Mental Devastation.. Is what I'm going through right now. I went on tour with the School of Rock last week. We visited 5 cities - and stayed in as many hotels

lizzy5553 Loc: FL

Is what I'm going through right now. I went on tour with the School of Rock last week. We visited 5 cities - and stayed in as many hotels - in 7 days. My camera bag was either on the bus or at the hotels we stayed in, not once did I take it to any of the gigs - taking just the lenses I would need in my handbag.
Well... I LOST MY EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE!!! With 4 years worth of work - over 50,000 photographs. Right before I left on the trip we were in the process of backing everything up but didn't 😣 I have contacted the hotels, the bus driver, parents that went on the trip; NOTHING!!! I am literally sick to my stomach. I guess my question is: what else can I do?? Am I hoping against hope? I just cannot comprehend how this could've happened 😢

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I'm sorry you are having this problem. Even before I post process, I save my images on separate external hard drives. I have lost images before and I know the feeling. I vowed not to let this ever happen again. I do not format my SD or CF cards until after I have saved my images to both drives. Again, I'm sorry for you. Good luck.

lizzy5553 wrote:

Is what I'm going through right now. I went on tou... (show quote)

CharlesA Loc: New Jersey

lizzy5553 wrote:

Is what I'm going through right now. I went on tou... (show quote)

Stuff happens. I assume you had no online backup, so the only thing I would recommend is to mail or hand deliver flyers offering a reward to anyone who finds the HDD. It's entirely up to you what the value of the reward would be.

This is a really good reminder to folks to have at least 2, preferably 3, copies of archived images.

Charles

djenrette Loc: Philadelphia

I guess all the reminders about backing stuff up to a hard drive made sense after all. Take it as a learning opportunity. Suppose you had done this five years from now when you had some really great photos stored!

lizzy5553 Loc: FL

djenrette wrote:

I guess all the reminders about backing stuff up to a hard drive made sense after all. Take it as a learning opportunity. Suppose you had done this five years from now when you had some really great photos stored!

Oh, but I do! I do have some really good photos. I have a few photo album orders that I was supposed to work on upon my return...

lizzy5553 Loc: FL

Thank you Charles, that's a very good idea about the flyers. I did mention the reward when I called the hotels.

lizzy5553 Loc: FL

DavidPine wrote:

I'm sorry you are having this problem. Even before I post process, I save my images on separate external hard drives. I have lost images before and I know the feeling. I vowed not to let this ever happen again. I do not format my SD or CF cards until after I have saved my images to both drives. Again, I'm sorry for you. Good luck.

I very much appreciate your good wishes DavidPine, thank you!

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

lizzy5553 wrote:

Is what I'm going through right now. I went on tou... (show quote)

:thumbdown: Sorry to hear that Lizzy :cry:
Jerry just had a post where he recommended having photos backed up on 2 or 3 external hard drives. Now I see why.

jimni2001 Loc: Sierra Vista, Arizona, USA

I lost about 30,000 once. Photos that can not be replicated. Photos of loved ones that are no longer with us. Backup is a painful lesson sometimes. My hard drive crashed. I wish you luck with finding your hard drive. I hope someone returns it.

RBuzz Loc: wherever I lay my head at the time

It looks like you've done about all you can do to try to recover the past.
To concentrate on the present and the future, I suggest first and foremost, as everyone else has stated, to have multiple backup drives. At least 2 backup drives because hard drives do fail all on their own. External hard drives are cheap now and a 500GB portable can be had for $50.
For travelling with one, first create a separate folder in the directory that contains your contact information and a reward amount if found. Second, put an adhesive label on the drive with your contact information and reward if found. Third, if your enclosure isn't a nice obnoxious color such as lime green or signal orange then paint it that. This way it will always stand out and not blend in with the rest of the stuff in a hotel room.
Also, buy yourself some luggage tags and attach them to all you equipment bags.
Prevention is the best insurance you can buy.

$90 LaCie from Newegg

Acountry330 Loc: Dothan,Ala USA

Good luck finding your hard drive. Now just why did you take your one and only copy of your pictures with you? Storage media is just to cheap.

TheDman Loc: USA

Just the thought of carrying my entire body of work around on a single hard drive all over the country would be enough to make me sick to my stomach. I keep everything backed up on two hard drives at home, and one at my parents' house in case my house burns down.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

That is the worst feeling you can have. I've had it. Luckily, early on I was so disorganized, that I didn't know I had back up copies on disc.

Can you put ads in local papers, Craigslist, etc. to cover as much as possible for it's return?

In the future (which is now), 2 portable hard drives, one securely attached in your bag or whatever to prevent accidentally falling out. The other secured in another bag. Lose either bag, you still have a copy. Get back home and make more back ups.

As mentioned, I also have off-site copies. All my home storage is backed up at my office and all my office storage is backed up on a home HD.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

My condolences. First, I really hope that it turns up for you, even if you get it back or find it you have learned a very painful lesson.

Secondly, persistence may pay off. It would be worth contacting all the places you can think of once again just in case something has been found or turned in since you called, or if a different person may try a little bit harder to help you.

Third, it is worth thinking carefully through everywhere you went, where your bags etc. were at any point in time, when you last actually saw your hard drive, and so on.

Another possibility is that it has been misplaced somewhere. I know it sounds stupid in some ways, but our brains occasionally play tricks on us by misremembering or failing to remember things. It is also possible to check a bag several times, especially when upset, and not find anything that is hiding in the bag somewhere. Easier to do with keys etc. than a hard drive but it is possible. We all do this kind of thing occasionally no matter how meticulous we are.

Anyhow, fingers crossed for a miracle!

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

lizzy5553 wrote:

Is what I'm going through right now. I went on tou... (show quote)

Lizzy, losing stuff in life is just that, losing stuff in life.
I have lost everything from Cameras to Loved Ones.
We can dwell, or we can just move on!
As far as pics go, many pics I will never take again, but others I can re-take, and take them better, since I am a better photographer now.
With a little luck, you will get your drive back.
Otherwise, no matter how much you put yourself through about this, the end is still the same, it's still gone.
You can move on now, or you can move on later!
I suggest you start now.
Sorry, and good luck. ;-) :thumbup:
SS