CC photo: HULK SMASH by jk5854

One thing I have become very paranoid about in recent years is backing up my photos. The thought of losing all of my photos is something I don’t like to think about. There are too many memories associated with those photos and also just too many photos that I absolutely love to look at.
This paranoia has led me to a pretty decent routine regarding my photos (although it is not foolproof yet):
My main computer is an Apple MacBook Pro with a 250 GB harddrive, which is constantly at the edge of being full, therefore I don’t store my photos on my internal harddrive but have a dedicated external harddrive for my photo library - a small external that does not require me to have an external power source and that I can take with me easily (I’m carrying my MBP around with me almost everywhere anyway). To keep those photos save I make a back-up of them on the harddrive I do my regular backups of my laptop to (gotta love Time Machine and the backup functionality of Aperture).
When I am home in Germany I usually edit my photos at an iMac I bought specifically for this purpose (love the 24“ working space). On that computer I have my photos stored on the internal drive and do regular backups (every time I load new photos on the iMac I do a backup) onto a large 1TB external harddrive, which consists of two 500GB drives that are set up as RAID 1, so that both hard drives have the exact same content without me having to do anything - with RAID 1, all data is automatically mirrored onto the second drive. That way I have 3 copies of my library from the iMac - since that is my main photo library I wouldn’t want to have less backups.
When I’m back in Germany I also plan to buy an additional external drive onto which I do a backup and store it at my friend’s place. Why?, you ask? Well, currently all my backups are stored next to each other - which means a fire would kill all backups, theft would probably have the same result. I know, it is highly unlikely that something like that happens but it can happen...
Some of you might remark that online backups are an alternative for this but that is currently only true to a certain extent - while I have my favorite photos on Flickr, facebook and Picasa, it only covers parts of my photos, not all of them plus, I would lose the RAW versions of the photos.

I’m talking about all of this because the last months has been one long line of dying and crashing hard drives for me (kind of spooky, too). First my external drive that I use with my laptop died - luckily after I had transferred all pictures to the iMac since my second external had become too full to hold the back up of my road trip. Then the internal drive of a friend of mine died - she didn’t have any backups of her data! Luckily she didn’t use anything that cannot be replaced, but still - don’t let it happen, please! Yesterday my mom told me that the iMac was not booting anymore - apparently, from what I can tell from a continent away, the registry got corrupted when she did a hard reset because it had stopped responding - thankfully I have two full backups of my photos because the sad truth is: Harddrives break and die - or registries get corrupted (which oftentimes does not mean that you lose data but you might lose some). Don’t depend on luck, please!

If you want to read in more detail about different options for backups, Brian @ Epic Edits has written a whole series in his blog about photo backup. Starting with this article.

Tags: Computer, Backup, Harddrive

In my last post I focused on my favorite pictures from 2008 and I also told you about the project I was participating in with that blog post. Well, the results of the project are in and 93 photographers participated in the project! Since Jim was kind enough to share the HTML of the list with all participants, I want to share the whole list with you, too. So go and check them out (I know I will) and tell them about how you like their photos.

Once again 2008 proved to be an incredibly productive year for the many photographers who read the JMG-Galleries blog. The results of this "Best Photos From 2008" blog project puts a twist to the normal "Best of Photo" list by aggregating links to the work of 93 photographers from around the globe who are passionate and dedicated to their craft.

The results from "Best Photos From 2007" by JMG-Galleries Blog Reader's were impressive, but this year not only did the number of participants exceed expectation the quality and vision of those who submitted were exceptional.  This year participants ran the gamut of experience from enthusiasts to professionals.

Enjoy and good luck picking out your favorite from these great submissions

   
1. "My Top 10 Favorite Photos of 2008" - Jim M. Goldstein

   
2. My Favorite Shots of the Year - View from the Little Red Tent by Edie Howe

   
3. 2008 Favorites - Photine by Laurie Ballesteros

   
4. My Nephew - Amit Goyal
   My nephew woke me up in the morning and was in a very chirpy mode when this was clicked

   
5. Another world (+Vorher/Nachher) - Visuelle Gedanken by Martin Wolf
   

   
6. Boy, Hanoi - The Sun Shines & The Igloo Melts by Jon Gresham

   
7. Best Photos from 2008 - Abraham Neben

   
8. Apocalyptic Capitalism - Sultana Sandwich by James Hill

   
9. Top 10 Photos of 2008, My first year in Wisconsin - Sierra Visions by Steven Bourelle

   
10. My Best Photos: 2008 - Shutter Photo by D Travis North
    This past year was a huge growth year for my digital photography skills which I feel is exhibited quite nicely in my photo favorites of 2008.

   
11. Best Photos From 2008 - G Dan Mitchell Photography

   
12. Protesting Prop 8 - Quan Photography by John Quan

   
13. Bir y?l böyle geçti... - Caglar.ca by Caglar Tukel
    Most of Photos taken during our traveling around Turkey and hiking around our hometown, Izmir.

   
14. My best shots of 2008 - Jonesblog by Bryan WIlliam Jones

   
15. Flamingo and  Desert Landscape - pl?dys's photoblog by Mike Reys
    Both pictures are from one of the most beautiful places on earth: Chile's Atacama desert. The salt lakes there provide for some stunning colours and beautiful wildlife.

   
16. Suspended - Mark Groves Photography

   
17. My Favorite 10 Images from 2008 - IM Digital by Ivan Makarov

   
18. My Best Photo of 2008 - Matt Ward Photography
    This photo was taken in Oct at 7am after a cold night in Atlanta, GA.

   
19. Highlights of 2008 - Lori Jackson Photography
    In 2008, I picked up my camera again after a year long hiatus following pregnancy and my son's birth.

   
20. Favorites from 2008 - Adventures Through The Lens by Rebecca Jackrel

   
21. Top Ten Photos of 2008 - Chris Moore Photography

   
22. My Photo Record - Kriz Cpec Photo Blog

   
23. Best of 2008 - Catavino by Ryan Opaz

   
24. Looking Forward and Back - Graf Nature Photography by Mark Graf

   
25. Lloyd's Favorites of 2008 - L.D. Cross

   
26. My Favorite Photos from 2008 - Epic Edits by Brian Auer
    A selection of my favorite photos from 2008, broken down by each month and supplemented with a few thoughts.

   
27. Derryclare Lough - Focus Pocus by Albert MacSweeny
    My best photo of the year was when I was lucky enough to get a still lake in the usually turbulent west of Ireland

   
28. Best of 2008 - News and Views by Dave Wilson

   
29. Needle - Andel's Photoblog by Andel Früh
    This photo has been shot with the kit lens (18-55mm f/3.5-5.6) in retro position (front lens to the camera)

   
30. Year in Pictures - Marcin Retecki

   
31. 2008 Top Ten - Lois Elling

   
32. My Best Photos of 2008 - Out of My Mind by Steven L. Mullen
    These are travel and nature shots taken in Michigan, China, and locally.

   
33. One from 2008 - Hockley Photography by Aaron Hockley
    It's a photo taken at night, looking across a bridge towards another photographer also taking a picture of the same ferris wheel as I was.

   
34. 2008 in Pictures -  Sawlani Photography by Hitesh Sawlani

   
35. My Top 10 Photos for 2008 - by Neil Creek Photography

   
36. Best of 2008 - The Quiet Picture by Minna Kinnunen
    My 10 favourites from 2008, everything from flower closeups to landscapes and starry nights!

   
37. Best of 2008 - by Stig Nygaard
    Just a quick little mixed selection of what I consider my best photos from 2008

   
38. My Top Ten Photos from 2008 - Korn on the Blog by Justin Korn
    Of the 1,800+ images I uploaded to Flickr this year, these are what I thought were my top 10.

   
39. Blog Project: "your Best Photos from 2008" - Jim's Photography by Jim Wheeler

   
40. My Best Photos from 2008 - TrevorCarpenter.com by Trevor Carpenter

   
41. Best Photos of 2008 - by Dave Reichert

   
42. 2008 Favorites - by Beth Madison

   
43. 01/01/2009 Best of 2008 - Brad Barton Photography

   
44. 2008: My Favorite Photos - My Digital Life by Jeremy Brooks

   
45. 2008: The year in photographs - Katie the Scrapbook Lady by Katie

   
46. Gotham. Or maybe London - SFT Photography by Steve Thomas
    I love the dark and moody feel, combined with the futuristic look of the building. I really enjoyed shooting it!

   
47. My Best Photos of 2008 - Malphoto.com by Andre Maltais
    I'm particularly proud of these submissions this year, as it seems I've made some great strides in my photography from the beginning of the year.

   
48. Best of 2008 Project - Photos From The Top Floor by Carsten Fischer

   
49. La Arcada seating on a rare rainy October morning - gZphotoGraph

   
50. Jaguar - by Jarrod Erbe Photography
    This jaguar image was taken at the Milwaukee County Zoo.  The background was generated using a combination of Aperture, Photoshop Elements, and DFT Light.

   
51. Best of 2008? - Suzy Walker, Underwater Photoblog
    My top ten fav travel, underwater and macro photos taken in 2008

   
52. My best shots of 2008 - TemujinPhoto Blog by João Almeida

   
53. Best of 2008 - by Rick Goldwasser

   
54. My Top 10 Images of 2008 - The Jim Stamates Collection by Jim Stamates

   
55. #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 - Mannedspace: Photographs by MT Fanders

   
56. Best 10 of 2008 - by Duffy Knox

   
57. Future Christmas Card - by Massimo Belloni

   
58. Best Photos of 2008 - MIZSPONTANEITY: A Girl With A Camera by Elaine
    I got a Nikon D40X for Christmas 2007, and although some of these photos were with my trusty Sony W70 point-and-shoot, these are my favorite 10 results of my first year with a digital SLR.

   
59. Best of 2008 - Changing Perspectives by Jenni Brehm

   
60. My Best of 2008 - by Eliya Selhub
    In 2008, I have found myself increasingly drawn to animals as subjects, and a slight cartoonish absurdity always appeals to me.

   
61. My Best Photos From 2008 - Lilahpops - Plunging into Photography by Anthea Brown
    Looking back over my photos for the past year shows my increasing interest in post-processing experimentation alongside my favourite macro format.

   
62. My top 10 favorite photos of 2008 - The Taeleman's Blog by Kris Taeleman

   
63. My Favorite Photos of 2008 - Coulter Photos by Scott Coulter

   
64. Favorites of 2008 - XGray Vision by Stephen Gray

   
65. My Top 10 Favorite Images of 2008 - Cornforth Images by Jon Cornforth
    Spectacular nature and wildlife photography, photos, and pictures by award winning professional photographer Jon Cornforth.

   
66. Sitting Backwards on My Horse - latoga photography By Greg Lato

   
67. Top ten images of 2008 - Enlightened Images by Gary Crabbe
    These are some of the image I took in 2008, and which rose toward the top of the - I Like - pile.

   
68. Best 10 photos of 2008 - Have Camera Will Travel by Paul Dymond
    Images from professional Australian travel photographer Paul Dymond which ironically were all taken pretty close to home.

   
69. Best of 2008 - Heidi Donat

   
70. Best Photos of 2008 - by Luca Filigheddu Photography

   
71. Favourites of 2008 - by Chris Brown

   
72. Best of 2008 - by William Kahn

   
73. Pics of the pops 2008 - fotoVoyager by William Fawcett

   
74. My Top 10 Photos of 2008 - Always Breaking by Gary Hegenbart

   
75. Best of 2008 - by Trevin Chow
    This is a set of my best photos that I took during 2008 which is a combination of Flickr's "interestingness" meter and my own selection.

   
76. Best of 2008 - Hotel Yankee Foxtrot by Alex McGeagh
    A collection of the better images captured in a progressive and productive year for me.

   
77. Top 10 Photos of 2008 - Digital Kloc Photography Blog by Brian Kloc

   
78. Burrard-Lucas Top Ten Photographs of 2008 - Burrard-Lucas Photography by William Burrard-Lucas
    We are brothers from the UK with a shared passion for wildlife photography – in 2008 we followed Meerkats in the Kalahari, stalked Jaguars in the wetlands of Brazil and waded through swamps at night to photograph Caimans...

   
79. My best 10+3 pictures of 2008 - All Day I Dream About Photography by Antoine Khater

   
80. Best of 2008 on Highway 89 - Ann Torrence Photography
    Transecting the west from Mexico to Canada on US89.

   
81. Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance - by Dave Fitch
    A railway bridge in Leith [Edinburgh] that was restored and then left to rot. It's not perfectly symmetrical, but then neither is the bridge

   
82. My Top 10 Photographys of 2008 - Nuwomb Bits by Scott Webb

   
83. Best of 2008 - Matt Sallee Photography

   
84. My 10 best photos of 2008 - Stephen Trainor Photography
    Mostly landscapes, mostly of the Southwest, but with a hint of other anglophone countries.

   
85. 10 in 2008 - k|d loftis photography
    My favorite images from 2008 which include weddings, maternity and newborns, families and babies and a few personal images from the year.

   
86. My 10 Favorite Images of 2008 - Della Huff Photography
    My ten favorites from 2008 include California landscapes and cityscapes, with a couple of extra goodies thrown in for fun!

   
87. Best Photos of 2008 - by Dave Schumaker

   
88. Best of 2008 - by Jay Goodrich Photography

   
89. My best photos from 2008 - All Narfed Up by Bryan Villarin
    Choosing my best photos from 2008 was really hard to narrow down, especially since it was my first year with a SLR camera.

   
90. Mein Flickr Photostream 2008 - Best of - by Stefan Neuweger

   
91. My Best Photos from 2008 - Why Yet Another Photo Place by Rafa

   
92. Best Photos from 2008 - by Daria Sukhanovska
    Only until i created this set of 13 photos, i realized how much progress i have done this year: I have traveled a lot, got one photo printed in the magazine and had my first own personal exhibition in the university library and simply had fun with my photos

   
93. My Best of 2008 - by Phil Price Photography

[tags]Best of 2008, Photography, Blog Project, Photographers[/tags]

Tags: Project, Photo, Best of 2008

Now that the year is over, it is time to look back at all the photos I have taken in the last year and figure out my favorite ones. As many of you know, this is not easy since there are a lot of really good photos in the time of a year, so I have decided to go with a Top 10 of sorts and some honorable mentions. Additionally, Jim Goldstein is doing a Blog project on his great site JMG-Galleries, in which he is asking his blog readers for their favorite photos of the year and I want to participate in this. I also participated in this project last year with my favorite photo of 2007 (on my old blog).

Some honorable mentions (all of them are linked to Flickr so you can see them in a larger version and leave comments on individual photos if you want to do so):
A church in the Smoky Mountains

Some palm leaves in the Atlanta Botanical Garden

Details of a butterfly in my garden

A close up of a rattle-snake

A sleeping gecko

A snail house in the Desert House in Vienna

A lux licking his paw in the Opelzoo


And now on to my Top 10 for 2008 - since I have a really hard time putting them in a definite order, I’ll post 10 to 2 in an unorganized fashion. Only my favorite photo of the year is distinguished from the rest for the year.
The outside of the Palmhouse in Vienna - my first real try at an HDR

A swimming turtle in the Zoo in Berlin, the lighting was just amazing for this shot that has not been edited at all.

A heavily edited flower in the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Usually I go for less editing but I love the contrasts in this photo.

A Poladroid of a rose in the Atlanta Botanical Garden - so much nicer than the original image

The old carrousel in my home town

I absolutely love to photograph reptiles, they are always striking poses for me. Gotta love it!

A water lily in the botanical garden in Frankfurt - I love the colors and perspectives of this one

This snail house was in the same exhibit as the one in the honorable mentions and I absolutely fell in love with its colors. I was so glad I had my macro lens with me that day

This photo was taken in the zoo in Berlin - the tiger was putting on a real show of showing his strenght and I was able to get some great photos of him in the process.



Last but not least, my favorite photo for the year:

It was taken during a roadtrip over thanksgiving break and I absolutely love the colors and the depth in the photo. It has been my wallpaper ever since I processed the photo (link to my blog post on the processing).

Tags: Photo, Best of 2008