As someone who does a lot of maternity photography and baby photography, I continually evaluate and reevaluate the best way to store photos. Why? Because the way humans take photos is constantly evolving, therefore, photo storage options must also always evolve…
…and because maternity photos and baby photos are moments that deserve to be treasured forever.
Is There One Good Way To Store Baby Photos?
To make a long story short — no. How you store your photos will depend on the type of photos you have.
Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers will likely have a mix of film and digital photos. Some of you might even be holding on to photo negatives! And while many younger parents have opted to use their phones to document their baby’s first steps, first teeth, and first words, they likely will get professional photos done at some point during their baby’s few months.
For film or printed photos, I suggest a few things. First, always use fresh film if you opt for film photography. That way, the photos always come out clearly. Next, store film at low temperatures and away from moisture and heat.
As soon as you can, after using your film, get it developed. Usually, you will have the option of obtaining digital files and physical photographs if you get them done at a film processing location. Opt for both, and upload your digital files to a hard drive and a cloud platform as soon as possible. Keep any film negatives stored somewhere cool and dry, and get those cute baby photos into an album ASAP!
Digital photos don’t require as much urgency or care, but I recommend getting digital and physical copies of your most precious photos. That way, if data loss occurs, you’ll have a physical copy, and if you lose your physical copy, you’ll have a digital copy. To store baby pictures digitally, save files to a cloud platform and a hard drive to prevent any data loss.
The Ups & Downs Of Online Photo Storage For Baby Pictures
Today, we have so many photos on our phones that many of us get the “storage almost full” message and immediately go to our photo app to delete unwanted selfies, brunch pictures, and duplicates to make room for more memories. This reality has made cloud storage an increasingly popular way to save photos.
Cloud photo storage, or online photo storage, involves backing up photographs to online storage space, like Google Photos, Google Drive, or iCloud Storage. This is relatively easy to do with phone photos because most phone companies make uploading simple and straightforward.
Some things to keep in mind with online photo storage:
- Pro: Cloud storage is scalable — meaning you can easily upgrade your storage whenever needed, and online storage options will only continue to improve.
- Con: iCloud storage (for iPhones) is directly linked to your phone, so if you delete your baby photos from your phone, they will be deleted from your iCloud. It doesn’t save room on your phone — it’s just there so if you get a new phone or lose your data during a software update you may easily retrieve it.
- Pro: Google drive is free but has a limit of 15GB of storage. Anything above that costs a minor monthly subscription.
- Con: You are technically giving another business permission to access your photos (it’s in most user contracts). Most online storage companies will never use your photos. Still, it’s good to review user contracts carefully before storing your photos in a private company’s cloud, especially when it comes to baby photos.
- Pro: Amazon’s photo app backs up your photos from your phone to your amazon account as you go, and it has unlimited storage for your photos.
- Con: Amazon photo does have limited video storage, so you might need to do a little extra storage organizing when it comes to your baby videos.
What is the Best Way To Store Photos?
I recommend keeping a hard drive and a cloud drive stocked with your photos on the off chance that something happens to one or the other. Do this for all photos you take, especially super precious ones like baby milestones and maternity photoshoots.
If you want to be extra careful, you may choose to print some of your most essential photos. I would not recommend printing all photos, but it can’t hurt to print your favorite professional maternity shots and newborn photos.
I, for one, am thankful that the days of getting back CVS photos with your dad’s thumb over the lens are mostly over. As an upside for my clients, I offer professional printing services for images from your sessions with me. You can order wall art, prints, and more from your newborn sessions or maternity sessions and have them delivered to you.
Looking to learn more about storing your newborn photos, maternity photos, or would you like to book an Austin maternity session or baby photoshoot? Let’s talk!
