So as of writing this, I have Netflix playing on one monitor while searching for a new external hard drive for my iMac. I have a 5TB option now that is great but since recently switching back to Apple products, my drive is read-only and that's not helpful. I thought I had formatted it properly to read and write via Mac and PC but apparently, I was wrong. As much as I loathe admitting my shortcomings, I must admit my failure here. Anyone who takes digital photos, on your phone or with a camera you NEED to be backing your information up somewhere. I won't get into options or my opinions on them but wanted to bring some simple awareness to the matter. I am happy to help you find the drive or online service that would work best for you but since this is a case by case basis, I would ask you reach out to me personally on this matter. Not all options are created equally.
Why is it important to back this information up? Maybe you have the brand new phone ( pick your poison here ) and accidentally drop it in the pool before you could upload your files to the cloud. So now they cease to exist. Maybe you're new to photography, graphic design, or even writing and without backing up your data, its simply playing a modern version of Russian Roulette. One power surge and everything disappears. If you work on an iPad, laptop, or desktop you are at risk. Don't get me wrong, you may never have a hard drive crash, or power surge failure but isn't your work worth protecting? Archiving and passed down to others? Life happens constantly and our technology is as vulnerable time itself.
This is especially true due to living in a society so dependent on immediate gratification. We take images to upload to social media hoping for what exactly? Likes? Hearts? Attention? We post them and they are as good as gone. On to the next image, the next big thing. Don't get me wrong, I truly enjoy social media myself but I am trying desperately to keep that to a minimum and to try and help promote business. I also enjoy keeping up with my friends and colleagues but what happens if those servers go down as well. Unlikely I know but what if? User data drives these sites and when that data fades, a new platform steps up. See ya later Myspace, and hello Facebook.
Ok, let's get serious here for a moment if I may. I would truly enjoy comments below answering this question. When is the last time you printed your work? If you're writing a novel, and only posses a digital version and there happens to be a failure, then what? I am thrilled to say that we are seeing an uprise of film shooters and the analog community grow as a whole. Why is this important? Well, you will have to follow me on Youtube for the answer to that as I am trying to gather my thoughts for my next video.
My advice to you? Print that novel, print your photos and look for the invaluable attachment that is possible in the tangible. Don't get me wrong, I love my technology and hope its last forever but I also don't want anything to happen to me, leaving my loved ones hacking into my electronic database for memories of and with me. Hoping to find some digital link to who I was and the life I lived. This is truly a sad state of mind if you take a moment to consider this.
I hope if you are a writer, I hope you have a favorite pen, a photographer with your favorite print, graphic artist with a framed piece hanging for all to enjoy somewhere. We desperately need more actual, physical pieces of our work in this digital world. When is the last time you visited a loved one and flipped through a photo album? How did that make you feel? Did it connect you to a moment in a way that your Instagram feed simply lacks? Of course, it did, and thankfully so. I hope you find inspiration here, in my work but more importantly in your own.
