DWU2 Loc: Phoenix Arizona area

I back up my photos using the free Microsoft Synctoy app.

stangage

I won't argue if the approach I use is best or not best but it works for me and I always know exactly where my photo files are to be found.
1) Getting the files out of the camera, all files are downloaded to a high quality HDD. I have about 4T of files now and just to not have to ever bother with disk space again its a 12 T drive. Each file is coded with date in YYYY-MM-DD format for finding stuff. Additional info can be appended to the end of this code without affecting the order they show up in a file search. I often do a quick review at this level to get rid of junk that I don't want to upload to LR.

2)I then import to LR Classic. As you noted LR keeps a list of all adjustments you have made to any image. These are stored in the file *.lrcat which is located in the main computer system drive - a 1T SSD. According to my contacts with LR designers this is a good trade off between speed and disk size for LR. I have only 1 lrcat file - ie I do do not create separate lrcat file for different shoots or different purposes

3)Any exports out of LR (such as jpegs of an edited photo) are stored in a separate subfolder to the original dated folder for that photo shoot.

4)All of the files on both the external HDD drive and internal SSD are continuously backed up on an automatic basis to a remote service. In my case this is Backblaze which covers all drives/files associated with any one computer for $65 per year.

I have had occasion to need to recover files from a failed HDD and also from occasional stupid deletion mistakes on my part. For single or small data recovery I have been able to quickly find my lost info at Backblaze because everything is stored just the way I have it stored locally. For entire drive recovery Backblaze can send a hard drive with all of the needed files.

bjojade Loc: Wausau, WI

On a Mac, Time Machine is the easiest method. You can even have MULTIPLE time machine destinations set up so you can back up to multiple different drives, including network destinations. Backing up to multiple drives is a good idea because if something were to happen during a backup that took out your computer and the existing drive, you can always to to that other drive that's not currently connected.

However, Time Machine isn't without limits. Recovery can be tedious at times, and sometimes backups get corrupted.

For that reason, using a second (different) backup software is a good idea. I've been using Carbon Copy Cloner since OSX came out. It allows you to do incremental backups to second drives and lets you create schedules, rules, etc. Very awesome piece of software that I highly recommend.

For offsite backup, I've been using BackBlaze. Their personal backup is just $7/month and you can back up EVERY hard drive that's connected to your computer. I have one customer that's paying $7/month to back up 24TB of drives! $70/year. That's it!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

Just added info....

Sync is good after the first copy/backup/sync. Even syncing software just copies the first time.

With a good backup software, it is all done in the background, and is programmed to do so at certain intervals, or continuously on the fly.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The "best" back-up strategy properly balances the (a) cost, with (b) effectiveness, including ease-of-use and (c) risk of loss / failure of the selected strategy. Professionals / commercial operations have much different needs than individual photographers, in all three aspects of this 'balance'. Some of the Cadillac solutions discussed above have little relevance to a photographer that just needs to copy new date-stamped images onto their back-up media on a periodic basis, along with the entire LRCAT folders.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Everyone is different (Thanks God) and so everyone has different needs and pain tolerance. Some people do not place a large value on their data and some people overdo it. Fortunately there are solutions that fit the whole range of backup (or non-backup) needs.

bjojade Loc: Wausau, WI

The 3:2:1 backup rule is something anyone that cares about their data should follow. It used to be expensive to have backups, but now drives are SO cheap, it's silly not to.

3 copies of your files (your working file and 2 backups)
2 different backup strategies (because if one backup strategy fails, the other one may still work)
1 offsite or offline copy (if your machine gets damaged or corrupted, that offsite or offline copy should be still available)

If you follow those rules, odds of data loss become slim to none. The cost to have that level of backup is about $20/TB right now. The cost for data recovery could be thousands.

I can say without a doubt that I've made FAR more money on my customers that chose not to back up their data this way than all of those that bought the proper backup solution COMBINED.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

(I'm still waiting for someone to say they have a backup drive for each day of the month...)