Photography allows us to learn about something new from different types of subjects like equipment, technique, post-processing, or something else and do improvement. There is an important aspect of photography, but sometimes we overlook this. It is storage management that offers a plan to store and organize all your beautiful images. Let’s go through this article to learn what is the best cloud storage for photographers.
Why use cloud storage for photographers:
Backup storage for photographers:
Backup storage is a nightmare for photographers. If you are willing to save 5 TB of data, having that amount of area or another hard disc with the same capacity & cost for only one backup is essential. Try to manage your files & folders in both backups and duplicate on all copies. It is not simple-to-use if you have TBs of data storage.
In most cases, the cloud storage service providers come with backup. Therefore, it is nonessential to think about it. What you must do is upload & download photographs. Backup can be handled automatically.
Cost of storage – cloud vs On-Premise:
On average, a hard disk drive has a limited four-year lifespan. As this one includes moving components, its life span will become shorter depending on how much you are transporting. Besides, it depends if you remove the device carefully before disconnecting. Although these drives can manage this, the read-write head cannot return to its default position.
You won’t find any dedicated cloud storage for photographers. However, you can have cloud storage for images, and these are Google Photos or Google Drive. If you want, you can go with others.
Regarding costs, it includes the cost of hard discs, backup storage, safe storage of hard discs, data recovery costs, and file administration costs. You should know that the price of hard disk drives is lesser than SSDs.
Upload and Transfer Time:
There are a few top-class external drives that consume a lot of power. When you use HDDs, the data transfer speed is slow, whereas in SSDs, it is a little bit faster. For cloud storage, it is the network bandwidth. If you want to retrieve data through archival cloud storage, you can do so, but it will take time. Generally, it is used for industrial or business usage. Regarding cloud storage for photographers, the standard package will be enough.
Compression and Quality:
Are you a professional photographer? If so, saving images in raw format could be your usual habit. You need to know the size of raw files is much larger than JPEG files. The reason is that raw files include all color information, and you can retrieve these files during picture editing.
Semi-professional or casual photographers don’t need to retain the raw files. If you are a non-professional photographer, you must choose Google Photos or standard online storage. Therefore, it is necessary to modify the raw files & convert these to a compressed JPEG format of top quality. You should try uploading JPEGs to the cloud. Several cloud storage providers compress, without causing that much loss to quality, and it is enough for the use of social media. Users are able to even save the raw files.
Simple Access to Pictures:
You can view the images using the cloud service provider’s app. A few have party support that allows us to access the editing tool along with importing from the cloud service provider. These cloud storage for photographers’ services are beneficial.
Location-Based Search Made Easier:
Usually, the cameras feature GPS tracking. Once it takes the shot, it will collect the picture location data. You can search the image directly in the cloud storage for photographers. There is no need to download or scroll through the photographs like you must do for external hard drive storage. If you find something in the search field, you will be directed to the image from a place. Thus, it can help you to save a lot of time.
Portability:
You don’t have to be worried about transportation of the external hard drive. The reason is that cloud storage is the most effective option. Your task is to log into this. After that, try to access this from any location & device. What you require is your device and an active internet connection. Therefore, if you travel somewhere and don’t have an extra memory card, use OTG to download photos to the cloud or connect the camera SD card to the mobile. After that, you should try to transfer raw files to the cloud. Next, you need to erase the card. Now, you can use the card again and don’t get worried about transporting hard discs.
Read Text from Images:
It is very tough to search through TBs of data. Google, an example of a cloud service provider, helps to scan text from a picture, find the necessary content, and go back to the accurate search results within seconds. The process is very easy. Regarding traditional image storage, it is necessary to test every image to confirm that it is the actual image of that document. If necessary, look through all files when you have TBs of data. As it is very difficult, the best option is cloud storage for photographers.
Data Recovery:
If you experience a hard disc crash, you need to ship this to a service center that takes a lot of time for recovery. The process is quite expensive. Data won’t be retrieved unless it is for an inquiry. If it comes to talking about images, photographers require all files, and that’s why cloud storage is very effective for them. Cloud service providers can easily handle your data. So, recovering data isn’t a problem. Just download this and keep one backup.
Security and Safety:
It is difficult to keep your pictures safe from your assignment. In cloud storage, data security is very secure. Are you concerned about data abuse? If so, store conventional hard drives in any type of locker or safe room.
Best cloud storage services for photographers:
The Best Overall Cloud Storage Service Our Pick— Dropbox:
As a photographer, you definitely have heard the name Dropbox, which is already famous in this industry. The free plan of this service provides 2 GB of storage. All credits go to the easy drag-and-drop folder interface which can mirror the screen you view on the device or computer. The service is simple to share and collaborate via the platform, and the credit goes to partner integrations with different apps & media companies.
It has versatile uses for storing various file types and streamlining remote work among photographers. There exists an option to set it to delete files from the cloud after you have deleted them from the computer. It can provide you with 3 TB of storage if you upgrade this. It also includes many features below the one-user Professional plan for $19.99 monthly or $199 yearly.
The Best Cloud Storage Service You Ever listen— IDrive:
Although IDrive is new to many people, it is becoming famous for quick syncing across devices like NAS (Network Attached Storage) drives. It can provide 5 GB of free storage. People needing extra storage must sign up for an IDrive Personal plan. The plan costs $69.50 yearly for 5TB of storage, whereas for 10 TB, it is $99.50 yearly.
The features of this best cloud storage for photographers includes easy file sharing via email or social media sites and retaining up to thirty versions of all files. It comes with facial recognition technology which helps to organize the images. Whether you are willing to delete files on the local hard drive, the continuous file syncing support won’t automatically delete the versions which are uploaded to the cloud.
The Best Cloud Storage Service Below $10— Apple iCloud:
Do you have an Apple device? Then, you have iCloud already. If you are using an Apple ecosystem already, it is perfect enough to use for temporary storage. This one enables access throughout the devices anywhere. The cloud storage service is integrated with the Photos app to store, organize & share images. The automatic upload of full-resolution images to iCloud helps to save space on your devices. It is possible to download these whenever you require. Do you require additional allocation, as the storage includes videos, files, & app data? Then, you can use a paid plan of $0.99 for 50 GB whereas $9.99 for 2 TB storage.
The Best Cloud Storage Service for below $5 — pCloud:
It is one of the new storage services that is getting famous due to its one-time, lifetime payment option. The cost for the 500 GB plan is $175, whereas $350 for 2 TB. You can choose cheaper options if you don’t plan to use a single storage service lifetime. If you are searching for a budget-friendly choice, the cost of the cheapest annual plan is $47.88 — or about $3.99 monthly and you will get 500 GB that will be perfect for those who want only emergency backups.
This Cloud Storage Service is capable of offering access to your files from a computer or Mac as a phone, local drive, and web. Therefore, there are several choices for backup & access. Users are capable of sharing links & file requests and inviting others to shared folders. Apart from the normal security measures, you can have an upgrade option for pCloud Crypto that enables password protection & encryption for every storage file for an extra $3.99. It has several attractive features, such as unlimited file size & speed, backups from Google Drive, Dropbox, & many more. In addition, it can recover files for up to 30 days.
The Best Free Cloud Storage Service — Box:
In most cases, free options provide 5 GB of storage. But box cloud storage for photographers can offer up to 10 GB storage in the free account. It lets you upload one file of 250 MB max only. Users who need secure file sharing can get this with 2-factor authentication. While it can offer an integrated desktop experience, it is possible to collaborate via the Box mobile application. You can take advantage of default integrations with G Suite & Office 365. Users get 100 GB of storage, 5 GB of file upload, & 10 file versions from the $11.50 per month Personal Pro plan.
The Best Cloud Storage Service— Microsoft OneDrive:
Like Apple iCloud, Microsoft has OneDrive which is compatible with Mac, iOS, and Android devices. As this one is integrated into Windows 10, it becomes a quiet effortless cloud solution which you can access as you would a SSD or physical hard drive. It comes with several smart features like great RAW file support. This one is capable of recognising image content & tagging them. Thus, users will be able to search images by theme, tag, or content. If the free 5 GB allocation is not sufficient for you, you can buy Microsoft 365 Personal plan at $5.99 per month or $59.99 yearly for 1 TB.
The Best Cloud Storage Service that comes With Software— Adobe Creative Cloud:
As Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop are famous image editing software, it will be hard for most photographers to avoid these even if the subscription is expensive. Adobe comes with a cloud photo storage to make the deal sweeten.
By paying $9.99 per month, you will get the Photography plan that offers Lightroom and Photoshop as well as 20 GB of storage. If you want 1 TB storage more than Photoshop, you can try the Lightroom plan which you will get at the same price. Do you need both software along with 1 TB storage? Then, you have to invest $19.99 per month.
Things you should look for in Cloud Storage For Photographers
As there are a lot of photo storage services available, you may think about how to choose the right one. So, check this guide so that you can make the right decision.
Freemium: There are several photo cloud storage providers available that give free space along with extra capacity for a monthly or annual fee. Depending on your budget and your requirements, choose the right one and make sure that you are getting a good deal.
File formats: Do you just want to back up Or share JPEGs? Then any cloud storage service will fit you. But, if you need to store TIFFs Or RAW files, you need to choose carefully.
Internet speed: Don’t invest in a premium cloud storage subscription, if your internet speed is too slow. In this case, you should buy a fast external hard drive.
What to do when cloud storage is not an option?
If you travel somewhere like the mountains where network issues are common, you must carry an SSD external device or multiple memory cards. You should know that Cloud storage for photographers can be used when they are at home or when they return back to their studio.
Conclusion:
We all love to take photos. So, nowadays the tendency of backing up photos to a storage option has increased. In this article, the best cloud storage services for photographers are mentioned. Go for the desired one as per your budget and requirements. Let us know via comments which is your favorite cloud storage service.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where do photographers store their photos?
The reason is that the photographers want to keep the images in one place and store them for a long period. They can use two types of external drives— HDD and SSD. Although hard disk drives are budget-friendly, these work slowly and are fragile.
- What is cloud storage in photography?
It is a hard drive’s extension stored safely in a data center called “the cloud.”
- How many GB of storage do you require for photography?
The recommended storage is at least 4TB for an entry-level photography PC. Use up to 12TB in every drive for different picture catalogues if necessary.
