→ Backup systems for travel photography

Alastair Humphries writes:

Backing up your photographs when you are out on an adventure is a sensible idea.

If you carry a laptop on your trip and have access to power, then the process is very simple.

If you don’t have access to power, you have a choice between carrying sufficient batteries to last through your trip (my preferred option on trips lasting up to a couple of weeks) or using solar power to charge your batteries.

If you don’t have a laptop you need a way to get your photos off your camera and onto a hard drive. Ideally you would have sufficient memory cards for your trip so that you don’t need to wipe your card. This means you still have two copies of your images (albeit still stored worryingly in the same backpack).

This is a good overview of a foolproof system for the adventurer operating in remote (or not so remote) corners of the globe. Most of the items he describes are either the same or very similar to items I also own, although I haven’t yet made the step of purchasing a wireless hard drive – and I probably wouldn’t take all of these items on every trip, because I’m a gram miser when it comes to pack weight.

Because I use an Android phone, I can use a simple Micro USB SD card reader for photo transfer. Many cameras now support Wi-Fi transfer, negating the need for any hardware at all. Nevertheless, robust power backup and a means of getting photos from your camera onto your smartphone are essential tools for adventurers who take photography seriously.

Read the full post here.