"Backing Up Is Hard To Do"

By: Scott Bourne

I make backups of my images as part of my daily routine. My Mac G5 has a built in CD/DVD burner and I can rip off a full CD in less than five minutes. It is a part of my regular workflow now that I shoot everything digitally.

But is it safe?

I always assumed that CDs would last forever. But research shows that is not always the case. CDs might deteriorate in less than 15 years. So what can you do?

I do believe that CDs are a reasonably safe method of storing photographic images, if you follow these guidelines.

QUALITY COUNTS

Since you are going to trust these little round discs to hold your precious photographs don't try to save money by using cheap CDs. Buying the cheapest blank CDs you can find may be the worst decision you make during your photographic career. These cheap CDs can cause problems.

In my experience, I've found that the gold discs give the best performance. Mitsui or Quantegy are good choices.

Why gold? Gold foil layers don't oxidize. Oxidation is one of the downfalls of the cheap CDs. They can become unreadable.

Like anything else, you get what you pay for. Gold discs offer better quality control, are properly balanced and usually have an extra layer of scratch protection.

CARE

Take time when writing to the CD. Use the ISO 9660 standard. This assures the best compatibility. Also, don't necessarily use the fastest speed your CD-burner is capable of. This increases the chances of write errors. Later, when you want to retrieve the file, if there is an error, you're stuck. I also use the "file verify" and "compare" options in the burner software to make sure I get an exact copy.

Of course after burning the CD, you need to label it right?Wrong! The top of the CD, NOT the bottom, is the most fragile!Most damage comes from labeling the CD. The adhesives used in labels, and the dyes used in ink pens, is being applied to the foil layer of the disc. If that gets damaged, you will be very unhappy.

I don't put labels on my CDs. I also don't write on them. I simply put them into a sleeve or jewel case that has been labeled. Yes, the CD could become disassociated with the sleeve or case but if that happens, I just need a second to read the disc to see what it contains. I can then re-sleeve and re-label it.

This system assures the best care of the fragile foil layer of the CD. But if you do apply a label to your CD, make sure to get one with acid-free materials. This will cost more but will last longer. Eventually, the adhesive will probably damage the CD, so make sure to backup your backup every two years as a precaution.

STORAGE

Store your CDs at reasonably low humidity and temperature. Room temperature is the ideal storage temperature with a relative humidity of 10 to 50%. You're better of if you avoid great temperature swings. DON'T store your CDs in the garage! Keeping the CDs in protective sleeves of some kind is ideal. You should put the sleeved CD in a box or filing cabinet away from bright light and sealed from dust. Jewel cases offer the best protection for your CDs.

If you want to catalog the contents of the CD, don't do it on an insert. The acid in the paper will eat at the CD's coating over time. Attach the catalog list to the sleeve or jewel case.

BACKUP YOUR BACKUP

My rule of thumb is simple: if I make one copy, I make two. If I am taking the time to burn a CD, it takes less time to burn a second, identical copy at the same time so why not just make two at once? I store one copy in my office and one at home. That way I have double the protection.

I also go one step further: I make a copy to a spare hard disk. With hard disk storage getting cheaper by the day, I decided that I could afford to keep a third copy of each image on a local drive. I purchase external USB 2.0 or Firewire 800 drives that I can daisy chain onto my existing system. I paid $189 for 200 gigsof fast hard disk storage last month. That will hold approximately 1000 high-resolution images. Since the drives are external, I can easily move them between systems and I don't have to worry about system-induced crashes since the OS resides on my internal hard disks.

LOOKING FORWARD

The future is DVD. In less than a year, DVD burners will come with nearly every new computer. DVDs will hold more information and at least in theory, will last as long or longer than CDs. Beyond DVD, who knows what's next. I plan to copy my images onto DVD, when it becomes practical. Then I will have yet another safety valve in case the CD-ROM format goes out of style (ala the 8-track) or in case of disc damage.

CONCLUSION

Before all these newfangled computers came into our lives, we shot film and stored negatives. When we stored negs and slides, we had to worry about light, heat, humidity, temperature, etc. Nothing has really changed. Except chances are, CDs will last longer than film in identical conditions, and it may be harder to find a wet darkroom in 15 years than a CD-ROM player.

RESOURCES

Mitsui Web Site: http://www.mitsuicdr.com/products/gold/index.html

Article Copyright 2005, Scott Bourne - Photofocus Magazine

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Scott Bourne is a professional photographer, author, teacher and pioneer in the digital imaging field. His career started in the early 1970s as a stringer covering motor sports for Associated Press in Indianapolis. Since then, he has shot commercial, portrait, wedding, magazine and fine art assignments. His present passion is wildlife photography.

Scott is the author of "88 Secrets to Selling & Publishing Your Photography" and "88 Secrets to Photoshop for Photographers." Both are available from Olympic Mountain School Press, http://www.mountainschoolpress.com. His work has also appeared in books, magazines, galleries, calendars, on greeting cards, web sites and on posters.

Scott regularly lectures on a variety of photo and media-related subjects. He has appeared on national television and radio programs and has written columns for several national magazines. He is the publisher of Photofocus.com, an online magazine for serious photographers and also runs the Olympic Mountain School of Photography in Gig Harbor, Washington near Seattle.

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