Managing file storage and backing up

Hi, perhaps this is already covered but I couldn't find a blog post about it.

The problem I'm trying to solve is regarding the managing of files and storage.  I use Lightroom and Photoshop to clean up images.

Usually i get back from a dive... throw the files on my laptop and edit a few for social media.  When my laptop storage starts to get low, I backup the images on an external hard-drive (actually two mirror copies) and delete the files on my laptop to make room for more.  Occasionally when bored or have time, I'll copy an album from storage to .my laptop and edit some of the pics I missed.  But then I haven't found a way to backup just new versions of an album and have to overwrite the whole album instead when sending them back to my backup drives.

The issue:  Photoshop creates a Tiff file in the folder directory of the images.  Moving files back and forth means I end up missing things and not backing them up properly, losing Tiff files and the hours spent editing on photoshop.  Ideally what I'd like to do it somehow get photoshop to save all tiff files from any album on my local computer in say a folder called "Tiff files."  That way Abode knows to look there for the files instead of the album directory.  Meaning backing up is easier as I just have to find the newer files (by date) to save to my storage devices.  Then I can bring in media from the backup hardrives and edit away without having to resync the whole album.  

Anyone got any tips or found an easy way to manage this?

Cheers,

Duncan

There are some good resources on back up strategy here: https://wetpixel.com/articles/wetpixel-asks-the-pros-backup-strategies

Field workflow is here: https://wetpixel.com/articles/tutorial-lightroom-field-workflow

My own strategy is to back up all my files to multiple drives daily. I use an app called Chronosync (I'm on a Mac) that runs automatically every evening.

Adam
 

Hi Duncan

Yep, I work pretty much like Adam - and also from a Mac. I've got backups on 3 external drives using GoodSync which, as the name implies, synchronises and updates changes from one drive to others. You can configure what is backed up and how it's done pretty much anyway you like.

I've been using GoodSync for must be 7-8 years now and have found it very good. 

I'll have to check those references.   Myself, I just use Lightroom.   While I am on a trip, I do the best I can on a cheapish laptop in terms of post-processing.  (I redo every shot once I get back home and can work on two large, color-balanced monitors).

I end up with a single small Lightroom catalog that I simply import across-the-wire using my home network to merge laptop into desktop catalog.   For me, that brings everything across, the I find file management pretty klunky in Lightroom.

Once I get my files onto my main (Win 10) desktop, a scheduled batch file runs every night at 2am that copies new/changed picture files to a big NAS.  I then have an immediate sync job that further copies photos to smaller NAS.   I used to use a homebuilt Freenas box as my target, but I kept running out of space on desktop and NAS.  I decided to try to get a big NAS and run directly from there over 1gbps ethernet.  That idea was quickly abandoned as too slow, and I had to keep a lot of files on a local drive.  But I made that a 2TB SSD drive for speed and just moved the rest to my NAS.   The NAS has 27TB capacity, so I had plenty of extra capacity once I filled up my 4TB local drive to move things around.

Hi Duncan, I keep my backup strategy fairly simple - made easier as I work off a desktop which has a large storage drive installed.  I have an external drive which is only powered up when I'm backing up the Hard drive. 

To do the backup I use Free File Sync which basically looks at the two folders and just updates them with changes.  It may get a little finicky setting up to backup a new folder each time, but I think it should work fine for what you want.