Hi All!

I just wanted to have a quick honest conversation via this blog with all my clients regarding your images on disc, and how important it is to take care and store your discs properly.

I’ve gotten a few e-mails lately about lost and damaged discs and needing replacements.

I wanted to bring to your attention to please re-read your contracts and realize I only keep your images on file for 18 months after your wedding. After this time your images are purged from my system. So please guard these discs with your life, as after 18 months these are your only copies. Please be responsible for these discs, as these are your lifetime memories.

Also please be aware, CDs and DVDs are going to deteriorate over time. The discs will age, and over time the silver foil in the discs that holds the memory will dry out and shrink one day. When this happens the original discs that I gave you will be unreadable. If the discs get finger printed or scratched it could even age the discs faster. For this reason - I highly HIGHLY recommend that you make copies of your discs. Make a copy and stick one set in a safe deposit box. In 3-4 years pull them out and make a new copy - or copy the files and store the files on multiple hard drives too. Caring for, backing up and storing this discs is your responsibility.

In New Orleans, be sure to put a set in with your important papers you evacuate with. Also, make sure you don’t lose the discs in your evacuation. Also be prepared for other disasters such as burglary and house fires. This is why I suggest always storing a copy of the disc in two locations, such as a safe deposit box. Yet, if another Katrina hits also be aware that the bank might flood too. So, another good idea is to store a copy with a friend or relative who lives out of state.

Technology will also change over time. In n 20 years time CD disc readers are probably going to be as obsolete as a Beta Max VCRs, and 8mm home movies. So also make sure through the years that you are copying the files to whatever the latest technology is out there. Just keep up on it, and think about it every few years.

And even another thing to think about is compatibility between computers and disc readers/burners. Be sure your discs are readable. Your burner may not read my burners files. Go through and open every file to make sure they can be read so there are no surprises in the future. Also, keep in mind when you switch computers your new system may not be able to read your old discs. Some CD readers and players are incompatible with others. As an example - my new apple laptop just won’t read discs burned on my old windows laptop from 4 years ago. Before recycling my the old laptop I had to recopy the CDS onto the windows hard drive. Then I had to attach an external hard drive to copy the files to my new mac.

You just always have to be one step ahead in thinking anything that could happen to your discs - and be responsible for it.

As of today I’m putting a few new policies in place. I’m now going to require that you have to sign off on a document before I will give the discs to you - stating that you understand and will care for your discs, that you understand they will break down over the years and that you understand that I only keep them on file for 18 months after your wedding date. I’m also implementing a $300 replacement disc fee if you lose or damage the files within the 18 months that I still retain them.

Yah, it’s honestly a bit of tough love but I really just want to make sure you have these important memories for the rest of your lives.

If you have any questions at anytime at all on how you should store or back up your files - please ask. I’m here to offer suggestions and help you through the process. Even feel free to post your question in the comments section on this post - so we can answer and share technology questions with everyone reading.