Organization & backup
A photo folder structure
A photo folder should remain understandable without your familiar photo app.
16 articles
Organization & backup
Find originals, distinguish copies and check that backups can be restored.
Organization & backup
Naming photo files
A filename can explain origin and sequence without containing every description of an image.
Organization & backup
Backup versus synchronization
A synchronized collection and a recoverable backup solve different problems.
Organization & backup
The 3-2-1 photo backup
Three copies help only when the same failure cannot reach all three.
Organization & backup
Testing a photo restore
A restore test checks the route back to a usable photograph, not just a success message.
Organization & backup
External drives for a photo archive
Capacity alone does not determine whether an external drive fits a photo archive.
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY 2.0. Resized; thumbnails may be cropped.
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Organization & backup
Memory card import checks
An import check connects the memory card to verified originals and a second copy.
Organization & backup
Duplicate photo decisions
Similar-looking photographs are not automatically redundant files.
Organization & backup
Selecting without deleting originals
A selection can become smaller while the original photographic material remains intact.
Organization & backup
Keywords for family photos
A few consistent terms help retrieval more than long, constantly changing keyword lists.
Organization & backup
Dates and time zones in photos
Capture time, file date and time zone answer different questions about a photograph.
Organization & backup
Keeping RAW files and sidecars
An edited RAW photograph often depends on more files than the visible original.
Organization & backup
Moving a photo library
A library move is complete only after checking originals, edits and backups at the destination.
Organization & backup
Sharing smaller copies
Give a sharing copy its own pixel dimensions and storage location.
Organization & backup
Removing location metadata
Inspect the actual shared file: hiding a map view alone does not remove location data.
Organization & backup
Planning long-term archive migration
Long-term preservation needs repeated checks and traceable copying procedures.