Keep Raw Files? Do you keep your raw files after you have done all or your post processing? i.e., convert to JPG and then delete the RAW file... I am reluctant to delete my raw files...

tsanders30004 Loc: Atlanta, GA

Do you keep your raw files after you have done all or your post processing? i.e., convert to JPG and then delete the RAW file... I am reluctant to delete my raw files but they require a lot of disk space and I work on a laptop. Since I don't want to work using external hard drives, I keep all my photos on the laptop disk. But sooner or later I will run of of space... Comments?

letmedance Loc: Walnut, Ca.

Welcome to UHH

It is best to keep all your Raw files backed up on a separate disk or other media "DVD or CD" If your laptop is stolen or lost or if your hard drive dies an untimely and unexpected death you will be Up the Proverbial Creek. If your work is valuable you should have at least 2 backups, one off site. There are several affordable Cloud storage offerings, drop box for instance.
John

bdk Loc: Sanibel Fl.

I would save them, burn a dvd , or something because as said when you least expect it that hard drive may crash and everything will be gone

amehta Loc: Boston

tsanders30004 wrote:

Do you keep your raw files after you have done all or your post processing? i.e., convert to JPG and then delete the RAW file... I am reluctant to delete my raw files but they require a lot of disk space and I work on a laptop. Since I don't want to work using external hard drives, I keep all my photos on the laptop disk. But sooner or later I will run of of space... Comments?

Think of three different "roles" for files:
* work
* archive
* back-up
Keeping the files you are working with on your laptop makes sense. When you are done, if you have the choice to delete the raw files or archive them to an external hard drive, I do the latter. I also zip them up, so that I can also back them up to a different place easily, it is much easier to deal with a single zip file from a shoot that dozens or hundreds of image files. It is also easier to verify if the back-up worked, because listing the contents of a zip file confirms its integrity.

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

I have a 500gb & a 1 terabyte external drive, one backing up the other. I think you can get a terabyte for around $80. I think storage space is relatively cheap & for the few minutes it takes to copy them to external storage doesn't seem to be an issue. I'm not to good at math but I think it would take about 370,000 25mb files to fill a terabyte. Should last awhile.

amehta Loc: Boston

raymondh wrote:

I have a 500gb & a 1 terabyte external drive, one backing up the other. I think you can get a terabyte for around $80. I think storage space is relatively cheap & for the few minutes it takes to copy them to external storage doesn't seem to be an issue. I'm not to good at math but I think it would take about 370,000 25mb files to fill a terabyte. Should last awhile.

About 40,000 25mb files, but that's still a lot. :-)

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

I never delete a RAW file unless I am sure it is fatally flawed. I use Lightroom, and shoot RAW exclusively. I keep my working copies of the RAW files on one external drive and backup copies on a different external. I do delete most of the jpegs since all I have to do is export to generate another and the export settings will vary depending on what I want to use it for (web, print, book etc). I keep the TIFFS and PSDs (where I've done editing of the RAWs) alongside the RAW they were generated from.

Every time Lightroom releases a new version, there are old photos that I can improve, sometimes vastly, with the new software. If I'd deleted my RAWs, that would not be an option.

Haydon

I burn my RAW files to blu-ray media. At a dollar a disk, this is a reasonable solution.

RicknJude Loc: Quebec, Canada

tsanders30004 wrote:

Do you keep your raw files after you have done all or your post processing? i.e., convert to JPG and then delete the RAW file... I am reluctant to delete my raw files but they require a lot of disk space and I work on a laptop. Since I don't want to work using external hard drives, I keep all my photos on the laptop disk. But sooner or later I will run of of space... Comments?

If you don't want to use external drives how about thumb drives. A 64G cost about $40.00 and will store about 3000 Raw files. Takes up no room and fairly inexpensive backup.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Depends on what you shoot, but I find my post-processing skills and technology getting better all the time.
I'm sure you could improve on images you shot a few years ago.
You can't revisit them if you don't have them.

Basil Loc: New Mexico

I backup all my stuff on a Solo iOSafe: http://www.amazon.com/ioSafe-SK3TB-Fireproof-Waterproof-External/dp/B007YJX82M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1393469855&sr=8-3&keywords=iOSafe

Waterproof and fireproof.

Dr.db Loc: Central Point, OR

The past few years, I have just been using terabyte drives as necessary for archival storage. We save more RAW files there than anything, since after culling for junkers, there are usually a whole lot of "just in case" savers that could be used later (but usually aren't) - sometimes well over 90% of of them for some shoots. I think RAW files are the best format for archives, partly since they are the best irrefutable proof of ownership, should legal disputes arise. And as mentioned above, they may be revisited anew years in the future.

We also archive processed and finished photos that are ready for publication as TIFF files that are copies of a "live" TIFF master.

Yes! - Keep Raw Files! Any derivative versions can always be reproduced if necessary.

Ted Liette Loc: Greenville, Ohio

raymondh wrote:

I have a 500gb & a 1 terabyte external drive, one backing up the other. I think you can get a terabyte for around $80. I think storage space is relatively cheap & for the few minutes it takes to copy them to external storage doesn't seem to be an issue. I'm not to good at math but I think it would take about 370,000 25mb files to fill a terabyte. Should last awhile.

I agree that a 2 system backup is necessary. I just bought a Seagate 2 terabyte external HDD for $86 plus I also have 51 gigabytes in Dropbox. I try to keep it as simple as possible to keep everything straight in my head.

mjp

I try to keep all of my old raw files on two different external drves . They start on one as my laptop has an SSD drive that's too small to store pictures on. I'm reprocessing the pictures from my stepmson's wedding three years ago. My improved skills and Lightroom 5 are yielding much better results. SmugMug is my off site backup of JPEGs.

hlmichel Loc: New Hope, Minnesota

Call me silly but once they are processed and delivered(uploaded to FB, shared on Skydrive, or CD handed off) I keep the Raw files and delete the TIF's.

With the D7100, my TIFs have the footprint of 2.5 RAW files.

I've got to come up with a back up plan, though.