Problem
Digital photographs can easily be lost while traveling due to theft, memory failure, or inadvertent erasure of a memory card. There are many devices designed specifically to make copies but don’t want to carry an additional device.
Solution 1 – Local copy on iPad
Simply copy the photos on a daily basis to an iPad or computer. An iPad’s small size makes it excellent to travel with but has limited memory especially given today’s hi-resolution cameras. Also, the iPad can just as easily be stolen as a camera.
Solution 2 – iPad + PhotoSync App + Google Drive or Smugmug
Assuming you are staying somewhere with WiFi, adding a backup to a cloud service provides extra security. Until recently, backing up was a painful task from an iPad. The latest version of PhotoSync provides an excellent solution and works with a variety of cloud services. Simply configure Photosync with your preferred provider (Google Drive is free) and tell it to sync. It is smart enough to send photos/videos only once provided you pick the same folder (like All Photos). If you pick a different folder on your iPad each synch, a new folder will be created in Google Drive and it is possible photos will be sent again. Since internet connections in hotels tend to be slow, plug-in the iPad and let the sync run overnight.
A recent experience was too many photos were uploaded exceeding the 15GB space allocation. In hindsight, Smugmug would have been a better choice as it offers unlimited storage with it’s annual membership.
Notes
Photosync does not currently support Pogoplug and the Pogoplug app didn’t work in testing. This is a disappointment as Pogoplug allows you to get the files back to your house.
This tip applies to taking photos directly on an iPad/iPhone.