Photographic backup strategy

My current backup strategy is very simple: I have 2 Seagate drives, I copy using SynToy files from one drive to the other one and I use one drive for working, the other one for backup. However reading the The DAM book, I can see that my current backup strategy has flaws.

Firstly the 2 drives are in the same location therefore are exposed to the same risk (theft, accident). Secondly drive fails, although I have 2 copies of my files, it is not a long term storage, eventually both drive will fail. Lastly the syncing process is manual, if I don't run it I am seriously exposed.

For the next iteration of my backup strategy, I will likely reorganize my files on the drive so that I can use longer life storage like DVDs more readily. I will put together the "negative" files (being literally raw files or simply jpeg), the working files together and the finished files together.

This means that I can then backup on DVD (read-only that is) the negatives as well as the finished files and leave the working one one the harddrives. This also means I could free space from the harddrives as when needed (I am already close to fill up the smaller drive).

This is not perfect but I am getting there. What are you doing?

Photo: White daffodil

Title: White daffodil

Location: London Green park

Date: 22th May 2006

Comment: busy day at Green park but a large aperture got rid of the people

Defect in the Canon EOS 20D battery pack

The whole process took about 10 working days no more.

My Canon EOS 20D is one of the early model and used to suffer from the well documented (see canon website) battery pack problem where after about 150 to 200 pictures the battery charge goes down to half and die pretty soon after (that is with 2 batteries by the way). It is due to a defective part in the battery pack fixed at no charge by Canon UK. I can now take more than 200 pictures on one charge.

Except that it is very hard to get through them (have to go through their lengthy automated answering system and then customer care), the service was very good and the whole process took about 10 working days no more. I even got a warranty for the work they have done.

Great service from Canon UK.

Thanks a lot guys.

Have you seen the light yet?

In case you are struggling to light with flash I highly recommend reading the Strobist blog. It contains lots of useful stuff (techniques, books, equipments, ...) for flash photography using small strobes (read small hot shoe flash). Also check the matching Strobist Flickr group where readers of Strobist go and discuss their favorite subject: flash photography.

Upgrade mostly done, feedback welcome!

That is it. I worked hard on it but it looks even better than before.

The layout is wider, there is lots of cool widgets like videos, news, pictures, .... I have dropped the AdSense for now. Not that I was making much money anyway. And I even now have a favicon.

I must give Hans from Beautiful Beta and Annie from Blog University a big thanks for their great hacks. Without it my blog would just be like any other one.

So here we go it is your chance to give me your views on my little new upgraded photography blog.