Remember to Upload!

Has this ever happened to you?

Your child decides to make some funny faces in the mirror, you stifle a laugh, rush for your camera turn it on but get the message that your card is full. DANG! You forgot to upload all of those pictures off of your camera from a birthday party weeks ago. Next thing you know, the moment you were hoping to capture is gone forever.

A similar thing happened to a friend of mine recently. She told me how she took a lot of adorable pictures at her daughters birthday party. She came home started on her chores, turned on the TV and thought it could wait until later to unload the photos. The next day she took her children to the pool with her camera in her bag and fell in! She not only lost her camera, but the pictures of her child's third birthday.

It can happen to any of us.

I know we all live very busy lives, but when you come home from that vacation or that birthday party, do yourself and your family a favor and take the time to get those pictures off of that disc so your camera is ready to go and your pictures are more safe then they were. The longer you leave them in your camera, the more you risk losing them forever. Take the next step as soon as possible and upload them on an online site or copy them to a disc for extra protection. That way if your computer goes down, you still have a place to go to retrieve them. 

Another thing you should do to ensure your camera is ready, is remember to format your memory card. Formatting your card is a maintenance step for your disc to keep it healthy and less likely to become corrupt. It is recommended you do this each time after you’ve uploaded your photos to your computer or storage device. Before you format, be sure your photos have been properly uploaded because formatting will delete the images and you will likely not be able to recover them. Read your camera owners’ manual to find out how to format your disc.

Lastly, don’t forget the batteries! Make sure you have new ones on hand and keep at least one set near your camera at all times.
These are just some of the things that help me, as a photographer, stay ready for any moment. Most of you may have all ready known these tips, but I hope if nothing else, it serves as a reminder to make your photo memories a priority.

Have you ever lost your photos? Tell me the story!

My next post will contain a tip about:

• Something to do with family (whether you have a young family or older).
• It’s free.
• It will cross something off your to-do list.
• And potentially provide hours of entertainment!

If you'd like more info about my photography, check me out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/CMartin-Photography/125819963957

Or check out my website http://www.cmartinphotostl.com/