Photography in a digital world

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1 Photography in a digital world You ve taken hundreds (thousands?) of images, downloaded them onto your computer and shared them on facebook or instagram - now what? Successful photographers know that backing up files and making hard copies are the only way to ensure longevity of your images.

2 Digital Photo Storage Backing up your files At minimum have your files in TWO places at once. Safer to have your files in three places. Professionals use the rule. Have at least 3 copies of your data in 2 different formats with at least 1 copy offsite Backup options: External Harddrives NAS (Network Attached Storage) Cloud

3 Digital Photo Storage External Harddrives: I prefer Western Digital or Seagate. You will have a harddrive fail at some point in your life. Do not have all of your info on only one drive. Initial cost: $ per drive.

4 Digital Photo Storage NAS: The solution most professionals use. Two main options: Drobo and Synology Initial setup cost close to $1000 For more detailed info:

5 Digital Photo Storage Cloud storage: You are able to get free cloud storage from many online companies. Mega.nz: 50GB free Google Photos: 15GB free (Images stored in Original Quality count against the 15GB storage limit, but storing them in High quality mode does not count against the quota.) Dropbox.com: 2GB free Hubic.com: 25GB free Box.com: 10GB free Syncplicity.com: 10GB free Disk.yandex.com: 10GB free Apple icloud Drive: 5GB free Free-hidrive.com: 5GB free Idrive.com: 5GB free Onedrive.live.com: 5GB free Sync.com: 5GB free Amazon Cloud: 5GB free in S3; free unlimited photo storage for Amazon Prime customers.

6 Printing your images It should be a no-brainer that printing your images is a key to archiving your photographs. However, not all digital printing is created equally.

7 Photographic Prints Digital chromogenic print (or c-print) (photo lab; digital C; laser chromogenic; digital RA-4; chemical dye; lab print) A digital C-print is the same as a conventional photographic print, in that sensitized paper is exposed to light and then chemically processed. The only difference to traditional film prints is that instead of light coming from a traditional enlarging lamp in the dark room, it s coming from a laser or an LED. The skill of the technician, how often the chemistry is changed and the printer is calibrated, and the quality of the ICC profiles all make a huge difference. C-Prints are dye based which means that they are more susceptible to fade over time. If stored in a dark area they can be expected to last for years. Other factors (above) also affect longevity.

8 Photographic Prints Inkjet Prints (fine-art prints, art prints, pigment prints) Inkjets prints spray thousands of really minute droplets of ink to make an image. They vary in size and spacing giving the illusion from afar of a continuous tone only at a microscopic level could you see spaces between those droplets Inkjet prints that use pigment are less likely to fade over time. If stored in a dark area they can be expected to last for 90+ years. However there are inkjets that use dyes, those are more susceptible to fade like c-prints.

9 Photographic Prints Atlantic Photo Supply: Digital Prints (C-Printing), Art Prints (Inkjet) Henry s: Digital Prints (C-Printing) Blacks: Digital Prints (C-Printing), Art Prints (Inkjet) Costco: Digital Prints (C-Printing) Shopper s: Digital Prints (C-Printing) Superstore: Digital Prints (C-Printing) Walmart: Digital Prints (C-Printing)

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11 Photo Books Blurb.ca All of Blurb s photo book paper types are archival quality and acid-free. All of our books should last as long as a typical bookstore book with proper care. Keep books away from direct sun, excessive heat, and moisture and they ll have long, happy lives! Photobookcanada.com The Premium Silk paper provides a professional feel with its smooth and soft quality. Made with nothing but premium material, your photos are given a timeless appeal, simplicity, and amazing quality. The 150 gsm Superfine Eggshell range gives you an archival feel with a subtle rough surface. Its unique PE-coated surface makes it smudge repellent and ensures outstanding image permanence. Staples Ever Flat paper is FSC certified and guaranteed for +100 year archievability. zno.com (**USA Based, duty**) Digital C-Prints and Art Print options available Others: Blacks, Costco, elephoto.ca, photolab.ca (Superstore) USA: Snapfish.com, Shutterfly.com, Mixbook.com, Adoramapix.com- Chelsea Fine Art Book is archival quality

12 Photography Sharing Sites Flickr Find your inspiration. Join the Flickr community, home to 13 billion photos and 2 million groups Flickr lets you store and share your own photos, and also to view and comment on the photographs of other users. You can organize your photographs into sets and galleries, and change privacy and other settings. Flickr s is a socially active photo sharing community. 500px A photo community for discovering, sharing, buying and selling inspiring photography powered by creative people worldwide. 500px users tend to share only their very best work; it is far more portfolio-oriented than Flickr. Specific sharing: irista.com, smugmug.com, cluster.co, myalbum.com, google photos

13 Photography Websites There s a reason most websites are powered by WordPress, but it may be overkill if you only need a portfolio. Cost: Free, but hosting and a domain name will cost at least $4 a month. Wix is simple to use and inexpensive. Yet, it has features designed for professional photographers. Cost: Starting for free (or $5 a month with a domain name registration). Unlimited bandwidth and custom photo products are some of the biggest perks to Zenfolio. Cost: Starting at $5 a month The photographer-focused platform makes it easy to build a website to do everything from selling prints to backing up photos and client proofing. Cost: Starting at $10 a month. A lovely, site builder for getting that high-end look, although the extra options can be a bit more overwhelming. Price: Starting at $12 a month SmugMug is a solid platform for selling prints online. Cost: Starting at $4 a month A quick, simple way to build a portfolio integrated within the programs many photographers already use. Cost: Included with Creative Cloud subscription, which starts at $10 a month. Designed specifically for e-commerce, Shopify is excellent for selling images online, but pricey and complicated if you just want a portfolio site. Cost: Starting at $29 a month. Cost: Free