Tips for Preparing your Photographs as a Hurricane Approaches

As almost a lifelong Floridian I am used to being in the path of a hurricane.

When preparing for the worst I am reminded of what truly matters most. Of course the first concern is our family, children and pets. Those we love and their safety and comfort during a natural disaster is priority. Then we think about “what can’t I live without?” Truly that list is a short one. There is the obvious – food, water, shelter, medications, etc. However I am talking about if you had to pack up your car with items from your home that can not be replaced, what would you take with you?

Our portraits, our photographs, our scrapbooks … these items document the history of our family. These are our memories, memories of our life that we can’t replace should they be lost forever. It is imperative that we make sure our photographs are safe from harm or that they can be reproduced should the worst happen.

For those of you who are having the thoughts about “what will happen to my photographs” I wanted to give you a few tips to prepare for the upcoming storm.

5 Tips To Protect Your Photographic Memories

1. Back Up Your Professional Digital Images To The Cloud! – If you have purchased your digital images from a studio then please … right now, as soon as you finish reading this blog post, back those digital images up to the cloud. Get them somewhere that isn’t on your computer, in your home, etc. It may not be as devastating as a hurricane, but any computer crash, house fire, flood, theft, sink hole, etc could result in the loss of your digital images. You can have piece of mind that your memories won’t be lost if you back up your images!
2. Back Up Your Personal Images – For your own personal images taken on your cameras or phones, start backing those babies up as well! The every day moments you capture tell an important story, a story you don’t want to lose should the worst happen.
3. Water Tight Containers – Have several water tight containers handy so that you can put your small photographs and albums in them during storms or in case of evacuations. This will protect these valuables from the elements as well as from damage during transportation.
4. Get Them Off the Ground – This may sound basic, but if you must leave framed portraits at your house in case of evacuation, get them high off the ground, away from windows and to an interior room of your house. This will greatly reduce the risk of water damage.
5. Artwork Insurance – If you have purchased framed portraits or albums valued over $1,000 from any portrait studio, call your insurance company and ask about getting that artwork insured. Do we have backups? Yes we do, however, there will still be a cost to remake your artwork.

If you would like to chat with me about your ideas for preserving your photographs, shoot me an email or give me a call. I would be happy to talk with you and help give you peace of mind that your family’s photographic history will be well preserved for future generations.

Hugs,
Jeanine