Ensure your photographs stand the test of time with our guide to future-proofing your digital images
There’s no doubt a photograph can be an extremely powerful thing from the moment it is captured, but the addition of time can really add something special. As years go by, even what once seemed like the most mundane of images can become remarkable.
Many of us have enjoyed looking at old photographs, traveling back in time to admire the fashion, laugh at the hairstyles, and romanticize the years gone by. But have you ever considered how future generations will do the same with your photographs?
Since the transition to digital photography, the ever-evolving nature of technology has seen photo storage go through a number of different formats, with those that are replaced quickly becoming forgotten.
For example, even as late as 2010, many photographers could still be found writing their images to DVD-Rs. However, just 12 years later the format is all but obsolete, with disk drives no longer a standard feature on most modern personal computers and the disks themselves useful as little more than coasters in many of today’s homes and offices.
With the decline of printed albums and the possible risk of format obsolescence, it is important to ensure that you have done everything you can to future-proof your digital images so they can be enjoyed in years to come. So what are the key things to consider?
Using the most accessible digital image file format
It is not just hardware that changes – software does too. Updates take place frequently – often automatically – and as software evolves, so do supported file formats.
For example, we have recently seen the introduction of the HEIC file format on Apple devices. This proprietary image file format was introduced with the iOS 11 update and is the only format used by iPhone and iPad cameras operating on that system or later.
This evolution of file types presents two concerns. On one hand, as more are introduced and those that have been superseded become less common, there is a danger the latter could slip into obsolescence.
On the other, new file formats such as HEIC, which has limited support outside Apple’s ecosystem, restrict wider compatibility and could potentially cause problems in the future. For example, while unlikely, there is a possibility that in 50 years’ time Apple may no longer exist.
Learn more: Image file formats: Which is best and how to convert between formats
For this reason, where possible, it is a good idea to save your most treasured photographs in a format that is widely accessible and compatible across hardware to ensure it will stand the test of time.
Most smartphone cameras do not offer the option to choose what file type is used, although it is relatively easy to convert files after taking them using photo-editing software or online converters.
Shooting Raw
If you’re using a mirrorless or DSLR camera, you will have the option to take photos as Raw files in addition to standard JPEGs. This option is also available on more premium compact cameras and an increasing number of smartphones.
As the name suggests, a Raw file contains all image data captured by the camera’s sensor in its entirety, without the usual processing. This data is also typically losslessly compressed or uncompressed, which helps to preserve maximum quality.
The advantage of this is that, by using a Raw file as your starting point, it is possible to create most other image file types with the highest possible quality. For this reason, it is one of the most futureproof image file formats.
That said, even Raw files are susceptible to the unstoppable evolution of the digital world, and camera manufacturers tend to offer different formats from one another, from Canon’s CRW, CR2, and CR3 files to Nikon’s NEF and NRW files and Sony’s ARW, SRF, and SR2 files.
As specific cameras and their corresponding Raw files grow older and less common, there may come a time when photo-editing software simply stops supporting them. In an effort to combat this, Adobe created the DNG format.
What is a DNG file?
A DNG or ‘Digital Negative’ file is an open standard for the Raw file format. It was developed by Adobe and is designed to provide universal compatibility across hardware and software providers.
Not only does this make DNG files future-proof but they are also smaller, so they take up less storage space.
While this sounds like the perfect file-storage solution, the problem with DNG files is that they have not enjoyed widespread adoption. While some cameras, such as those manufactured by Leica and Pentax, can write DNG files natively, many still use their own specific Raw file formats.
It is, of course, possible to convert Raw files to DNGs before archiving, but this can be a time-consuming addition to already busy workflows. Nevertheless, many would argue that this is a small price to pay to ensure the most future-proof image file format available.
Employing an effective digital image filing system
A digital image archive is only as good as its filing system. That’s why it is important to ensure that your images are appropriately labeled and arranged in a way that is easily accessible.
What constitutes an easily accessible filing system is entirely dependent on the collection of images and your own personal preference.
A good way to approach it is to start at the end. Consider your future self, searching for an image. How would you begin that search? By date? By location? By genre?
Alternatively, think of a filing system you have used in the past that you have found most intuitive and replicate that.
Another thing to remember is to always attach and preserve accurate metadata to the images you take. This will ensure you always have a reliable record of when, how, and even where each photo was taken (provided your camera supports geolocation and the feature is activated).
Choosing reliable digital image storage
In a study carried out by the Library of Congress into the longevity of information stored on CDs, almost 10% of disks tested failed within 25 years of their manufacture, when subjected to an accelerated aging process designed to simulate this length of time.
Given that the first mainstream digital cameras were released in the late 1980s, it’s startling to consider how many treasured memories are tucked away on disks at the back of cupboards that are in genuine danger of disappearing forever.
For this reason, it is important to ensure your photo storage stays up to date. Below, we offer some ways to ensure yours is as future-proof and dependable as possible.
Cloud storage
Probably the most well-known and convenient form of digital image storage is cloud storage. Cloud storage refers to storage space that is located away from a physical device you own, and accessed via an internet connection.
A big advantage of cloud storage is that, in many cases, it backs up your images in real time, as soon as they appear on your device. This eliminates often tedious periodical manual backups.
Popular cloud storage solutions include Dropbox, Google Drive, SmartFrame, Microsoft OneDrive, and Apple iCloud.
While cloud storage does offer convenience, it is worth remembering that the space is only yours for as long as you can pay the subscription fee.
External hard drive
Another option is to create a backup of your photos on an external hard drive, which can either replace or complement cloud storage. The two most popular forms are solid state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs), and both of these have specific advantages over the other.
While SSDs are the most reliable, they do come at a cost, so many people opt for the more affordable HDD option instead, which comes in a variety of capacities to suit most requirements.
External hard drives are more expensive than cloud storage in the short term, but it is a one-off payment compared to an ongoing subscription. Additionally, they offer the added security of being offline, keeping you in complete control of their whereabouts.
While external hard drives do come with many advantages, remember that they are physical objects – some with moving parts – and are therefore susceptible to wear, damage, and malfunction.
Second backup
A great way to protect yourself against the unexpected loss of your digital image archive is to create a second backup.
One hard drive failure is possible, but the chance of it happening twice is naturally far slimmer.
It is also well worth considering storing the second backup in a different location to the first, as this can protect against burglaries, fire damage, and similar issues.
RAID storage
For the ultimate reliability, consider a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage setup. A RAID device is made up of a number of different individual hard drives that are connected using disk mirroring or disk striping to allow photographers to write their digital images to multiple different hard drives simultaneously.
This setup not only improves performance but also increases fault tolerance to maximize reliability.
Printing
Finally, while the world we live in is becoming increasingly digital, it would be remiss of us not to mention the good old-fashioned photographic print.
Granted, a photographic print does not provide the option to produce high-resolution copies, but it can be a great way to physically back up your memories.
Of course, with the average person taking hundreds, if not thousands of photos a year – and keen photographers likely to take considerably more – most of us will not have the physical storage space to print every photo.
However, by being selective, it is possible to create a collection of your most treasured memories that will last a lifetime, regardless of future advances in digital storage technology. After all, the healthy human eye will always be able to see a printed photograph.
SmartFrame’s innovative image-streaming technology offers photographers a secure storage and online display solution that can even provide additional income. Learn more here.
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