Moving Along…

We’ve learned how to organize your digital kit previews in Lightroom and now we will kick it up a notch veering down the much less traveled path of organizing all your scrapbooking supplies in Lightroom.

Please be aware that we’re going to take on some really advanced ideas and this process is going to stretch you technically. It isn’t going to be easy and no doubt there will be times you will wonder where I’m taking you… Technically we will be doing things with digital scrapbooking supplies and Lightroom that were never really meant to be done…

For that reason, I recommend making a full and complete copy of all your digital scrapbooking supplies and folders – putting them on an external hard drive – then disconnecting it from your computer. Seriously…Right now…Before you go any further in this class.

Your backup is your “Get Out Of This Process FREE” card. You need it like you need oxygen…

Seriously… oxygen… like the you’ll turn blue without it oxygen…

Back your files up today – right now – pretty, pretty please. That way we can avoid that whole email you might send me a few weeks from now if you change your mind and decide you don’t really want to do this…

 A FEW THOUGHTS ON BACKUP

Your BACKUP solution should preferably be something that is automatic and happens without you having to do anything!  If you haven’t already, get Time Machine working on your Mac.  For those of you with PCs, check out  Syncback Pro for PC.

Don’t forget online/off-site backup with Backblaze (my favorite) or another online backup provider.  The drawback to online backups is that they take FOREVER.  However, start now and you will have a full and complete backup faster than starting later… Don’t wait to “get organized” before you do it… seriously…

I realize that I am quite pro-Mac.  I’ve spent a lot of time researching backup solutions for my PC friends – I love what Syncback for PC does.  It is very similar to Time Machine and gets the job done incrementally and automatically.  You may also to choose backup software that comes with your EHDs – just choose something that works…

Keep in mind that the process of organizing your supplies like I do will change the format of your files.  You may decide halfway through it that you don’t want to continue – if that is the case, you will want (like wanting to surface to the top of the water after diving into a pool want) to have a backup of your files that you can easily restore.

If you don’t want to wait for online backup, simply attach an EHD to your computer and copy your files over to a folder labeled EMERGENCY SUPPLY BACKUP, and then disconnect the EHD until you are done with the class.  It really can be that simple. I promise you won’t regret creating options for yourself.

So if there is only ONE THING you do in this class – make it a thorough and clean and accessible backup of all your digital files.  It might seem like a lot of effort and pain to do, but I promise you will thank me profusely if you ever need it.

That is all… I’ll see you in the next post where we discuss setting up Lightroom preferences.