[font color=\'#000000\']I really don't think anyone yet has addressed your original question. It seems it's all been off-topic giving advice on differeing media for backup rather than telling you how to do it with what you have now.
The "easiest" way to do it is to use a backup software which can "automate" the procedure. One of the problems frequently encountered is separation of your images so you don't risk overwriting because of duplilcate file names. If you shoot a lot, you will eventially begin to have duplicate file names. Also if you use more than one digial camera of the same make, you may experience this.
One way to start is to make a folder called "photos" or such. Inside this folder make folders for your images based on the date of their capture. I use a combo of names and numbers such as jan042004 or feb232004. This way you provide a single base folder which automated processes can access and simply pick up all folders within.
There are numerous good and inexpensive software programs available which will allow you to use your rewritable DVD or write once DVD as backup media. One I've used with removable hard disks and with CD/DVD media is Genie Back Manager which works well in my experience.
http://www.genie-soft.com/default.htmlOnce you have the fairly simple backup defined you simply put your backup disk in the DVD drive and start the program which mirrors the information for you to DVD or CD.
DVD/CD may not be the "best" overall solution, especially for the professional, but it's a darn site better than NO backup. The most "reliable" and longest archival backups are done to Magneto-optical media which have a shelf life of around 100 years. Next is high quality tape such as DLT, SDLT, Ultrium LTO, etc., which have around a 35 year shelf life. These, however, are rather expensive solutions. My own backups are done to both Ultrium LTO and Magneto-optical media, but my backup drives alone cost me around $8,000. Were I simply doing it for pleasure rather than professionally I probably would be quite happy with DVD.
Best regards,
Lin[/font]