Your Images are at Risk!
by: Eric HartwellYou have spent lots of money and time on getting a good camera and taking lots of pictures. Now they are safely loaded onto your computer they need no further attention, right?
Wrong!
Your memories are precious. They are part of you and your world. They are for sharing and reminiscing over. They capture moments in time and can never be replaced. They catalogue what makes you tick and how you relate to others. For you, they have irreplaceable sentimental value.
For some, your images may be commercially valuable. Photos are always required by stock photo agencies and you may have invested a lot of time and effort into getting that important picture which could earn you a small fortune.
But, your images are still in danger and you need to act NOW to protect them. Thousands of people lose their memories every day, despite how well they look after them. Make sure it isn’t you.
How are images lost?
Accidental deletion: it is so easy to press the “delete” key when you wanted to press the “open” key
Computer crashes: your computer WILL crash. It doesn’t matter if it has always given you good service or if it is brand new. It will,at some point, crash, losing the contents of the hard drive
Loss or theft: despite how careful you think you are, computers are a target for thieves. They are easily sold and represent quick bucks for criminals. Believe it or not, people even lose laptops on public transport!
A catastrophe: if your house burns down, your computer goes with it. The same dangers arise with floods or any other form of accidental damage.
A virus: you are always at risk of catching a virus. This may or may not be harmful but some viruses can wreak havoc on your hard disk
Obsolete media: much of your work may be held on old floppy discs, computer tapes, old CDs. Media changes with time or become unsupported.
Online storage unavailable: either you have mislaid your login information or your online provider no longer exists
One thing is for certain, once something happens to destroy your images, you will suddenly realise how important they were to you. Trust me, I know, because it happened to me. Pictures of my family and friends were lost. And my dear relative, friends and animals that are no longer with me. And those precious moments – celebrations, parties, holidays.
The best advice is to not use your computer as the sole storage medium for your images.
You should additionally:
- print them and store them securely in an archival system
- subscribe to an online storage facility
or
- back them up either on DVDs or CDs or on a removable hard drive
Don’t let your images become vulnerable to loss or damage. Take action now to protect your valuable memories and secure your images forever.
Eric Hartwell is an enthusiastic photographer and owner of the photography resource site http://www.theshutter.co.uk He would pleased to hear from anyone who might wish to become involved in the site or the forums - email shutter@theshutter.co.uk
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
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