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After the shot3 min read

LESSON 73

Archiving and backup (3-2-1)

Three copies, two kinds, one away.

IN THIS LESSON

  1. What a backup is
  2. The 3-2-1 rule
  3. Catalogues and metadata
  4. In practice: a routine

What a backup is

A backup is a copy of data kept somewhere else, so the original can be restored after it is lost, deleted or corrupted, or so an earlier version can be recovered. For photographers, the data is often irreplaceable: a wedding, a trip, a child's first years. A backup system needs at least one copy of everything worth saving, and some record of what is where. That record can be as simple as a list of drives and dates, or a full catalogue. The source also mentions backup dry runs that test whether the backups can actually be used, which is the step most people skip.

The 3-2-1 rule

The 3-2-1 rule is a simple guide. Keep at least three copies of your data, on two different types of storage, with one copy kept offsite, which can include cloud storage. Different types of storage matter because they fail for different reasons: the source notes, for example, that solid-state drives cannot suffer head crashes because they have no moving parts, while hard disks can. The offsite copy protects against fire, flood and theft at home. Write-once media such as optical discs cannot be changed afterward, which also guards against mistakes and ransomware.

Catalogues and metadata

An archive you cannot search is only a pile. Digital asset management systems give each file a searchable index built from its metadata and keywords, track versions, and follow a file from creation through approval to archive. Photographers usually do this with the catalogue in their editing software. The point is that you can find a picture years later by date, place, person or keyword, and know which version is the final one. The source notes that such systems often keep earlier versions so you can roll back.

In practice: a routine

This section is working practice. Copy cards to the computer and to a second drive before you format them. Name folders by date and short description, for example 2026-10-23 market, and keep that scheme for life. Add keywords and your name and copyright in the metadata at import. Keep one copy on a drive at home, one on a different kind of storage, and one offsite or in a cloud service. Check once a season that you can open files from each copy, and replace drives every few years, before they fail rather than after.

Try it today

  1. 01Count how many copies of your last important shoot exist today, and where.
  2. 02Set a folder naming scheme by date and use it for your next import.
  3. 03Add your name and a copyright line to your import preset.
  4. 04Make a third copy of your archive on a different kind of storage or offsite.
  5. 05Open five random files from each copy to prove they work.