Why your digital photos aren't as safe as you think

It will never happen to me. That's what I thought. I had heard anecdotes through social media about parents loosing pictures of their young children — some times even their entire libraries of baby photos gone with one fell swoop of a ticking hard drive. As a photographer, and someone who makes a living selling and preserving my work I figured I would never experience such a calamity. I was wrong. Well, at least partly wrong.

My wakeup call came a few months back when I went to retrieve one of my favorite photos of my son. I photographed him just before the Fourth of July holiday last year dashing from the beach and into an area lake without a care in the world for the summer wardrobe he was wearing. To me it's perfect. It exemplifies childhood. And best of all, he's completely unaware of the camera (a rarity in our household). As I searched through my external hard drive my finder window revealed the unmistakeable sight of a once perfect photo now rendered useless as a few fragmented strips of pixels. The digital file was corrupt. My heart sank.

The queasiness factor jumped to earthquake proportions when the reality of the situation sunk in. As a professional photographer I create 10s of thousands of photos for my clients each year. I take pride in protecting those memories and take all of the necessary steps to ensure this doesn't happen. Right? And yet there I sat, staring at my laptop knowing I couldn't even keep safe one of my favorite photos from my own family. So, was I faced with the hard truth that my precious memory was gone forever? No. And here's why: I print my photos. Yep, I know it sounds strange in the digital age of 64GB memory cards and 40 mega-pixel camera phones, but making high-quality, physical copies of your favorite pictures is still one of the easiest ways to safeguard against bit rot and file corruption. So, safe in my living room was a beautiful 24x36-inch wall portrait of my son's little adventure at the beach.

OK, the business owner in me needs to tell you that I actually did have this photo backed up in a redundant archive, so I was also able to find a "safe" version of the digital file in question. But there's always room for improvement to the way I do things and this situation did force me to review the entire way I approach backing up data and my photography workflow as a whole. I even consulted with a computer security systems expert who was baffled by the amount of data I'm tasked with protecting. To paraphrase him: "Hard drives are like good steaks in the freezer. It's not a matter of if they'll go bad but when." 50,000 images could disappear in an instant. Gulp.

In an effort to help bring some of this unsettling information to light, and to show you it doesn't have to be so scary (or daunting) to protect your photos, I've created this handy infographic (on the right). I mainly hope it illustrates that while the specific data on hardware failure rates is widely varied (it often comes down to what different manufacturers say about their own products), the threat of loosing digital photos forever is very real. But don't worry. We can help.

We can create fantastic photo gifts, print archival photographs and produce gorgeous books that will last for hundreds of years. I'll be making some changes at Anthologie, too.

Digital photo retirement schedule: Most people are shocked to learn how long I really do hold on to digital photos for my clients. However, the review of my workflow has made me realize it's not feasible or secure to continue preserving 40,000 to 70,000 new photographs each year in redundant archives. While digital storage continues to get more affordable, each frame I produce is more than 100MB. Do the math : ) New schedules will be in place to permanently remove photos from my archives. Existing clients can expect to be contacted by me for larger projects, such as weddings or a child's first year, before the images are purged. You will have the opportunity to purchase full-resolution printing rights at greatly reduced rates before the photos are deleted. If you have specific questions about your project, please feel free to contact me at info (at) theanthologie.com or by calling 952-232-5830.

Photo sessions with more options for copyright releases and digital files: While I have always offered the ability to purchase full-resolution printing rights, most people tend to opt for what's already included in their photography collection simply due to the cost savings. However, I will be creating more collections with a "middle ground" so that clients can back up and preserve their own digital photos right away.

Please feel free to share this information with others, and let me know what you think. Thanks for viewing!

Owatonna MN wedding photo newspaper | Ben and Deven

Preserve your wedding story today

What did you do on your first date? When is the first time you said "I love you to one another?" Do you know the answer? Will you in ten years? How about in 30? It's OK to admit some of these cherished memories that are focused in your mind today might fade over time. So why not preserve your story today?

At Anthologie, we offer a truly unique product that will not only record and archive the story of how your two lives became one, but will set your wedding apart from the rest. Our wedding newspapers feature an engaging story on the two of you written by talented writers (just read Suzanne Rook's story above), and insightful biographical information to share with future generations.

Once put into a clean design, your story and photos become a creative takeaway for your wedding guests. Use them as table favors and your guests will be entertained during cocktail hour, and may even provide a way to break the ice for those seated together that might not be well acquainted.

Contact us at info(at)theanthologie.com, or 952-232-5830 and preserve your story today!

Northfield, MN family holiday photographer

Traditions resonate close to home

I'm often asked what makes my approach to family photography different from most photography studios. The answer is simple: I don't do a lot of posing. Our photo sessions can be catered to any client's needs, but I typically spend about 20 percent of the time (at most) assembling groups and 80 percent of the time simply letting the family be themselves. This style was a perfect match for the Shank family as they prepared to say goodbye to their Northfield, MN home.

With the grown children scattered across the country and career opportunities taking them elsewhere, mom and dad decided it was time to move and downsize from their spacious home. But before they did, they wanted to have one last big family Christmas celebration under one roof. So, four generations of Shanks came together to do what they do best: celebrate family, food and the arts.

After a quick set up of posed large group photos indoors, we moved outside to capture the family in front of their home, an homage to this place where they had made so many wonderful memories (You'd be surprised how many folks don't have nice pictures of their family and their home together). After that, the family was free to carry on their holiday traditions, including reminiscing of years past, playing music, cooking and decorating. During this time I worked like a fly on the wall to create photos of the family being as natural as possible.

I was honored to, in some ways, be a part of such a special time for this family. Though I didn't have a lot of time to get to know them first I think I was still able to build a rapport with the family that pays dividends in the images. I think they look comfortable and happy. What do you think? Please comment on or share this post if you like what you see. And if you have your own family tradition you'd like to preserve, contact us today!

Thanks for viewing!

Minneapolis Family Christmas Photographer

There's no place like home for the holidays.

With my documentary approach to often doing long-term projects with photography, many of my clients become friends and feel like family. This year, the tables turned and I was able to photograph my longest-standing friend. Jon and I have been best friends since we were 3 years old! After being separated by contenants for a few years, it's been great to once again be living close together and watch as our families develop in synch. (We both have sons relatively the same age apart as Jon and myself).

Recently, Jon and his family purchased a new home and celebrated by trimming their first real Christmas tree. I'm sure his son will always remember that smell of Frasier Fir each time the holidays return. I love to capture these honest moments of the family in the midst of an unstaged event. Sure, eventually we put some semi-posed pictures together for their Christmas cards and the like, but most of the session was devoted to letting the family be themselves as they placed each ornament on the tree, practiced on the toy piano or played with their new puppy.

Please "like" this post on Facebook if you'd like to sit back and relax as I photograph your family during the holidays.

Thanks so much for viewing!

Elko New Market, MN newborn photographer | Maeva

One Month: Part Two in a Four-Part Series

A lot of times people ask what they can expect from a newborn photo session with Anthologie. Or better yet, they wonder how creating photo sessions on a monthly basis with the same child can yield photos compelling enough to merit doing them with such frequency. Some of my favorite clients have answered these questions time and time again.

As for what to expect, we work on building a relationship with you so that you're most comfortable simply being a family. Sure, we talk about different ideas for your session, but it's more about how your child is developing and showcasing those special changes in her personality rather than where the session will take place.

For a one-month-old like Maeva, that can be a challenge. There's only so much such an infant is interesting in doing other than eating, sleeping and exploring the world with her eyes. At this stage of development I like to work in the family's home. It's nice to have a record of where you were living at this important time, plus, it makes the whole family feel more at ease. There's plenty of time for a baby like Maeva to simply bond with her mom and dad.

Maeva also has her big sister, Stella, around to keep her entertained. This is been the most noticeable shift since working the first time around to document the first year of Stella's life. Now, when I work with the family to see and preserve what's new with Maeva each month, I also have an energetic toddler adding to the family dynamic.

This works perfectly, though, with our approach to family photography. Since Anthologie doesn't focus on bringing props a session, or what set-up poses to work through, we're free to simply let the family interact and create a lasting memory that, hopefully, tells more about who the family was at a given time rather than just what they looked like.

These are some of my absolute favorite pictures from Maeva's one-month photo session. I think you can tell just how honest these moments are between mom and dad and their babies.

I don't know what a photo session would be like with this family without Stella hamming it up for the camera just a little bit! Frequenters of our homepage may notice a similar image of Stella when she was 12 months old and making her parents laugh tears of joy. It's featured on our "relax" tab.

If you'd like to create some wonderful memories for your family and get stunning photos in the process, contact us today to reserve your photo session, and start telling your own story today.