14 minute read
Peter Morgan Camera to Client Series
Peter loves photography and gadgets. It would be safe to say he is obsessed with technology. He has worked in the computer and telecommunications industry from the age of 16. Peter is an Apple and Windows Engineer, Backup, and Disaster Recovery Specialist and has been supporting individuals and businesses for over thirty years. He started a professional photography business in 2014 after selling his IT company to pursue his love of photography. Peter soon found out that his IT skills meant that great photographers trusted him with their businesses technology. Often he would trade his IT repair skills for photography training to learn as much as he could about every different genre and type of photography to create his own unique and quirky style. Like many other photographers, the global pandemic postponed Peter’s primary job as a professional photographer, so he began looking at the real problems photographers and creatives faced daily. This is when his idea for ‘Tech for Togs’ came into fruition as he was constantly being asked for help on Facebook Group with an average of 20 requests daily. He now runs this with his business partner Ross Grieve. Many photographers don’t have a robust, stress-tested backup solution. As a photographer, Peter finds that having the solution, workflow, and knowledge is invaluable for the creative industry. Peter will be creating a series of articles on “Camera to Client”. Starting with his first article giving an insight into the types of external storage devices available to photographers for use in backup scenarios and the Pro’s and Con’s of both.
TYPES OF STORAGE DEVICES
Storage Devices - what’s the best for me?
STANDALONE USB-3 OR USB-C DRIVES
Standalone drives are quite inexpensive compared to real professional solutions, and whilst most are manufactured well unless implemented into a planned system, they have no redundancy or failover. They would be most suited to non-professionals or hobbyists to keep non-essential data on or transport photos or data from one location to another. They come in 3 sizes; 3.5-inch desktop drives, 2.5-inch portable drives, and m2 SSD Blade drives, which are smaller, faster and more expensive with many different configurations and sizes. Windows drives will come pre-formatted with NTFS, while MAC will use either the extension or the extension of MACOS extended or APFS. These are incompatible, and EX-Fat should be used when both systems are in play in a singular workplace.
PRO’S
• Inexpensive, currently less than £40 for a 1TB USB-3 drive. • Useful for carrying with you to transfer data to and from multiple machines. • Can be powered by mains plug or USB (in the case of smaller portable devices). • Some of the companies offer a recovery solution if data is lost. • USB-C SSD drives are very fast at transferring data back and forth.
CON’S
• Open to failure if constantly plugged and unplugged weak point is the computer’s connection. • Zero redundancy as if the drive fails, the data is lost. • Unless you buy a rugged version of a drive, they are prone to dust, water and accidental damage.
NAS (NETWORK-ATTACHED STORAGE)
A series of Hard Drives are housed in a box (known as an enclosure) which are connected to your network via Wi-Fi or a cable plugged into the router. Typically the NAS would reside in your home or place of work and can be seen by multiple computers or devices. The NAS acts as a central storage hub for backing up, sharing and retrieving data. The drives are made to look like one big drive using clever software or hardware called RAID built into the device.
PRO’S
• A large storage device that can be read from and written to by multiple devices both in the home and over the internet. • Possibility to upgrade the amount of storage space at a later time. • Having multiple drives means that the risk of a drive failure and data being lost is spread over the hard drives. This provides redundancy and risk management. • In larger configuration units, data transfer speed and redundancy improvements can be seen with specific data aggregation set-ups.
CON’S
• It can be incredibly slow to retrieve files if not attached to the network or set up properly. • The professional-grade systems are initially expensive to purchase. • Most professional NAS systems come as the enclosure only and require the user to buy the internal drives separately.
It can be quite technical to set up initially. Most of them require regular firmware (software) updates to work with the newest operating systems.
USB RAID ARRAYS (HYBRID)
A series of Hard Drives are housed in a box (known as an enclosure) which are connected to your network via Wi-Fi or a cable plugged into the router. Typically the NAS would reside in your home or place of work and can be seen by multiple computers or devices. The NAS acts as a central storage hub for backing up, sharing and retrieving data. The drives are made to look like one big drive using clever software or hardware called RAID built into the device.
PRO’S
• Portable. • More cost-effective than a full NAS solution. • 1 Disk redundancy. • This particular model has a built-in SD Card Reader for backing up your cards when plugged in, meaning it could be used on-site or at home to provide multiple backup locations using
Lightroom’s additional backup location option.
CON’S
• More expensive than a traditional single drive solution. • It can only be used by one machine at a time. • No over the internet availability. • Replacing the broken drives in the event of a failure often means sending the device back to the manufacturer for repair.
When choosing one of these solutions, the real thing to think about is to look at what’s most important to you: cost, data size, speed of access needed, portability and availability of access to data. For most hobbyists or photographers starting a standalone additional backup drive would work.
A Synology 1821+ multiple raid NAS will be a better option for bigger studios and professional photographers.
- Peter Morgan
https://www.techfortogs.co.uk/
Successful Qualified Panels
January 2022 “An excellent reason for joining the Guild is to submit your work for assessment and progress through our membership levels. It is a way to measure and evidence your skill level, as well as show your customers that you are committed to providing them with the very best service. Whilst photography-related qualifications have always been a controversial issue, how do you judge an art form? Our ‘Qualified’ status aligned to the standards of competence that reflect a level where the customer should be ‘pleased with the results’ when employing the services of a skilled tradesman (the photographer). In other words, ‘Qualified’ indicates professional ‘competence’ to a level where the Guild is willing to recognise the photographer as an ambassador of the association, so those who achieve that level should be proud of doing so”. - Steve & Lesley Thirsk
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DEMYSTIFYING COPYRIGHT
The value of registering with the US Copyright Office - regardless of where you live
When a photographer clicks the shutter button on their camera, they instantly become the copyright owner of the image created. Plainly put, owning the copyright means that the photographer has the exclusive right to reproduce, publish, or sell his or her original work (the image). An image used on or offline is, therefore, a copy of the original and requires the explicit approval of the photographer prior to use, typically through a licensing agreement or contract. To non-photographers, this concept is typically quite foreign. Many, including businesses, wrongly assume they are able to simply reuse an image they find on Google or Instagram, or the internet. As a result, image theft today is rampant across the internet, threatening the sustainability of the professional photography industry. Pixsy believes that every photographer should decide when and how their images are used, empowering photographers to protect their intellectual property rights through an AIpowered image monitoring and copyright infringement resolution service.
Pixsy currently monitors over 100 million images and has partnered with a network of over 25 law firms worldwide to handle over 100,000 copyright infringement cases for their photographer clients. As part of the protection and resolution process, Pixsy assists its photographers to register copyright ownership with the US Copyright Office (USCO) including bulk registrations of up to 750 images per registration. It is often believed that USCO registrations are limited to US-based photographers, however, registration is open to anyone and serves to protect photographers internationally against US-based infringements. With over 70% of the matches and infringements handled by Pixsy taking place in the United States, USCO Registrations are an integral part of any photographer’s toolkit. Not only does registration protect your work, it also increases the legal recourse available and increases the eventual settlement value in the event of an infringement. In order to file a lawsuit in the US for example, a USCO Registration is a requirement. In order to file a lawsuit in the US for example, a USCO Registration is a requirement. If the registration was completed in a timely fashion, that is within the first three months of an image’s publication or before the date of infringement, then a photographer may be entitled to statutory damages of up to $150,000.
During the month of March, Pixsy will be offering a free consultation to Guild members with a Copyright Specialist. All GOP members have access to a special free partner plan, and access to all the protection tools and services Pixsy has to offer.
THE GUILD’S PARTNERS + MEMBERS BENEFITS
ALAMY
The leading online photographic library for stock images. Guild members earn the first £500 commission free. www.alamy.com
APPLESTORE
Save up to 10% in store or online, as well as on refurbs and offers. www.apple.com/uk
CEWE
The largest European producer of photobooks is now available in the UK pro market. Guild members get an exclusive 20% off any CEWE photobook and wall art. www.cewe-photoworld.com
COLORWORLD IMAGING
A full product range and sample deals available, plus a special schools photography service. www.colorworldimaging.co.uk
DATACOLOR SPYDER
Computer display colour calibration solutions. Guild members receive 20% savings. www.spyder.datacolor.com
DIGITALAB
Digitalab delivers high-quality printing, frames, and presentation products. Guild members - 50% OFF any sample products. www.digitalab.co.uk
EPSON
One of the largest manufacturers of printers, projectors, and much more. www.epson.co.uk
GURUSHOTS
Join the daily photo challenges, improve your photography and get rewarded. www.gurushots.com
HANDPAINTED BACKDROPS
Suppliers of stunning bespoke made backdrops, discounted for members. https://handpaintedbackdrops.co.uk/
HAHNEMUHLE FINE ART
One of the oldest paper companies in Europe that live and breathes paper. 10% discount for Guild members. www.hahnemuehle.com
HANDEPAY
Guaranteed savings for Guild members on card processing fees. Discounted quotes for Guild members. www.handepay.co.uk
INFOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY INSURANCE
Unique savings for Guild members with this highly respected insurance company. www.infocusinsurance.co.uk
LOUPEDECK
10% discount on The Photo & Video Editing Console for photographers and videographers, for faster and more creative editing. www.loupedeck.com
LOXLEY COLOUR
Scottish professional imaging lab with a worldwide reputation. www.loxleycolour.com
nPHOTO
Special deal exclusively for Guild members of up to 60% discount. www.nphoto.co.uk
ONE VISION IMAGING
30% OFF your first order. Special offers for Guild members. www.onevisionimaging.com
PIXSY - ACT AGAINST COPYRIGHT
Special Guild member offer worth £350 per year. www.pixsy.com
PHANTOM FLIGHT DRONE SCHOOL
Brilliant Guild discounts of up to 20% OFF Drone courses, lessons, and holidays. www.phantomflightdroneschool.co.uk
PHOTO-SENSORY
Pre-School Education Service offers five different class types. Guild members can be official photographers to Photo-Sensory. Contact Guild HQ
SIM IMAGING
Guild members only discount 10% www.simlab.co.uk
SHUTTERTAX
The online accounting option for photographers with a 20% discount for The Guild. www.shuttertax.co.uk
UK PRINTED PENS
Special discount for Guild members of 20% www.ukprintedpens.co.uk
VISION MEDIA DESIGN UK
Websites that Work for You. Guild Members - SAVE £95 off your new website. www.visionmediadesign.co.uk
WILKINSON CAMERAS
Large range of photographic equipment and Guild members exclusive retail offers. www.wilkinson.co.uk
3XM
Guild Members receive double points on every product order. www.3XMsolutions.com
THE GUILD OF PHOTOGRAPHERS
“No other photographic body offers what the Guild does... get an incredible package of business support, training and mentoring by some of the most respected names in the industry, insurance, legal protection and the rights to use our respected membership logos”
Professional Membership costs £129 and Regular Membership costs £99 www.photoguild.co.uk
© Nigel Hepplewhite
Let the Guild help you with your photographic journey like it has done for many others! The Guild is suitable for those in business, contemplating a career in photography, undertaking photography related courses, or even those who simply love using their camera.
EMAIL info@photoguild.co.uk
CALL 01782 970323 / 07982 613985
CEWE is proud to be a trade partner of The Guild of Photographers
We’re Europe’s leading photo printing company, known for our passion for photography and commitment to delivering outstanding print quality. Combining your creativity with our craftsmanship is the best way to share the photographs you’re most proud of.
Showcase Your Images in a CEWE PHOTOBOOK
Internationally renowned and critically acclaimed, the CEWE PHOTOBOOK isn’t just the best home for your treasured images, it’s also the greatest way to display them in print. Sharp images, vivid colours and unmistakably high-quality printing all characterise our photo books - in fact, it’s easy to see why they are loved by industry professionals and amateur photographers alike. If you aren’t yet part of the CEWE community, simply download our free Creator Software to get started on your next project. Did we mention, we offer a 100% Satisfaction guarantee on all photo books and wall art? This means you’re free to try us out, safe in the knowledge you’re bound to love the result. Plus, we’ve included an exclusive offer for all Guild members on the next page to help you get started.
“Best Photo Printing Service Worldwide”
In 2021, CEWE received its fourth consecutive win at the TIPA Awards, judged by a global panel of the industry’s leading experts. We were thrilled to be commended for our Photo Calendar with gold highlights, after having previously won awards for the CEWE PHOTOBOOK and our innovative wall art.
Gallery Prints
Our high-quality photo printing process includes UV printing directly onto acrylic glass which is then strengthened with aluminium di-bond. This means the brilliance and depth of your photos are secured with the gloss of the acrylic and strength of the aluminium.
Canvas
We believe there’s no substitute for skilled craftsmanship, that’s why we’re so proud of our handmade Photo Canvas Prints. We can confidently say that when it comes to quality, ours are second to none. We offer five different types of photo canvas print, giving you more options as to how your images are presented.
25% Off
any CEWE PHOTOBOOK and any CEWE Wall Art*
Offer available on any size or format using the free Creator Software. For information on how to redeem this offer, log in to The Guild website photoguild.co.uk and view the Partners and Discount section.
*Ts & Cs apply. Offer available on any size and format CEWE PHOTOBOOK and any size or format CEWE Wall Art until 31st December 2022. Does not include P&P and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
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