The Best Way to Archive Your Photos
- J. Logan
- Sep 9
- 3 min read
Whether you're a hobbyist capturing daily memories or a professional photographing events and clients, organizing and archiving your photos properly is essential. A good archiving system ensures that your work is easily accessible, safely backed up, and well-organized for future use. Below is a simple and effective workflow for archiving both personal and professional photography — with a focus on structure, redundancy, and long-term preservation.
For Personal Photos:
Month-by-Month Organization
When archiving personal photos, consistency is key. One of the most effective ways to stay organized is by using monthly folders labeled with both the **month and year** — for example:
July 2025 – Family & Summer Adventures
This format allows your photos to sort chronologically and gives you a quick visual cue of what each folder contains.
Inside each monthly folder, create subfolders labeled:
RAW
JPG
This separation keeps your unprocessed files safe and your ready-to-share images easy to find. For those who shoot RAW+JPG, this method helps prevent duplication confusion and lets you quickly locate the file type you need. You can also add optional folders like Video or Favorites depending on your workflow.
At the end of each month, review your images, rename them (if necessary), and move them into the appropriate annual folders. Keeping this as a monthly habit prevents your photo archive from becoming overwhelming over time.
It's important to remember to remove duplicate photos, bad images, or one's that are not relevant. I know I can take photos of random things with my phone that are not relevant to family memories. Don't clog up your hard drive with junk that makes it hard to get to good things later.
For Professional Photos:
Detailed Client-Based Structure
Professional photo archiving demands a bit more structure to accommodate the scale and importance of client work. The best approach is to label each folder with:
Client Name
Event Type
Month & Year
For example:
Smith Wedding – July 2025
ABC Corp – Headshots – June 2025
Inside each project folder, create three main subfolders:
RAW
JPG
Final Edits
The RAW folder stores your untouched originals, the JPG folder can house out-of-camera JPEGs (if shot in RAW+JPG mode), and the Final Edits folder should contain fully processed, ready-to-deliver images. If you offer sneak peeks or proofing galleries, you can also add a Proofs or Selections subfolder.
This method ensures that years later, you’ll still be able to locate the original files, know what was delivered, and reference client work quickly if needed.
Backup and Redundancy: Use Two External Drives
Regardless of whether your photos are personal or professional, redundancy is essential. At minimum, all your photo archives should be saved to:
Primary External Hard Drive
Secondary Backup Drive
These drives should be stored separately — ideally in different physical locations (such as one in your home and one in a fireproof safe). Sync the contents of both drives regularly. Tools like SyncBack, ChronoSync, or Carbon Copy Cloner can automate this process.
For even more protection, consider using a cloud backup service for your most important folders (like Final Edits or family memories). Services like Backblaze or Dropbox can offer additional peace of mind in case of physical damage to both hard drives. Although this is wise I personally don't like paying for monthly service and I opt for using a third external hard drive (hey, you pay once for it and they are pretty cheap these days).
Make sure you back up your files on a consistent basis so your redundancy is not outdated. This is especially important in case one of your drives fails or stop working.
In summary, a clean, consistent file structure and proper backups are the foundation of a reliable photo archiving system. Treat your photos — both personal memories and client work — as irreplaceable digital assets, and they'll be safe for years to come.
Here is an example video for backup inspiration. Find what works for you and have at it.
My name is Jason Logan. I'm a photographer and content creator from North Jersey. I'm a family man, lover, fighter, and love food and travel.
Instagram | @jmtphotographymedia