Preserving Digital Memories

I succumbed to the inevitible.  I bought a digital camera.  For being someone who loves his tech gadgets, I held off buying a digital camera for years for one reason and one reason alone.  The longevity of the digital photo is nowhere near the longevity of a traditional film photograph.  So why did I buy a digital camera?  I bought one for the very fact that I couldn’t find a decent film camera. 

So I broke down, but not without being prepared for the consequences.  Like I said before digital photographs are relatively instable; at least compared to film prints.  To view a digital photograph one needs a computer, electricity, and software that supports the digitial photograph file.  Because hardware and software changes very rapidly, the software that I have now to view my digital photo may not be around in the next 5-10 years.  My computer may crash tomorrow due to a hyperactive computer virus.   Digital photographs seem too instable to use as memory keepsakes for my important family moments.   I would rather have a traditional camera that makes a traditional print from film.

Well, they don’t really make those anymore as I came to find out.  Besides, who knows if anyone will know how to develop film cheaply in the next 5-10 years?  My argument against digital photos was gone.  So my hand was forced and I bought a nice Sony Cybershot.  

Well, I was pleasntly suprised to find out that digital cameras are really convenient because I can take about 500 photographs on one memory stick .  And after I upload the photographs I can delete them off the memory stick and use the memory stick again.  As an added benefit, I don’t have to waste my expenses on buying film anymore. 

However, I’m still not pleased with the instability and the work involved in preserving my family memories.  First, I have to remember to upload the photograps to my computer.  Then I have to label most of the photographs using photo software that allows metadata to be attached to each photo.  These first two points are actually comparible to a traditional photograph.  For a traditional photograph I would to remember to take the film to the store to be developed and then I would have to label each photograph on the back with a pencil.  Regardless, it’s the backup and migration work that will have to be done that has me in a tizzy.  Periodically, I’ll have to remember to backup my photographs to a external hard drive.  Then 5 years from now or so, I’ll have to remember to migrate my photographs to either a new external hardrive, file format, or computer.  Let the planning begin!

Here are some helpful links thay may help you in preserve your digital photographs.

Preserving Your Digital Memories

Savemymemories.org