We are taking more photos than any other generation before us, and at the same time we could be looking at a generation of
lost photographic memories.
Nowadays, mobile telephones have replaced cameras in many peoples lives. The average person might have 1000+ photos on their mobile telephone. I know from experience that most people do not have a backup of their photos and certainly do not have an offline or double backup.
Here’s what I usually hear when a neighbour or friend phones with his newest life threatening problem. Hi Stephen, how are you and by the way ‘my computer/Mobile just died, can you see if you can fix it and get back all my stuff, as I need all my stuff’. What stuff would that be, I answer you want your documents? yes, but I really need all my photos back. I usually reply with did you not make a backup? they reply with, no as I never got around to it, or I had no time.
Before we had all this technology we used to take photos with a camera and send them off to get printed. They arrived, we looked at them, showed them around and put them in a shoe box on top of the cupboard. Twenty-odd years later we would take them down have a laugh and pass them on to our children. As time goes on we realise that these old photos are actually very precious to us, so why do we let this happen.
I think it might be due to the fact that technology is moving faster than most people can keep up with. People find it a job in itself just figuring out how it all works. I notice quite a lot of people just expect their PC or mobile phone to just work and only start to worry when things actually go wrong.
As ICT manager you would be shot dead, fired and hung out for the birds if the system crashed and the companies data were lost. Not only an onsite backup, but an extra offsite backup is essential in case of fire or robbery. Online storage/cloud and external hard drives are becoming cheaper and easier to use. Take an hour or so to figure out how your Google, Apple or similar online account works, or invest in either of the above mentioned. It’s a big relief, a lot cheaper and a lot less strife when your appliance eventually does die on you.
Recently I have started to make, via photo book websites, photo books for people I know as birthday presents. The photos I use are usually of
themselves,their grand children or other family members doing stupid things. You can with the use of templates and built in layouts get beautiful results.
Making a photo book online and getting it printed, is a great and easy way to
preserve our precious photos for the next generation to come.
Stephen Cassidy 1986