Photography backup, storage, file delivery, point-of-sale, and so much more
I just took a bunch of pictures! ...now what?
By Mark (the other Chopstick Guy)
“I earn commissions if you shop through the links below”
If you’re like me you have way too many hard drives, and if you’re really like me then you know that sinking feeling in your gut that comes from a “failed” drive. “OH MY! I’ve lost all those images!” There has got to be a better way!
In this post, I’m not going to compare multiple platforms, trust me I’ve tried them all, I’ve been with Flickr for over 12 years, Google storage, Amazon, Dropbox, and a few more… I want to let you know why I have settled on and believe Smugmug is the right place to trust with and to backup your images.
Here is a quick comparison of Google ($100 per month for 10TB), Dropbox ($20.00 per month, unlimited), and Smugmug ($16.66 per month for Portfolio plan)
Cost Per Month
Face it, portable hard drives are not the best place to keep all your images. With that in mind, we start looking online for a solution. When looking to back up your images online make sure, whatever service you choose, that they can provide you with unlimited storage. Why? With each new generation of cameras, the file size just keeps getting bigger. I’ve tried so many different services over the years, they all work well ...until you max out on storage. Did you know Smugmug has truly unlimited storage!
The next thing I worry about is security, the security of my files as well as my personal information. SmugMug will never mine, sell, or share my data. Your photos are yours and yours alone, and you control who gets to see what with incredible privacy settings. I love the way they put it “Copyright is always yours”.
Here’s another problem I have run into over the years, hosting services always seemed to down-rez my images. With Smugmug, I always have access to my full-resolution photos, no matter what. Smugmug doesn’t alter or downsize my photos to save on space when I upload them. This means my clients get the right files!
I’m a desktop guy but I know everyone is different, some of you live on a laptop and others do everything on a phone. No matter how you upload or share photos or video Smugmug has you covered, their phone apps are beyond easy to use.
How many times have you heard about cloud storage? Cloud storage seems/sounds like a pretty unsafe place to store your images… Let me tell you, Smugmug has got you covered! Smugmug boasts the safest cloud storage possible, they are even backed up by Amazon Web Services! This means they truly are my photography backup service, more secure than anything I could ever provide at home.
Let’s talk about how easy others can safely access my images in a great looking and seamless experience. I can decide how much access I want others to have, I can disable the “right-clicking” download feature, as well as watermark images, limit download size, and create galleries with custom URLs. I can allow clients to download digital copies as well as they can order prints, canvases, albums, and so much more all by themselves through my favorite photo lab Bay Photo. Not only can they order printed items, but I can also choose how much profit I want to make from each item!
Smugmug has also become my photography storefront and they do all the heavy lifting, they collect payments, give 1000’s of product options, and pay me back 85% of the markup.
One last thing, believe it or not, things have changed. People are no longer looking for your website, they are looking for you on social media because that’s where everyone is. I’m not saying you don’t need a website, what I’m saying is we don’t need all the bells and whistles that we once needed. Clients want to view your work and find out how to contact you (they need to know you are real). All this to say, last year I got rid of my website and Smugmug has taken its place, one less puzzle piece to worry about. So now I backup, show off, give download ability to clients, sell print all on one platform that I trust. Don’t take my word for it, give Smugmug a try with their 14-day free trial! You have too many photos to lose not to try...