How do I Choose the Best Online Digital Photo Storage?

There are four things to consider when looking for the best online digital photo storage: data ownership, access, capacity, and format. The successful transition to digital photography has created a need for a series of complementary products and services. By storing photos online, professional and amateur photographers can upload their photos to the Internet and make them available to others.

For a professional photographer, there are several benefits to storing digital photos online. After the photo shoot, the photographer can publish the edited photos for the client to review. The client can indicate which one he wants, allowing the photographer to finish the order much faster. This tool can also be used to publish a portfolio of work on a website, as potential clients can see examples of previous work and determine if they want to hire the photographer.

Amateur photographers can also benefit from this type of storage. It is a great way to store family photos accumulated over the years. The images can be viewed by select users, and it is a very cost effective way to share digital photos with family and friends located in different countries.

The first thing to check when looking at different online digital photo storage sites is who retains ownership of the data or photos. This is a very important consideration, since if the storage company gets ownership, any uploaded photos and videos can be sold to media outlets and advertising firms. Ask for detailed information about where the storage facilities are located and check the contract text to ensure that ownership rights are exclusively retained by the account holder.

Access rights to the storage tools are typically managed through unique user names and passwords. Some of the more sophisticated sites have different roles available, ranging from administrator to viewer. The person who is uploading the files can provide viewing rights to specific images, or extend uploading access to other people. This functionality increases the ability to share files and create an online archive.

Look at the total storage capacity provided with the different online digital photo storage sites. Image files are typically quite large and require significant storage space. Many storage sites offer a specific amount of space for free, and then have additional space available for a price. Think about your current photo storage requirements and estimate your needs in three to five years.