Boring Backups

I had a good question from Helen asking me “what is your procedure for downloading, storing and backing up your pictures?”

It is probably convoluted and somewhat ridiculous, but here is my routine. In list form. Of course.

• I download the photos to my computer. Obviously.
• I view the photos that I have taken. I immediately delete the ones for which there are no hope of recovering/printing.
• I then go through and edit the ones remaining. Sometimes you will take a photo that is not bad…but is not great.

The snot trails do not help.

You edit it.

It then becomes one of your all-time favourites. And is the wallpaper on your computer.

Then? For the sake of a Foto Friday post? You do some different editing.

Huh. I like this one too.

• OK. So I then decide which photos are “print/post worthy”. The rest get deleted. Yes, deleted. I can take a hundred photos in a day, so that can add up REAL FAST.
• I upload the photos I want to develop to Shutterfly. If you do not use Shutterfly…WHY DON’T YOU?
• I also upload photos to Flickr. There is nothing like overkill.
• I bought an external hard drive last year after my hard drive froze up on me with an error message that read something like, “IF YOU SO MUCH AS PUT ONE MORE PHOTO ON THIS COMPUTER I WILL EXPLODE.”
• After I delete/edit/delete/upload photos, I save a copy to my external drive.
• At the end of each month I burn that month’s photos to a DVD. Then, and only then, do I delete them from my memory card.
• If my computer were to explode mid-month, my photos are on the external, Shutterfly, and (most) are on Flickr. I’m covered.
• The end.

If you have a better system, I am ALL EARS.

Bracketing

Last week I was saying that I am a chicken have not often used the fully Manual settings on my camera due to the whole metering dealio. Teej (We’re (kind of) related. I think. Through my sister Mel’s husband. I think.) mentioned “bracketing”.

I had read about bracketing, but had not tried it yet. This week? I tried it.

Your eyes are glazing over. Stay with me!

What is bracketing, you ask?

It is cool. And simple.

Here is the low down.

Either use Manual or (Aperture priority) mode.

To quote last week:

Metering adjusts your shutter speed, which is the amount of time your camera’s shutter stays open. The shutter open a longer time = more light hits the sensor. It also means a greater chance of blur due to the shutter just staying open while your kids do back flips. The shutter open a shorter time = less light hits the sensor. Less chance for blur as well.

Switch the dial to M (Av will work too).

Pick your ISO and White Balance.

I do not know about other cameras, but for the Canon, you do this:

• Click on the “menu” button.
• Click on AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing)
• Follow your camera’s manual instructions for how to set the bracketing (I’m trying not to bore you with technicalities, folks)

(I was taking the following photos when I was working having “me” time while Emily napped and the boys watched Treehouse played independently. I chose Emily’s Easter shoes. I love them. She wore them ONCE before she outgrew them. The girl is off the charts for height and size, people. She’s wearing 2T clothing. We make ‘em big over here.

Once you set your the AEB on your camera, it will take the photo based on the shutter speed you choose to take your photo (the metering dealio).

Then it will take the next shot in a lower exposure than the first shot, based on how many stops you set it to.

This means it will be a darker photo.

The third shot will be at a higher exposure than the first shot.

This means it will be a brighter photo.

(This is my NoBloShoeMo submission for today).

In the matter of a few short seconds, you have three differently metered photos to choose from. Sweet.

You can also play with the exposure in programs such as Lightroom, so if you do not bracket you can always adjust it later. Like this one:

I am so going to pull this one out when they are teenagers.

*cackle, cackle*

I hope some of this helped. At least a little. Feedback is what keeps these Foto Friday posts running.

What should we cover next week?

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