How I deliver your images

I remember how completely elated I was when I got my first CD/cassette stereo. Yes, it played both CDs and tapes. Like whoa. And the sound blew me away. I played Morphine pretty loud and my parents noticed. I can remember the sound of the CD starting to spin, and the sound of the laser-eye thing moving to play the first track.

I think I was 16. This was in 1995, when the following didn't exist:

+ iTunes
+ iPod
+ Amazon.com (it launched later that year, though)
+ and in my world, the internet

I kept that stereo all through college, playing my CDs an untold number of times. (Same thing went for DVDs. The first DVD I bought was Cast Away, in 2003.)

So much has changed in the past decade of tech that it's necessary to plan for the future when dealing with computer stuff. I've learned to "buy for the future". In my world of photography, file sizes are getting bigger; and the more weddings I shoot, the faster my hard drives fill up with photos.

As a photographer, I have to think how my client will be able to access their wedding photos, say, 5-10 years down the road. Just because they want to.

So I'm modifying the way I deliver my images to the client. While DVDs are popular and very usable, I think they'll go the way of the floppy disk. People stream movies online now. They download music. I literally haven't purchased a compact disc in a jewel case wrapped in cellophane in probably five years.

But I still need something tangible, and stylish. So I've decided to upgrade to USB flash drives...



They've been around for years, but I think they'll remain in the near future as one of the more reliable vehicles for data transfer. Some advantages of USB flash drives::

+ Flash drives have no moving parts and don't add unnecessary movement inside your computer, like DVDs.
+ A flash drive can't get scratched or besmudged with fingerprints, and is harder to break than discs.
+ Most PCs and Macs have USB ports.
+ Flash drives can hold a lot more data than a DVD.

Often, my collection of wedding + engagement images need multiple DVDs, so I'm thrilled to have it all in one place now. Transferring files takes less time than burning on several discs, which had labels that sometimes hindered usability in my client's computer (especially self-printed labels, bad first-hand experiences on that note).

Plus, if I forget to add some pictures, I can just remount the flash drive and add them. I don't have to burn a new disc.

Flash drive is easy. Put pictures on drive, send to client, they mount on computer, and they transfer.

Most importantly, my presentation can still be stylish and branded. The flash drive and its box is personalized with my company colors and logo. And they're bedazzled with my clients' names and wedding date.

The box is just big enough to make a statement, but just small enough to keep in a box of wedding memories (like with their wedding book) without taking up too much space.

So glad this has made the experience so much better! Interested in knowing more about your wedding photography experience? Click below.

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