How to Safely Store Your Digital Photos

mother taking photo of baby
iStock.com/Alija

Now that you have a baby, every moment you capture is extra savor-worthy -- whether you've snapped a pic with a DSLR or your trusty cell phone. You don't want a computer crash or a lost phone to wipe out your photo collection forever. Consider taking this photographer's advice as well as tips from fellow moms on ways to back up your photos, so you never lose these beautiful mementos of life with baby.

Make a 'Set It & Forget It' Backup Plan

"Digital photos can be safely stored in a variety of places for a relatively low cost. In addition to having them on your hard drive, it's important to upload them to one or two online storage services for backup. Some popular services include Amazon Photos, Google Photos, and CrashPlan.

"Ideally, photo backup should happen automatically so you don't have to remember. Online storage services offer the option of automatically backing up your computer folders and even the photos on...

"Ideally, photo backup should happen automatically so you don't have to remember. Online storage services offer the option of automatically backing up your computer folders and even the photos on your smartphone. The key is to find a convenient solution so you can 'set it and forget it.' This is the most reliable way to make sure there will always be a backup.

"Printed photos and albums are best stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. You'll want to make sure they're out of reach for your little ones, just in case." -- Mike Peyzner, Choco Studio, San Francisco, California

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Make Sure to Save Full-Sized Photos

"Remember to back up the full-sized photo somewhere safe! Some apps and sites might not save a high-resolution image -- they might save a lower-resolution version, meaning if you print it out, the image might look blurry or pixilated! I have a separate hard drive where I transfer my photos periodically, because they don't all fit on my laptop. And just in case the computer crashes or breaks."

Automatically Back Up to the Cloud

"For me, thank goodness for the cloud."

Print Them Out

"I put them in good, old-fashioned photo albums! I get sad and nervous if my photos are not printed out. I have two kids, and I think logging onto Facebook in the future to show my daughters memories is not ideal. I take a ton of pictures, and every so often, I go through and pick some out to have in paper form."

Consider a Photo Storage App

"I use Amazon's Prime Photos app. There is free photo storage included with my Prime membership. It's easy to store all the photos I want, and I can access them on any device. I love it!"

Get Organized

"All of my old print photos are in photo albums, labeled, and arranged chronologically. My digital photos are on an external hard drive, arranged chronologically. The best of my vacation photos are online, on my traveling blog."

Make It Easy

"I use Google Photos. They automatically back up."

Consider an External Hard Drive

"I store my digital photos on an external hard drive. It holds 128 GB worth of pictures and was only like 50 bucks."

Look into a Printing Service

"Every month I print out all the pictures on my phone through an app. That way I know I will always have them."

External Hard Drives Are Not Foolproof

"I use Dropbox for my digital photos, and I keep photo albums for prints. I also make sure someone has a copy of my prints just in case. I made a mistake in the past: I had an external hard drive, and my son formatted the drive! So now I keep the photos online."

The advice on CafeMom aims to educate, inform, and provide a range of solutions to the issues moms care about. It is not a substitute for consultation with a medical professional or treatment for a specific condition. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified professional. Please contact your health-care provider with questions and concerns.

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