Photo Questions Answered: Organizing and Archiving Photos

Questions just keep rolling in at Verbatim’s user information site www.photostorageguide.com. General questions from people on how to gather, save, protect their family moments/memories photos and videos.

Here are answers to some of the latest:

Q. I want to organize and archive my photos. Where do I start?

A. Start by giving your photos descriptive file names. This will speed the search process. If you name the files as you download them, you won't have to go back and view each one to name it. You can also use the tag capability offered with most photo applications to attach a keyword (or many keywords) to a photo file. You can also organize your photos by creating folders for various themes, i.e., family vacations, reunions, and various family members.

If the task seems overwhelming, start with the most recent photos and work your way back through the older ones.

Q. Why shouldn't I just use an online backup service for all my archiving needs?

A. If you use an online backup service as your sole archiving method, you'll be entrusting all your valuable photos to an outside source that could go out of business or otherwise place your data at risk.

Q. I upload all my important photos to a photo-sharing site. Do I still need to archive them to DVD?

A. Photo-sharing sites can save you from having to send out a massive email with photo attachments, but they generally have monthly bandwidth, file size or other limitations. As a result, yes, you do still need to protect your photos by archiving them to disc.

For more photo tips and solutions, visit PhotoStorageGuide.com.