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Author Topic: Cloud Storage for Photographers  (Read 60731 times)

SteveZ

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Cloud Storage for Photographers
« on: July 14, 2013, 03:14:15 pm »

After years of storing photos on disks, I've started looking into subscribing to a monthly cloud storage service to back up my photos. Does anyone else use cloud storage and, if so, which service would you recommend and why. I've remember reading that some cloud storage services don't back up RAW, PSD and TIFF files which for me is a deal breaker. Would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.
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jwstl

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2013, 09:35:39 pm »

Not long ago I tried out Bitcasa Infinite and I liked it well enough to subscribe. They offer unlimited storage, backup of all file types, and the ability to recover deleted files should you need it. I still backup Raw files to an external drive for normal use and I use Bitcasa as an offsite backup system. They offer a free 10GB option if you want to try it out before subscribing.

https://www.bitcasa.com/how-it-works
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Jeremy Roussak

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2013, 03:39:26 am »

After years of storing photos on disks, I've started looking into subscribing to a monthly cloud storage service to back up my photos. Does anyone else use cloud storage and, if so, which service would you recommend and why. I've remember reading that some cloud storage services don't back up RAW, PSD and TIFF files which for me is a deal breaker. Would appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

An important point to consider as well as ease and security of backup is ease of restore after a catastrophe at home/work. You've lost all your stuff; how long will it take to get it back? If all you can do is download over the net, the answer is, probably, a hell of a long time, perhaps several weeks. Some providers will put your data onto a hard drive and send it to you, which is potentially useful.

Jeremy
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Rhossydd

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #3 on: July 15, 2013, 05:33:38 am »

how long will it take to get it back? If all you can do is download over the net, the answer is, probably, a hell of a long time, perhaps several weeks.
Whilst you're right that it can take a long time to download lots of images, I don't see that as a deal killer of on-line storage. The chances are you'll never need all of your images back quickly, but you'll probably only need some quickly which may not be so onerous. The tricky bit can be finding the images you want if you've also lost cataloguing data or the directory structure doesn't match what you're used to.

The real deal killer for me is the huge time needed to upload the images in the first place.

It's well worth giving very serious consideration about how you organise and name your image collection before embarking on a major project like this. Try to work out how you'll recover from any complete data loss. If you think any changes might help, make them before you embark on months of uploading.
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SteveZ

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2013, 08:33:42 am »

My plan is to use cloud storage for selected images in a variety of file formats (raw, tiff, psd, etc.) not my complete image database, nor am not looking to replace external drives with cloud storage. My biggest concern is the some services don't recognize these formats.
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Rhossydd

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2013, 08:46:30 am »

My biggest concern is the some services don't recognize these formats.
Just ask who you're thinking of using seems the obvious answer.

I've not come across any service that offers online back up that won't deal with all legal* files myself.
Maybe there is some software that is task specific that won't routinely deal with some types of image file, but again I've never come across anything like that on desktop systems.

I use Google with GoodSync and Amazon with Jungle Disk respectively for online back ups and both work fine with all files types I've ever used.

*ie nothing that has illegal characters in the file name.
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Phil Indeblanc

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2013, 03:00:58 pm »

Even Flikr has a 1TB free storage option. If all your doing is looking for Cloud access and have it on HDDrives as backup.
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davidgp

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #7 on: August 20, 2013, 04:26:52 am »

I am using Backblaze right now. It automatically performs a backup of an entire compute (without OS files)... It is a subscription service that offers unlimited storage.

In case that you need to recover something, they offer several options. Download all or selected files compressed as zip... Or they can mail you a harddrive or pendrive with your data (you need to pay for the harddrive and shipping costs).

I am using it as final final backup solution, I have everything copied in several disks, but in case someone comes to my house and steals them, or if there is a fire... I know I have an alternative to recover my data.

Consider that you will need a good Internet connection. I have not access to those, and my initial backup took several months. After it, only the times that I do time lapses require a long time for the online backup keep up to date...

By the way, Backblaze usually upload first the smaller files, if you have a lot of videos, or big tiff files, those are the last ones to be uploaded...

EgillBjarki

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2013, 01:06:13 am »

To be able to access my whole work catalogue from anywhere, without having to log around drives, would be beyond useful. With larger RAW files and me getting more involved with video, internet speed does present a challenge.

For now, I back everything up manually and leave full hard-drives at different locations (in case of a disaster). When traveling, I carry the past 2 months of work with me on two (mirrored) drives. Sometimes clients misplace images and I want to be able provide them with good support from anywhere.

I honestly don't see this system change for me, unless internet speeds reach USB 2.0 levels in hotels. I suspect that will never happen :)

My biggest concern is the security of my work, I prefer it to be offline mainly for that reason. Hackers can be very thrifty...
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Vaards

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2013, 05:06:09 pm »

Before you start to use any cloud service, test it with some 5GB data (Up and down. Up and down). Then you will have table with some calculations for timframe - half a year to upload/download your collection. Or more.

I have fast interenet at home 200 Mbps, so, these 30-100kbps speeds drives me crazy. And as a consequence - I just use Gdrive, Skydrive and Copy.com for documents - where I have some hundreds of GB space, mostly empty - due to its slow service. Although they take any kind of files and even sharing service works good. Really easy to use, but slow.
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CamilleEdwards

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #10 on: October 31, 2013, 07:56:43 am »

I would suggest you look into Zoolz, I found it particularly  good because i can preview my backed up images especially with their RAW images support. So yeah they're quite good and inexpensive ( $3/month for unlimited storage. )

This is their website in case you want to check it out for yourself: http://www.zoolz.com/Zoolz_Home

Cheers
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Deardorff

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2013, 07:56:45 pm »

How will all this electronic storage fare with a Carrington event from a major Celestial electrical storm?

Just how shielded is this stuff?

How will all your property be protected from hackers and intruders over the net?

How much access will government and others have without your knowledge?

If you are hurt, disabled or somehow forget what you put where - who ends up with it? What rights do you lose when they decide to take you off the list, restrict your access or your computer glitches make it so you are unable to get to it for a time?

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Phil Indeblanc

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2013, 04:48:22 pm »

Another option for cloud storage is to do your own cloud backups.  Why not setup a system at a remote location, like a relatives house, a trusted person, or an office location and create that as your cloud? You can have online access, and if somewhat local physical access. Safe from most situations that a offsite backup would benefit from.

Best thing is to take a large HDD and mirror the images on it with some batch arrangement, and put it in a safe someplace offsite is good, some place local and offsite is better,

When it comes to my images, I can only rely on myself.
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phcorrigan

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #13 on: November 30, 2013, 03:11:15 pm »

Before you start to use any cloud service, test it with some 5GB data (Up and down. Up and down). Then you will have table with some calculations for timframe - half a year to upload/download your collection. Or more.

The problem with this is that some services that promise unlimited storage will throttle bandwidth as your storage usage increases, rendering your calculations somewhat useless.
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Patrick Corrigan
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budjames

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2013, 09:21:49 am »

I wouldn't trust my decade's worth of images to any online service for three main reasons - 1) upload/download speeds, 2) cost and, 3) Security - who is to say that the vendor remains in business or keeps the same business model. We all remember Google Newsgroups!

I currently use a Lacie 10TB 5Big RAID Thunderbolt drive as my main working storage connected to my 27" iMac. I store my movie events, Lightroom and Aperture databases on this unit which is very fast and whisper quiet. This is backed-up automatically every night to a Thunderbolt-connected Drobo 5D. I attached a photo of this setup.

A second automatic backup of my Lacie drive is made each night to a Drobo FS on my gigabit LAN.

Once a week a backup my images to a bare 4TB drive mounted in a NewerTech USB 3.0 drive dock. I have 2 bare backup drives that are rotated to my office for a secure offsite backup.

A 4TB partition on my Drobo 5D is dedicated for Time Machine backups of my iMac's internal drive.

I use Chronosync to automate the backups and SuperDuper to clone the internal drive on my iMac.

Drives are cheap.  B&H Photo has bare Hitachi 4TB drives for $179!

Cheers.
Bud
« Last Edit: December 01, 2013, 09:25:48 am by budjames »
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Bud James
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Phil Indeblanc

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Re: Cloud Storage for Photographers
« Reply #15 on: December 02, 2013, 11:36:18 pm »

That is a rather solid system. Mine is not that redundant, and not that frequent :-) ...but its there.
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