I have 45 GB of photos online--I've been desperately trying to reduce this as it makes it harder to keep up with backups, as well as that drive is starting to run low on space.
My problem is that I like to keep the CRW (raw) files, as well as my working PSD files, even if I'm done with them. And even if I know they're backed up. I use Whereisit to catalog my CDs and DVDs, but even still, I don't like having to go find the CD/DVD when I want something, so I hate taking it offline.
So I am starting the following:
1) Take each folder with CRWs, and convert and reduce them to 1600x1600 max (in correct aspect ratio). Save these as JP2 with 3% bitrate.
2) call that folder "index"
3) Now delete all CRWs except those I think 90% chance I will revisit and rework (very few).
4) Delete the PSDs as well
I figure that way, I can always use the reduced version for quick work, and if really needed, I can go find the CRW.
This is very time consuming. Anyway, I wondered how many files/GB you have and how you manage them.
If you meant on my computer then ~20 GB. Earlier this summer I went on a massive deleting spree. I did three passes through my photos and each time deleted a little more. I got rid of about 10 GB of photos. I should have probably gotten rid of another 5 GB. It could have been much worse though. In the past I used Fine JPG almost exclusively. Now I use RAW only. If I used RAW before then I would have had to buy another hard drive years ago becuase I too keep everything, the original, the PSD, and the final compressed image.
It doesn't seem like a great idea to take all of your RAW files and convert them just to save some space. Are there other reasons you're doing this?
If space is a real issue it seems easier to just really objectively look through your photos and cull the ones that aren't your best. Then you can get a barebones system and make yourself a file server. Stick it in the closet and not worry about it.
I'm not sure it is a good idea to 'burn the negatives', so to speak, of the images you want to keep. They are likely the only proof you have that you took the image, should the need ever arise.
The file server is an option, and with a good RAID setup could be quite secure; but if you are not using the RAW files, there is no reason to not back them up to DVD. After all, if you never need them, you never have to go to the trouble of finding them. Better than deleting them IMO. Making a seperate backup each for working files (PSDs, etc.) and another for the different versions of the finished product also seem like sound ideas. It should not add much overhead to your organizing, but allow for any level of revists and reedits should you choose to do so at some point.
If you meant on my computer then ~20 GB. Earlier this summer I went on a massive deleting spree. I did three passes through my photos and each time deleted a little more. I got rid of about 10 GB of photos. I should have probably gotten rid of another 5 GB. It could have been much worse though. In the past I used Fine JPG almost exclusively. Now I use RAW only. If I used RAW before then I would have had to buy another hard drive years ago becuase I too keep everything, the original, the PSD, and the final compressed image.
It doesn't seem like a great idea to take all of your RAW files and convert them just to save some space. Are there other reasons you're doing this?
If space is a real issue it seems easier to just really objectively look through your photos and cull the ones that aren't your best. Then you can get a barebones system and make yourself a file server. Stick it in the closet and not worry about it.
Yes, I did mean "online" on my system, as opposed to offline storage. Sorry -- bad choice of terms.
The problem is that I take a lot of shots and don't have time to go through them all and process them individually, and that's how they come out best. Yet, the odds of me going back and ever spending the time with 95% of these shots is pretty low. I do have several backups of each CRW file. And if when going through, I see something that I definitely want to revisit, I leave the CRW. It's just that I can't tell what I might want to go back for. So rather and delete any shots, I am saving at least something I can experiment with, post to the web, etc., just not print that big (1600x1600 max is still at least 2 Mpixel) . In fact, when I do that, I am calling the subdirectory "index", it's sort of an online (pardon that term again) index of my shots, but still big enough to use.
I have 3 folders on my desktop.
1. Just downloaded
2. Converted to jpg
3. Ready for archive
Folder 1 gets all my pics after a shoot. I then drag and drop this folder into a "droplet" I've created in Photoshop that will convert them all to jpeg's.
I go through Folder 2 and delete anything I don't like and I even delete from folder 1 if it's really bad. Once I'm happy with the results, I move all the good CRWs to Folder 3.
Once folder 3 reaches 4.4gb's (which isn't long), I burn to DVD asap.
Also, I have close to 10-12gb's online at //www.smugmug.com. I like having offsite backups besides my computer and DVD's. Oh and my remote family can see 'em too. ;)
I'm not sure it is a good idea to 'burn the negatives', so to speak, of the images you want to keep. They are likely the only proof you have that you took the image, should the need ever arise.
The file server is an option, and with a good RAID setup could be quite secure; but if you are not using the RAW files, there is no reason to not back them up to DVD. After all, if you never need them, you never have to go to the trouble of finding them. Better than deleting them IMO. Making a seperate backup each for working files (PSDs, etc.) and another for the different versions of the finished product also seem like sound ideas. It should not add much overhead to your organizing, but allow for any level of revists and reedits should you choose to do so at some point.
David
Yes, I am already backing things up.
1) Whenever I dump my memory card to disc, I make a backup to CD
2) Every once and a while I backup my "Exhibition" tree, which is my working tree for my artistic (nonfamily) shots. This has the PSDs.
3) I made an "Archival Backup" set on DVD before I started on my delete spree.
So I have lots of backups. By the way, for others, note that I make sure each file name is unique before doing any backup. When my G2 camera turned over 10,000 and then 20,000, I used Breezebrowser to rename the files to prefix the 1 and 2 (since it only counts to 9999) on each file before the initial backup.
Now, with my Rebel, which uses the same naming scheme, I've started by prefixing each numbered file with R for rebel. I will then also add the 1, 2, ... etc as I go over the 10,000 mark. That way, I can always find image R12576 by number no matter what else I've put in the filename. And it will be different than my old G2 files.
I catalog and then can search my CDs using Whereisit. It tells me I have 205GB on CDs/DVDs of photos backed up (several copies of each file).
I have 3 folders on my desktop.
1. Just downloaded
2. Converted to jpg
3. Ready for archive
Folder 1 gets all my pics after a shoot. I then drag and drop this folder into a "droplet" I've created in Photoshop that will convert them all to jpeg's.
I go through Folder 2 and delete anything I don't like and I even delete from folder 1 if it's really bad. Once I'm happy with the results, I move all the good CRWs to Folder 3.
Once folder 3 reaches 4.4gb's (which isn't long), I burn to DVD asap.
Also, I have close to 10-12gb's online at //www.smugmug.com. I like having offsite backups besides my computer and DVD's. Oh and my remote family can see 'em too. ;)
smugmug looks like a good way to do an offsite backup of photos. Unlimited # of photos with any plan! For the lowest plan, $30 per year, that's pretty cheap!
I have 3 folders on my desktop.
1. Just downloaded
2. Converted to jpg
3. Ready for archive
Folder 1 gets all my pics after a shoot. I then drag and drop this folder into a "droplet" I've created in Photoshop that will convert them all to jpeg's.
I go through Folder 2 and delete anything I don't like and I even delete from folder 1 if it's really bad. Once I'm happy with the results, I move all the good CRWs to Folder 3.
Once folder 3 reaches 4.4gb's (which isn't long), I burn to DVD asap.
Also, I have close to 10-12gb's online at //www.smugmug.com. I like having offsite backups besides my computer and DVD's. Oh and my remote family can see 'em too. ;)
smugmug looks like a good way to do an offsite backup of photos. Unlimited # of photos with any plan! For the lowest plan, $30 per year, that's pretty cheap!
Yes. I have no regrets, none...zilch...zero. And they have an active support site at //www.dgrin.com, too. Back in the day, I was stuck traveling in PR with a full memory card. Smugmug saved me a$$.
23,361 files taking up more than 102G of disk space.
I was under 100G two weeks ago, but I shot over 1700 pictures taken during the last 2 weeks as I traveled around Brazil and that has pushed me over the top.
As for how I manage them... I use and love ACDSee. They just came out with a brand new version and it's even better than before.
As for backing them up, I have an external USB 2.0 hard drive which I keep turned off most of the time except when I want to back up my drive(s). Then I turn it on, back up the drives, and turn it off.
The O.S. and program drives are backed up as "disk images" to make them easy to restore. The photos are backed up by synchronizing my internal drive to the external drive. This way most of the pictures (which don't change) don't have to be backed up ... only the new stuff. And that helps keep the backup time down.
I use an external Maxtor 200G which I found for just $200. I figure it's a whole lot faster than backing up to a ton of CDs or even DVDs. (do you know how long it would take to burn the 25 DVDs that would be necessary store all 102G of pictures? and then, to keep track of what is on each DVD and access them later?
For me, the convenience of keeping everything "online" and readily accessible and using a simple backup routine makes it all work for me.
By the way, I do, on occasion, flatten my PSD's down to just JPG's if it's been a long time and I don't think I'm ever going to need the PSD any more. How long do I wait? I dunno ... a couple of years maybe.
I had 120Gb of CRW and PSD images, and have had to add a dvd writer to my system in order to free up some space. I now have a collection of DVD's and about 60Gb left on the disk.
I still have search access on line through my catalogue, which keeps a thumbnail and a low grade jpg of each image together with keywords for each.
About 10 gb but i shoot in fine JPEG or TIFF as i don't have RAW format.
Then again i have over 500gb of disk space here so its not really an issue and drives are cheap. (its just a weeklong ordeal when its time to backup the system)
about 100 gb on my main machine, I had used another 60 GB or so on a external hard-drive (which has now failed) but I have those 60 GB on DVD, so around 160 to 200 GB worth. (and that is after deleting the worst shots) Still I have about 300 little envelopes with pictures rolls in them, so digital is the way to go for me.
