18 Sep 2017

Why you need pet photo cloud storage and how to choose

My worst nightmare: losing the photos of my beloved Spartacus and Tia. I've gone to great lengths to make sure I've protected my pet portraits and videos by setting up several back-up systems and safeguards. Now's the time for you to do the same. Seriously, stop what you're doing and take care of this task so that you're not at risk of losing your precious digital files when you need them most - in the middle of a pet grief journey.

Why You MUST Have Good Cloud Storage for Your Pet Pics and Videos

Have you been madly taking funny photos and capturing as many wonder pet videos as you can in the final years and months of your animal companion's life? That's what I've been up to as Spartacus goes through the changes of old kitty age. When you’re facing the end of your time with your cat or dog or hamster, it’s important to remember that you’ll always be able to preserve cherished moments together in your memory. But if you don't quite trust your brain or you want ways to visually experience memories of your pet later on, it’s important to have a good way to keep the posed and spontaneous photos and videos of your best friend safe.

Digital photography and the prevelance of smartphones with video capability have led most of us to accumulate huge troves of media that we need to store (my husband regularly expresses amazement at how many pictures and videos I've recorded on our network drive). Finding space to save all of it can be a challenge.

That’s where cloud storage comes. Having your animal companion photos in one place can be a great source of comfort when you go through pet loss. Sharing your memories is a good way to deal with your grief, and many cloud storage services allow you to easily do just that.

Sure, you can buy physical storage drives to keep all of your digital memories at home, but there are limitations to this method. Hard disk and solid state drives degrade over time. If it's serious enough, you may not be able to access your files. There's also the risk of keeping your files in your own home - what if you experience a fire or a flood? You'll lose it all if you don't have a back-up somewhere.

Cloud storage offers you the ability to store your dog videos and feline snapshots on virtual drives. This not only offers you the security of having a back-up system for your real life storage at home, it will limit the risk of media degradation. And while you certainly can pay for cloud storage, the amount of free storage offered by leading services is more than enough for most people. You just need to understand your options and the ins and outs of each solution before you choose the right option for your needs. Our guide will help you select a cloud storage service you can trust for your most precious pet memories on a budget you can afford.

Gather the Facts on How Much Storage You Need

The backup plan you choose will be determined by how much storage you need. You may already have a lot of photos on your device - whether it's your smartphone or DSLR camera.  Here's how to do a quick check to find out how much room your videos and pictures current use:

1. If you have an iPhone, go to Settings>General>Storage & iCloud Usage. Then tap on Manage Storage. The next screen will tell you how much space is being occupied by photos and your camera app.
2. For an Android device, go to Settings>Systems>Storage>Used Space to see how much memory is dedicated to pictures and videos. 
3. On your Mac, you can see a summary of how your storage space is being used by going to the Apple Menu>About This Mac >Storage tab. You'll see a bar with estimates of storage used for each segment, including movies and videos.
4. To check storage used on a PC, open File Explorer, navigate to the folder where you have saved all of your pet stuff, and then right-click on that folder. From there, click on Properties and you'll see the storage used on the General tab.
5. Your camera's memory card will also likely have loads of pictures and videos you want to retrieve. Follow similar steps to checking the storage used on these devices by reading your memory card with your computer - follow the PC and Mac tips above.

These quick checks will estimate how much storage space total you're going to need for all of your crazy videos and silly photos. Once you have this information, it should be a lot easier for you to choose the right cloud storage option for your fondest memories of your best furry friend.

One quick clarification: One thing you need to know is the difference between backing up your photos and syncing them with an online service. When you back up your cute pet photos, they are copied online and will stay there until you remove them. Any changes you make to these pictures will not affect the original backup photo file. In order to save any edits you make, you need to save and back up a duplicate.

Synced photos are edited along with their backup copies. In other words, every change you make to a photo on your smartphone will be reflected in the backup version you have synced. You just have to remember that when your photos are synced, deleting one from your device might mean it gets deleted from the backup service as well.

Best Cloud Storage Options for Online Pet Photo Storage

We're going to break down the basics on the various cloud storage options out there in the table below along with some ideas on which option is best based on your interests. However, drill down for further information by checking out the complete listings following this summary.

Digging Deeper: What Each Cloud Storage Service Offers to Pet Parents

Each cloud storage system offers advantages and disadvantages. Some are free to a point and then require a fee for additional storage. Others make it super easy to automatically back up your images without having to think about it. Still others are ideal because of the ease with which it is to organize everything. You'll want to balance the following aspects as you choose which option is best for your digital pet images and videos:

• Cost 
• Available storage
• Technical knowledge required
• Accessibility via computer and smartphone
• Ease of uploading and downloading
• Ability to integrate into creative projects
• Simplicity of sharing and collaborating with family and friends
• Organizational features and user interface
• Security and privacy

 For me, the most important thing is that I could trust that my digital media files would be safe and secure so that even in the most catastrohpic situation at home, I'd still have my visual memories. But I always wanted a method that was fast and easy for uploading my stuff without too much hassle. Oh, and as close to free as possible. But those are my priorities. Tell me yours and which system (or alternative to my list) do you like best?

Shutterfly

This is a great option if you want to create custom prints and books with your photos. Sorting through your files can be cumbersome, however.

Standout Feature: The ability to create real-life products with your photos.

Price: Free                  

File Size Limit: None

Free Storage: Unlimited

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

Amazon Prime Photos

A great way to store and backup your photos, especially if you’re already an Amazon Prime member. However, if you exceed their limit for video storage, you'll have to pay an extra fee.

Standout Feature: An uploader that makes it easier to upload many photos at once.

Price: $59.99 per year without Prime membership, included with $99 per year (or $10.99 per month) Prime membership

File Size Limit: Photos up to 2GB

Free Storage: n/a (Prime membership required)

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

Google Drive

Along with storing photos and videos, you can also store and share other types of documents.

Standout Feature: Easy collaboration

Price: Free (you can add 100GB more for $1.99 per month)

File Size Limit: 5TB

Free Storage: 15GB

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

Box (Personal)

A highly customizable and easy to use storage tool. You can integrate your account with many apps and services.

Standout Feature: Compatibility with other services (also the option to use for business)

Price: $5 per month for Starter account

File Size Limit: 250MB for free account, 2GB with Starter account

Free Storage: 10GB

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

IDrive

Easy setup with unlimited devices for one account. One of the most versatile online backup services.

Standout Feature: Continuous backup option

Price: $59.50 per year

File Size Limit: Unlimited

Free Storage: 5GB

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

Microsoft OneDrive

The default online storage and syncing service for both Windows 10 and Office 365.

Standout Feature: Microsoft Office 365 included with 1TB purchase

Price: Free for 5GB, $6.99 per month for 1TB and Office 365

File Size Limit: 10GB

Free Storage: 5GB

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

Apple iCloud Drive

The best option for those who exclusively use Apple devices. Easy to install on Windows PCs.

Standout Feature: Slick user interfaces for apps and web.

Price: Free for 5GB, $.99 per month for 50GB

File Size Limit: 15GB

Free Storage: 5GB

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: No

Android App: No

Dropbox

One of the simplest cloud storage and file-syncing services on the market. You can install on just about any device.

Standout Feature: Access to your photos from virtually anywhere.

Price: $9.99 per month for 1TB of space

File Size Limit: 10GB (unlimited with desktop client)

Free Storage: 2GB

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

SpiderOakONE

Very strong privacy features make this one of the best online backup options.

Standout Feature: Plentiful customization options

Price: $7 per month for 30GB, $12 per month for 1TB

File Size Limit: Unlimited

Free Storage: 2GB

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes

CertainSafe Digital Safety Deposit Box

This hyper-secure online storage option features secure chat and is easy to use.

Standout Feature: MicroEncryption that prevents data breaches

Price: $12 per user per month for 100GB and 100 guest users

File Size Limit: 100GB

Free Storage: None

Windows App: No

iOS App: No

Android App: No

SugarSync

Highly intuitive and very easy to use. Simple installation and saves up to five versions of files.

Standout Feature: Versatile apps for virtually any device

Price: $7.49 per month for 100GB

File Size Limit: Unlimited

Free Storage: None

Windows App: Yes

iOS App: Yes

Android App: Yes 

-- 

Alright, you've been warned and you now have the tools to protect the most precious digital pictures and videos you have of your pets. Use this guide to ensure you're not ever faced with a catastrophic loss of the memories you've carefully gathered of your loved ones. then go on to create a photobook of your animal companion's life or memorial video of your pet (or have a pet slideshow made for you by me!). You'll thank yourself when you're in the middle of your pet loss experience.

Image: Roman Kraft, Jordan McQueen

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