<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I store all of my digital image files chronologically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typically, I make a monthly file for each camera and download all of the images on a regular basis. When time allows, I assign caption information to the file name. At the end of the month I make copies of the file, which I then store on various types of media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, I make a copy of a year\u2019s worth of digital images and store them on a \u2018working hard drive\u2019\u2014a drive that I keep connected to my lap top. The other copies simply get stored as back up. I should have at least three copies of every digital file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Normally, I avoid erasing files. I\u2019ve learned the perils of erasing images. You just NEVER know when a file will be needed, so I don\u2019t throw them away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Months ago, I was looking through images from July 2018, and discovered to my chagrin that several hundred image files were missing from my \u2018working drive.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not a problem, I thought, I\u2019ll just copy them off the back up, and went to locate the correct hard drive. I found the drive and opened the July 2018 file, only to discover the files were not there either!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I transferred the incomplete July 2018 file! While I made four copies of the file, all were missing the last couple of days of photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What was especially galling, is that many of these images were on a trip that I\u2019d made with Chris Guss in Northern Indiana, which is not a place I frequent very often. We\u2019d had productive day making images of trains along Norfolk Southern\u2019s former New York Central mainline and of the South Shore on the streets of Michigan City. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among other trains, we caught an Indiana Harbor Belt freight led by a pair of peculiar looking Gensets that I’ve never seen pictured anywhere, except by my own lenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After considerable digging around, I was able to locate three of my missing image files from the July file, but the rest had vanished like ether in bright sun. And, worse, I had no record of the Indiana Harbor Belt photos!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I suspected that I\u2019d moved a group of images for naming but then failed to move them back to the main file before making my copies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For months this ommission vexed me. I hate losing photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday, I unpacked a carton of hard drives from our move last year. I began going through them looking for the missing photos. And finally, I located the complete July 2018 Fuji Digital file. This had all of the missing photos! I\u2019ve since copied the missing images to my various storage drives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are lessons here: Be very careful when making backups!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Always make at least one copy of everything so that you can find it again. Never assume a specific file exists somewhere else;\u00a0and always avoid erasing backups and original images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tracking the Light Posts Daily!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I store all of my digital image files chronologically. Typically, I make a monthly file for each camera and download all of the images on a regular basis. When time allows, I assign caption information to the file name. At the end of the month I make copies of the file, which I then store … Continue reading Lost Indiana Harbor Belt<\/span> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/20180731-Indiana_Harbor_Belt_east_ward_train_near_Burns_Harbor_IND_DSCF1151.jpg?resize=474%2C317&ssl=1\")
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