Super Safe Drobo Data Storage System - My Tools

ANALOG to DIGITAL: Seven years ago, I had about ten 4-drawer file cabinets full of color slides. When I went completely digital with my photography in 2002, my computer hard drive was filling up about every six months.

DATA STORAGE & BACKUP PROBLEMS: The solution to this huge data storage problem was to hook up two external hard drives to my computer and copy my digital camera files to one of the external drives, and duplicate those files on the second external, just in case there was a hard drive crash. When I filled up the two externals, I replaced them with two larger capacity drives or added two more drives. Copying every file twice is time-consuming, but necessary. I have found by experience that there are only two kinds of computer users: those who have lost their data, and those who are going to lose their data (unless they back it up)!

I keep my computer's hard drive free of digital camera files, except for the Photoshop versions that I'm currently working on. Once I've chosen the best images from a photo shoot and have processed those images, those files have also been save to and backed up onto the two external hard drives.

ENTER DROBO: That dual backup system changed when I bought the Drobo last Fall from Data Robotics. Now, I only store my digital camera files on ONE external hard drive - the Drobo. That's because Drobo gives me automatic redundancy (automatically writing the files on two separate drives within the Drobo unit). Even though my Drobo has two separate hard drives inside the unit, it acts and appears as one drive to my computer. Drobo goes beyond RAID array storage technology to protect data against a hard disk crash. As long as you have more than a single disk in Drobo, all data on Drobo is safe no matter which hard disk fails.

VIDEO DEMO: Drobo holds up to four hard drives and can expand at any time. Drobo supports up to 16TB on a single volume as disk sizes increase. To understand how simply Drobo works, watch this short video featuring computer geek, Cali Lewis. (It was Cali's demo that sold me on the Drobo).

COST: A 4-bay Drobo unit costs $499. With two 1TB Western Digital hard drives the cost is $749. With four 1TB Western Digital hard drives the cost is $999. As your drives fill up, and storage becomes cheaper, you can switch-out the 1TB drives with higher capacity drives (up to 4TB each) for a total of 16TB.

The second most searched term yesterday on Twitter.com was "DroboPro," Data Robotics' newly released storage solutions for business environments. The DroboPro can hold up to eight hard drives and is ideal for workstations and servers. Its cost is $1,299 without any hard drives.

OFF-SITE BACKUP: I'm confident Drobo will keep my data safe from a hard drive crash, but it will not protect me from a fire or theft. To protect against these possibilities, I burn DVD's backups and store them off-site. This has become somewhat cumbersome, as a 4GB memory card will completely fill one DVD!

My new solution is to backup the best shoots from each shoot on SmugMug (starting at $40 per year for unlimited storage). They back up my high-quality JPEG images onto a network of servers, and these files can be retrieved at anytime. I have a Pro account with SmugMug ($149) which also allows me sell prints and stock photo downloads of my images. For Photoshop, RAW, TIFF, and other computer data, you can use their SmugVault service for an additional 22 cents per gigabyte per month.

TRY SMUGMUG FOR FREE: You can try out SmugMug free for 14 days, and then if you decide to join, you can take $5 off your subscription by entering this coupon code: AMn9xxwwOuybE

Camera Battery Power More Important Than Memory

Avoid a common error in lost picture-taking opportunities.

When it comes to buying accessories for your new digital camera, the first priority that comes to most people's mind is getting additional digital memory cards. Few people think about getting extra rechargeable batteries for their camera. This can be a big mistake.

When I review real life photo-taking situations with other photographers, they will tell you that they have had more lost photo opportunities from exhausted batteries than from full digital memory cards. Why? For one thing, a person can always review their images and free up more memory by erasing pictures they don't think are as important; however, when your [last] battery is dead, you're totally out of business.

Maybe it's because memory has become so cheap these days that we typically end up buying additional cards, yet many of us fail to purchase the more expensive (and I believe), and the most important accessory: extra camera batteries.

Some digital cameras still use AA alkaline batteries that are easily obtainable almost anywhere, but the majority of cameras today require proprietary lithium-ion batteries (or Li-ion) for their power source. Rechargeable Li-ion batteries are much cheaper than AA alkaline batteries in the long run, but can be quite pricey in the beginning, and virtually impossible to find when you are on vacation or on location at a professional photo shoot.

I recommend getting at least one extra Li-ion battery for your digital camera, and keep it charged. As soon as your camera indicates that your battery's power is starting to run low, switch out the battery with the fresh one, and start recharging the nearly exhausted one when you get back home or to your hotel. You don't have to worry about battery "memory" problems with the newer lithium-ion batteries. Unlike older battery types, Li-ion batteries don't require you to completely discharge the battery before you recharge it (to maintain maximum capacity).

In fact, it's better if you don't fully exhaust a Li-ion battery. This battery type prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Because frequent full discharges should be avoided whenever possible, I'd even suggest rotating your batteries, and starting out each day with a freshly charged battery when you leave your hotel or your home. Professional photographers will want to switch out whenever there is a lull in the shooting, or just before an important session. I typically carry four or more batteries on a shoot.

Like I said in the beginning, extra batteries can be expensive. An extra battery for my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II costs about $80, and the typical Li-ion battery for many point-and-shoot digital cameras will run you about $40 or more. One of the most popular digital cameras under $150 right now is the Canon Powershot SD1100 IS. However, an extra Canon NB-4L battery will cost you about $60 -- more than one-third the price of the camera! It's no wonder many put off getting this important accessory.

Low-cost alternative: I suggest you buy an after-market brand battery that meets or exceeds the OEM (original equipment manufacturer's) specifications in their "mAh" rating. But, be careful. There are some poor quality after-market battery products out there. One company that I've used for several years, with good success, is CCS - Calcellular.com (also found under www.cs-power.com). They are a leading after-market supplier of cell phone, laptop, camcorder and digital camera batteries. Their replacement Li-ion battery for the Canon NB-4L is under $7. And since the shipping will probably cost you about that much, you might as well buy two or three! Another cost-saving example is their replacement Canon BP-511 Li-ion battery that has been used in more than three dozen Canon digital cameras. Whereas the Canon product typically retails for almost $70, the CCS replacement is less than $9.00!

News Flash: Currently, no after-market companies have tooled-up to produce a replacement battery for my new Canon EOS 5D Mark II (21MP), so I'll have to buy the expensive, genuine Canon original. In fact, Canon is so behind on producing these batteries that they are back-ordered all over the country. In some cases, pros are willing to pay over $115 (retail is $79.95) to get additional batteries!

Your Photo Vision STATEMENT

Welcome to my blog! Whether you're a beginning photographer, intermediate, or a professional, the reason you take pictures is because you wish to share your photo vision -- your view of the world with others. In this blog I will talk about ways in which each of us, no matter our level of experience, can improve our methods of capturing our vision and sharing it with others.

I've been a professional photographer for over 30 years and I still enjoy learning new ways to capture the vision I have. I strive constantly to make my camera a seamless extension of my eyes. For most professionals and some intermediate photographers, this has been accomplished -- what we see on the LCD screen (and in our final digital images) is pretty close to what our eyes saw. We've finally mastered the technical part of photography.

But the most challenging step sometimes still eludes me, and that is trying to capture what my brain has envisioned -- trying to capture ideas and thoughts onto digital "film." Reaching this last level is the most fun. Some beginning and intermediate photographers want to go straight to this level without conquering the technical part. This leads to frustration and disappointment. At the same time, some intermediate and professional photographers can get so caught up in techique that their images are stilted and without soul.

As I have taught photography classes and workshops, it has often been an inspiration to me to see beginning photographers who have an amazing vision to share. Their images shout with expression and enthusiasm, even when their technical skills are somewhat lacking. Others, with more skills, produce flawless images, but they have nothing to say -- their pictures do not speak to you.

My goal in this blog is to 1) share my photo vision, 2) share the vision of others that I admire, 3) review products and teach skills that will improve your technique, and 4) share ideas that will increase the flow and enthusiasm for revealing your photo vision.