you to 50 files per month. This limitation is removed by purchasing a Pro subscription that costs $5.99 per month.

Pros: Great for storing photos and video files.

Minuses: There are restrictions for free subscriptions. Download speed may be slow.

Verdict: A worthy representative of an online storage center focused on photographs.

Rating: 4/5

Best cloud service for storing photos: 06 Canon irista

Amount of free disk space: 10 GB

We have already talked about this more than once. Irista was developed by Canon to compete with Flickr and Revel.

This service supports uploading JPEG and RAW images, is easy to use, and offers extensive options for filtering images by camera and lens brand, shooting date, tags or EXIF ​​data.

Users are offered two subscription options: a free account with 10GB of storage, or 50GB for £4.49 and 100GB for £9.99 per month.

Pros: Attractive interface. Good integration with social networks. A large number of filters.

Minuses: Additional disk space is quite expensive.

Verdict: A service with excellent features, but too high a cost.

Rating: 3/5

5 Things to Consider When Choosing Cloud Photo Storage

Free disk space

Most services offer the user some amount of disk space for free, charging a monthly or annual fee for additional space. Prices vary widely from service to service, so when choosing storage, make sure you're getting a good deal.

Supported File Formats

It seems that just recently our grandparents collected priceless photographs in thick photo albums, so that in the future their descendants would have the opportunity to stroll along the alleys of their past. However, technology is developing much faster than we can imagine: Cell phones almost completely replaced stationary ones, Email will soon completely replace the usual one, and so on. A new era has come - and at this time you and I can not only communicate on the Internet and find useful information, but also store most of your personal files there.

But even here the user will have to face difficult choices. Now there are a lot of services on the Internet that allow you to upload photos, and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Some boast high download speeds, but at the same time provide very expensive tariff plans, A free services have serious restrictions on the size of downloaded files.

Today we will try to finally decide and choose the best “cloud” storage for your photos.

iCloud Photo Stream

Loom

A beautiful application created specifically to store your photos and sync them between all the devices you have. Loom bills itself as the "limitless camera film" and has a... every right.

Uploaded photos are available both in the web version and in the iOS application. On a Mac, you can download photos by simply placing them in the Loom folder in the Finder. Just like Dropbox, your photos will appear on all your devices almost instantly. And if you want to view the album while flying on an airplane or riding the subway, you can first save it to the cache of your smartphone or tablet. The program automatically creates several versions of pictures for devices with different sizes screen for the most comfortable viewing.

Loom was launched recently, but is currently actively gaining momentum. According to the company's founder, his application will be an excellent replacement for the standard Photo Stream in iOS. Well, let's see.

While Flickr is considered by many to be a service for professional photographers, it is also suitable for storing regular photos. Recently, it provides its users one terabyte of free space in the "cloud". And that's really cool.

Flickr allows you to view public photos of other users - for example, you can study the most popular photos anywhere on the planet. However, the service's user interface looks a little sluggish compared to solutions from competitors, and the program for uploading desktop images hasn't been updated since 2009. However, Flickr managed to acquire a good application for iOS.

Photos on Google+

No, you heard right. Although the social network from the largest search engine in the world is not popular in Russia, it has a very decent photo storage service. Google gives its users 15 gigabytes of free storage, which they can spend on Gmail, Drive or Google+. This is quite large if you plan to upload photos in “standard” resolution (2048 pixels wide).

After Google acquired Nik Software, Google+ added a photo editing feature where you can apply filters, adjust the brightness of photos, and other little things.

The main disadvantage of Google+ photos is Google+ itself. Users are always wary of uploading their personal photos to a social network, no matter how secure it is, regardless of privacy settings. And this service was created more for sharing photos than storing them.

I used this service for a long time to store my files until I discovered Dropbox. However, the cost of 100 gigabytes is significantly lower - only $50 per year versus $10 per month.

If you are disgusted by all Microsoft products, it is better not to look at SkyDrive. Everything here is designed in Windows style, but it works very quickly. At first, you will be given seven gigabytes of free free space. Of course, SkyDrive also has apps for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

One of the most fast applications in its own way with a pleasant and understandable interface. Everpix automatically groups photos by date, time, and type (for example, “animals” or “city”).

Like Loom, Everpix creates different versions of your photos for viewing on all your devices. Photos can be viewed in both the web version and the iOS application. Free use of the service includes downloading all your photos over the past year. Perhaps this best program for storing photos.

It's time to make your choice. To do this, let's first take a look at the supported platforms.

As you can see, Loom and iCloud Photo Stream are seriously losing in this regard.

And here is the pricing policy of the above services:

Of course, Flickr wins in terms of free space. However, Everpix is ​​almost in no way inferior to it, except that it lacks an Android application. And Dropbox was specially created for users of this service, so it is completely beyond competition.

Now the choice is yours.

Based on materials from theverge.com

Having opened the seventh letter from my couples over the past year, the content of which, like all the previous ones, boils down to the phrase: “We have lost our wedding photographs, do you still have copies?”, I realized that the disaster was beginning to take on a universal scale and decided to write A quick guide to what to do once you've received your photos.

So, you have killed a lot of precious time searching for a photographer, spent a certain exorbitant amount on organizing an event, be it a wedding or another event, paid your hard-earned money and now all that remains is to wait for the photos. A couple of months - and voila, you are transported again to that delightful day, you laugh again, brushing away the tears that rolled down from the touching memories, and nudge each other in the side with your elbow, saying: “Look at what you are like here, wow.” go." Naturally, you will definitely share these “material memories” with your loved ones and for another week you will leaf through these photographs several times a day, noticing more and more new details.

Well, then...Then you will be whirled by the whirlwind of everyday bustle, new events, pressing problems and joys, and you will completely forget about the folder of photos, comfortably nestled somewhere in the vastness of your computer. You will remember her the next time after at least a year, or even more, when nostalgia comes flooding back again, when the full anniversary of your wedding happens, when Aunt Manya comes to visit, whom you last saw while walking under walking table And this is where the most unpleasant situation is revealed: it turns out that there are no photographs.

There can be a lot of reasons, ranging from ordinary human carelessness, when a folder with photos is deleted by an absurd accident, to an equally trivial disk failure. Yes, perhaps this will be a revelation for you and you are extremely lucky if you have not yet had time to experience it in your own skin, but hard drives are quite fragile creatures and they tend, just like thirteen-year-old girls, to break down.

And it turns out that in addition to a couple of photographs exhibited in in social networks, you, in fact, have nothing left from the wedding. And here begins the feverish search for the name of the photographer who once photographed you, and the sending of heartbreaking letters, abundantly watered with shed tears, with the hope that, perhaps, he was more sensitive to your memory in the form of photographs and took care of its more careful preservation.

Where should you store your photos?

Now that you are already sufficiently intimidated by the looming prospect, I suggest you shake off the goosebumps that have run through your skin and begin to act.

1. Go to a computer store and buy an external hard drive. Ideally, this should be an SSD drive, because they are both faster and more reliable. But, it's true, it's more expensive. You have already stepped on your toad’s throat at least once, strangling it with weighty arguments that you don’t skimp on memory. It's time to disturb this stirring toad again.

2. We record ALL received photos onto this newly purchased disk. We check twice, or even better three times, that the full-size versions of the photographs (that is, the largest and heaviest) are now present on the disk.

3. Along the way, you can, and I would even say, need to, write the rest of your family digital photo archive onto this disk. This is the first stage of the procedure to where is the best place to store photos?.

4. Ideally, you need to buy two disks, make identical backups and store one of the disks in the house of close people - friends, parents.

5. If the not completely strangled toad hinted that DVDs much cheaper, send it to... Meadow, there are mosquitoes. Because optical discs are extremely unreliable and after a couple of years, even if you make an attempt to save your photos, you will still be left without them.

6. A printout would be helpful. best photos, don’t say anything, but printed photographs give rise to completely different sensations than intangible pictures on the screen of iPads, iPads and other i- and oh-devices. Printing - second stage proper storage of photos.

7. The best printing option is, of course, high-quality, . To design it, you should contact your photographer, he is the one who stores the source files of the photographs, he is the one who knows what your day was like and will be able to convey these feelings in the book.

8. Select an online cloud for storing files. This can be either a free option with some restrictions, or a paid one that provides more extensive capabilities. The online cloud will protect you from such cataclysms as fire, flood, earthquake, theft and other horrors about which everyone thinks that “this definitely won’t happen to me,” but from which, nevertheless, no one is safe.

In this article I will not describe the advantages and disadvantages of different cloud services, but will give only some prices for approximate orientation.

• Dropbox: 2GB, free; 100GB, $100/year; 500GB, $500/year.
• Microsoft OneDrive: 7GB, free; 100GB,$50/year; 200GB, $100/year.
• Google Drive: 15GB, free; 100GB, $2/month; 1TB,$10/month; 10TB, $100/month.
• Apple iCloud: 5GB, free; 10GB, $20/year; 20GB, $40/year.
• Mega: 50Gb, free; 500 GB, $9.99/month; 2 TB, $19.99/month; 4 TB $29.99/month.
• Yandex disk: 10GB, free; 100GB, 1500rub/year; 1TB, 9000 rub/year.
• Copy.com: 15GB, free; 250GB, $99/year; 500GB, $149/year.
• [email protected]: 25Gb, free.

This was the third component proper storage of photos.

9. That’s it, now you can sleep peacefully. And be sure that 20 years later, when your children ask about their parents’ wedding photographs, you will not look away and wipe away a tear with the corner of your apron, but will have a quiet family dinner by the fireplace looking through home photo archives.

10. Do all of the above TODAY. And don't argue. And don't put it off until tomorrow. Just do it today and that's it.