In the early days of the advent of digital photography on computers, there was not enough space for storing images, so they learned to save them separately. Now users have at their disposal not only computers, but also memory cards, external hard drives, various types of free software and cloud storage, which guarantee sufficient capacity and ease of finding photos in an instant.
Transferring Images from a Camera
To transfer files from a digital camera, it is connected to a computer using the appropriate USB cable. If you are using an alternative USB device, such as a flash drive, you need to connect it to the USB port of the PC, after which the removable disk icon will appear on the desktop. It is important to pre-prepare a place to store photos on your computer. This may be a new or existing folder in which personal photos will be stored.
In Windows, it is better to use the special system folder “My Pictures” in the “Documents and Settings” section. For Mac, you need to use “Pictures” in the “User” directory. Double-click on the desktop, on a removable disk or device, having studied the subfolders, and find the necessary photos. Right-click on the selection and click "Copy." Open the folder for images, right-click on the workspace, then click "Paste". The selected pictures will be copied to this location.
Repeat the same process for all images that need to be saved. It is recommended to archive photos in an organized manner so that they can be easily found when viewing, and for this you need to identify folders or albums and, if necessary, create new ones.
Digital Conversion
To save old photos, they must be converted to digital format via the "Scan" function. To do this, connect the scanner to the computer and wait for the system to recognize the device. Next, choose an application for capturing images on a PC.
Sequencing:
- Put the picture on the scanner and start the process.
- Make sure that it was successful by viewing the resulting image in a computer application.
- Save it by going to the File menu.
- Choose a name for the file and a place to place it.
- Repeat this process for any other pictures that are being scanned.
Application Storage
Before choosing an application for storing photos, you need to study the available options for the operating system. For Windows, these options include Windows Photo Gallery or Picasa. For Mac users - iPhoto, Picasa, Pixelmator and others.
Procedure:
- Install the application, if necessary, launch the installation wizard and restart the PC.
- Click on "Import" in the "File" menu. A viewing window will open.
- Select the files or folders to add to the library.
Most photo management applications allow you to edit, enhance, delete and store them.
Memory cards and external storage
All digital cameras store pictures on a memory card, which is usually mounted on the side or bottom of the case. Modern memory cards can store more than 100 GB, with 1 gigabyte [GB] = 1 thousand megabytes [MB]. The average has 16–32 GB, it can be easily purchased and relatively inexpensive.
Most popular cameras use SD cards, while more professional cameras have different formats. The beginning photographer has enough space on the map to save all his projects. External drives are connected to the PC via a USB cable, after which you can drag and drop photos from a folder onto it. Since they are small and light, you can give the disc to friends or family members who wish to copy the shared pictures. An external drive is also a great way to protect personal files from prying eyes.
Hard drive and flash drive
Experts do not particularly recommend using a hard drive to store photos because of the possible loss of images when it fails. A USB flash drive or flash drive looks like little key rings, and people often keep them in their key. Currently, they can store files of about 10 GB in size.
To use, you need to remove the cover, insert the end into the USB slot on the PC, and then drag the photos onto the storage icon that appears on the desktop. Remove the USB drive from the computer using the safe eject function, which takes several seconds. This is a great low-cost way to create an archive of a selected image group.
Storing photos on your computer’s internal hard drive is another option. This method is simple and makes them available. However, it is very important that you back up your photos in case the computer crashes or is stolen. Again, in such a situation, external hard drives have clear advantages.
Online snapshot storage
If the hard drive for storing photos on your PC is already full, there are a number of services on the Internet that will allow you to store photos for free. The most popular are image sharing sites Flickr, Photobucket, Shutterfly, etc. And you can also store them on Facebook. All of these websites allow you to add a certain number of photos to the free storage, but some of them may limit the number of photos uploaded per month. However, the photographer will probably not exceed the monthly limit for downloading a free account. Moreover, his images will be visible to other users on these sites for sharing.
If you need bulk storage of photos on the Internet without feedback, it is better to use the site to store files on the network. Websites such as DropBox, Mozy, Box.net offer a significant amount of free storage. Registering a free account is very simple. Microsoft also has its own cloud service on the Web under the umbrella of Windows Live - Windows SkyDrive. SkyDrive is free, you can register by simply clicking on the SkyDrive link at the top of the Windows Live home page.
Transfer photos from your phone or tablet
You can import images from the memory of mobile devices using the Photos application, which is installed on a PC.
The list of operations:
- Attach the item with the images on it to the computer using the USB charging cable. Connect the drive to a USB port.
- Insert the SD card into the PC reader.
- Open iTunes if you are using an iPhone or iPad and allow the phone / tablet to appear before continuing, otherwise the PC will not recognize the item as storage. Click the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen. The Start menu opens.
- Enter photos. This will lead to the search for the Photos application, which is a program that compiles all photos from a computer in one place. On many computers, the Windows Photos application is located in the Start menu by default.
- Click “Photos”. This application is located at the top of the Start menu.
- Click “Import”. It is located in the upper right corner of the Photos window. A drop-down menu will appear.
- Click on the USB device. It is located in the drop-down menu, scanning of connected elements with photos will begin. After the window with available images appears, you can continue.
- To batch transfer pictures to a PC, you need to click each and check the box against it or click the “Select All” link to import everything.
- If you need to change the folder into which photos are imported, the following actions are performed. Click "Change." Click the folder on the left side of the window. Click "Add this folder" in the "Pictures" in the lower right corner. Click "Finish" at the bottom of the window. Click “Import” at the bottom of the window. This will cause the photos to be imported onto the PC.
- After importing photos, a notification appears in the lower right corner of the PC screen.
Downloading drawings from the Internet
In order to download pictures from the Internet, you need to open any browser and enter search queries in the URL. For example, if you need an image of a forest, you can enter “pine trees” or something similar in the browser. During the search, you can narrow the results by including only images by clicking the “Images” tab next to the browser search bar.
The sequence of operations:
- Select and click on the photo you want to save, after which it will open. On some websites, clicking will redirect the user to another page. If so, click the back button of the browser, and then go to the next step.
- Right-click on a larger image. This will bring up a drop down menu.
- Click "Save Image As" in the middle of the drop-down menu. Clicking this option opens the File Explorer window. In some web browsers, this option may be “Save Image” or “Save”.
- Enter data for the image in the "File Name" field.
- Select a save location.
- In the left pane of the “Save As” window, click on the name of the folder in which you want to leave the image, for example, “Desktop”.
- The image will appear in the selected location after the download is complete.
Library image storage
Recent versions of Apple Aperture or iPhoto not only use the same library format, but also allow users to access multiple libraries - even those located on different media. This process is easier with Aperture, because the feature is built into the program. You can do the same with a keyboard shortcut or with a third-party application such as iPhoto Library Manager.
The concept is simple: moving images to a separate library stored on external media is not for daily viewing. By launching Aperture or iPhoto with the Option key pressed, you can simply switch libraries as you wish. This tip works best when libraries are contained in some kind of redundant storage, such as Drobo or NAS NAS, which also has the advantage of freeing up valuable internal storage on modern flash drives.
Cloud photo archive
Saving and backing up to the cloud is now a viable option. But not every cloud storage is well suited for serious photographers.
What is the “best” option depends on the features of the user's workflow, on what kind of control is needed, whether backup copies of each photo will be created, what security is needed and how much the user is willing to pay for the service. There is not a single cloud that is ideal for the workflow and preferences of the photographer.
There are endless cloud services. And many of them offer free or cheap storage options. Some of the more advanced options include photo storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, MediaFire, and Bitcasa, and many offer mobile apps for automatic backup of Camera Roll iOS devices. The same services work with libraries from desktop applications such as iPhoto, Aperture or Adobe Lightroom. You need to understand all this before creating a cloud for storing photos for free.
Typically, users want to leave these files in a folder on internal or external storage, in which desktop and cloud synchronization is configured for faster local access, and not a network drive that depends on Internet access. Bitcasa already offers this option, and other cloud services can do the same with software such as ExpanDrive.
Cloud PhotoServices for backup
There are cloud storage services, mobile applications of which allow you to store large arrays of photos and even entire collections. Services such as Picturelife, Adobe Creative Cloud, and ThisLife make it easy to back up photos from iOS or Android devices, as well as Mac or PC. This ensures a good level of security, as well as the tools necessary to work on photographs from anywhere. However, users should be wary of any of them; experts advise storing files in at least two independent clouds.
Revel is backed by longtime software giant Adobe or the Amazon Photos app, which offers a free photo storage service for Prime members. Many consumers do not even try to print their photos, as they can easily carry entire collections on their smartphone or tablet. These files are actually their portable "negatives."
Photo management tools
Image managers allow you to organize the order and functionality in photo albums, help view images, manage metadata. Management tools are not new, but today they offer features that were not available in the past, such as Smart Albums that automatically organize the optimal structure, or Remote Albums that track photos on the network, and Photo Search allows you to find snapshots anywhere. Photo archiving software:
- Adobe Bridge CC is multilingual digital asset management software ready for easy access. This tool allows you to view PSD even without Photoshop, create metadata and thumbnails, import pictures from mobile phones or cameras, adjust color settings, process, search, filter and sort images and much more. The program has functions to support panoramic and HDR images. It allows you to edit multiple images in a flexible batch mode and organizes personal and team assets in one place. With the best editing options, automatic album settings, and sharing options, this is the perfect package for everyone.
- JetPhoto Studio is a multi-functional photo studio software. The tool with two platforms manages images in albums and even allows you to publish them on the Internet. The application allows you to edit video, metadata, creates flash files and web galleries, makes geo-tagging using GPS, and captures images on Google. JetPhoto Studio is free for personal use only, so professionals will need a volume license.
- Phototheca - a program for storing photos that allows you to view, search, structure, organize digital images, group them in albums, offers many editing tools, including finding duplicates.
- XnView MP - media browser, viewer and image converter in one package. Built on XnView Classic, it has many management and enhancement features, such as tools for converting and editing images and metadata, a print module, duplicate finder, and batch processing tools. Works with Windows, Mac OS and Linux.
- StudioLine Photo Basic is an image management suite that includes a wide selection of editing tools, as well as many management functions. Allows batch processing to make changes, has suggestions for creating calendars and greeting cards with personal photos. The free version requires the user to subscribe to the software key.
- PicaJet is a digital photo organizer with powerful features that can satisfy the most sophisticated needs. Along with categorizing photos automatically using folders or metadata, it also allows you to view them from shared network resources. Some of its strengths include an automatic import tool, timeline viewing, screenshots, and more. Support for more than 60 images, audio and video files. Allows you to hide personal photos for basic security and create slide shows and web image galleries. In its free version, there is no metadata editing available in other similar programs.
Digital photography has many advantages over traditional ones, but, unfortunately, its security is not up to par. Unlike negatives, digital images can be lost forever in the event of a catastrophic hard drive crash or be accidentally deleted with a few clicks. Therefore, the reliable storage of photographs for a creative photographer is of paramount importance.