One thing's for certain:We sure do take a lot more pictures now that we have a digital camera.
Right? The problem is ...
what to do with all this files once we have them? Here are my suggestions: 1.
Get them out of the camera and off the memory card they're stored on.
2.
Use the software that came with your camera to view, evaluate and sort them.
3.
With most software programs you can separate the good ones you might want to print or share from the not-so-good ones that'll end up in the Trash or Recycle Bin sooner or later.
Create a new - separate - folder for the good ones so you won't get confused later.
(For image editing pointers, check out the "Photoshop Tips" page on my website.
(See Link below) 4.
Once you're sure your files are safely downloaded, use the camera's (NOT your Computer's) "Erase All" or "Reformat" option to clean these files off the card so the camera is ready to use next time ...
and you don't get confused wondering which files are which.
"Let's see ...
Were these the pictures I took last Christmas ...
or was it Easter, 2006?" 5.
Of course, you can leave all your photo files on your hard drive and forget about it ...
until you start running out of space.
Then you'll have to decide whether to keep stuff that you'll probably never look at again or store it elsewhere.
Assuming you want to keep these files, here are the two best ways to do it: - Buy an external hard drive and drag everything there.
(This is also a good backup and safety measure for protecting your files - photo and otherwise - because someday your computer's hard drive IS going to crash.
They all do sooner or later.
) - Copy photo files to either a CD or DVD.
Label them appropriately and store them in a box somewhere.
CDs hold about 700 megabytes of data, DVDs hold 4 gigabytes or more.
I suggest that you use only "R," not "RW," CD disks.
They're more stable and can't be accidentally erased or overwritten.
I prefer to use the external/internal hard drive approach these days.
I have a HUGE external USB drive that's connected through my router to all three of the computers in my house and studio.
That's where just about everything gets stored.
I also own two 80 gig external Firewire drives, another 120 gig external (just for my laptop), and a second internal 120 gig drive that automatically backs up my main hard drive three times a week.
Obviously, unless you're a complete photo-nut like me, you probably don't need THIS much storage.
But you DO NEED something.
So decide what it will be.
Choose your system - disks or hard drives - and develop the habit of using your system consistently.
Remember ...
these are YOUR pictures.
These are the images you've created to record the important people, places and events of your life!
Right? The problem is ...
what to do with all this files once we have them? Here are my suggestions: 1.
Get them out of the camera and off the memory card they're stored on.
2.
Use the software that came with your camera to view, evaluate and sort them.
3.
With most software programs you can separate the good ones you might want to print or share from the not-so-good ones that'll end up in the Trash or Recycle Bin sooner or later.
Create a new - separate - folder for the good ones so you won't get confused later.
(For image editing pointers, check out the "Photoshop Tips" page on my website.
(See Link below) 4.
Once you're sure your files are safely downloaded, use the camera's (NOT your Computer's) "Erase All" or "Reformat" option to clean these files off the card so the camera is ready to use next time ...
and you don't get confused wondering which files are which.
"Let's see ...
Were these the pictures I took last Christmas ...
or was it Easter, 2006?" 5.
Of course, you can leave all your photo files on your hard drive and forget about it ...
until you start running out of space.
Then you'll have to decide whether to keep stuff that you'll probably never look at again or store it elsewhere.
Assuming you want to keep these files, here are the two best ways to do it: - Buy an external hard drive and drag everything there.
(This is also a good backup and safety measure for protecting your files - photo and otherwise - because someday your computer's hard drive IS going to crash.
They all do sooner or later.
) - Copy photo files to either a CD or DVD.
Label them appropriately and store them in a box somewhere.
CDs hold about 700 megabytes of data, DVDs hold 4 gigabytes or more.
I suggest that you use only "R," not "RW," CD disks.
They're more stable and can't be accidentally erased or overwritten.
I prefer to use the external/internal hard drive approach these days.
I have a HUGE external USB drive that's connected through my router to all three of the computers in my house and studio.
That's where just about everything gets stored.
I also own two 80 gig external Firewire drives, another 120 gig external (just for my laptop), and a second internal 120 gig drive that automatically backs up my main hard drive three times a week.
Obviously, unless you're a complete photo-nut like me, you probably don't need THIS much storage.
But you DO NEED something.
So decide what it will be.
Choose your system - disks or hard drives - and develop the habit of using your system consistently.
Remember ...
these are YOUR pictures.
These are the images you've created to record the important people, places and events of your life!
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