Pros and Cons of Using Cloud Storage for Photographswww.sleeklens.com
Storage obviously plays a major part in the career of photographers, videographers and even normal people who are not into the creative field. Just like the cameras and the equipment around us has been evolving, so has the way we use storage and what we use to store our personal and important files on. Today we will be talking just a bit about using cloud storage but before we start, lets first understand what exactly the cloud is. The cloud in the simplest term is a terrestrial home where data is stored. Your data is not in one location but rather in many different locations and can be available to you with a few clicks here and thereafter entering passwords and usernames of course. The cloud is pretty much a network of servers that store information to you until it is requested or needed. You will see this concept being Introduced to you through varies mediums and big companies such as Google and apple just to name a few. However, this cloud storage has its advantages and of course, its drawbacks as well which I will now list whole explaining each.
Table of Contents
1. Pro: Offsite Management
One of the biggest pros of cloud storage so far is that you can easily manage your information from anywhere you are on any device you’d like to. You simply just have to sign into whatever server it is you use from Google, Apple or another provider and you can easily manage your data. This has worked for me many times while I was out and needed to share some images with a client but I was not around my computer. It was very simple to sign in and share folders or files needed at that time with just a few taps. This accessibility has proven to come in handy many times and saved me from a lot of trouble might I add.
2. Pro: Unlimited Storage
There is always more space in the cloud if you need it. Different providers or servers will carry different cost but nonetheless, you can always get as much space as you need. This saves you from worrying if you have too much data and where to put it all because with the cloud the possibilities are pretty much limitless in that regard.
3. Pro: Cost For Storage
Cloud storage really hit the manufacturers of external hard drives with the price of their storage options. The price for storage on platforms that offer this service is significantly cheaper per month than buying an external hard drive with the possibility of it failing due to how fragile it is. You can currently get an ample amount of cloud storage without even remotely putting a dent in your pocket or wallet.
4. Pro: Development
The geniuses behind the cloud are always aiming to make it safer and secure for users. The concept of the cloud is always evolving as changes are being made for the benefit of the businesses and individuals who use it the most. This constant evolving helps to introduce new and safer methods as to how you can protect your information as well as easier ways to recover your information if unfortunately lost.
5. Con: Safety
While developers are still working on making the cloud a safer place, there have been to many instances where people have been hacked. This puts fear in the mind of users who have personal information to think that their data is on the internet and somewhere out there in the world is someone crazy enough to try and get it to either expose or use it to their advantage. The safety among users of the cloud is something that is worked on constantly but there are users like myself who sometimes still live in fear. I would recommend not to store anything too personal or damaging in the cloud as that could be an unforeseen demise somewhere down the line. As I’ve said before, its always better to be safe than to be sorry.
6. Con: Speed
How fast you download or even upload anything from your cloud is dependent on how fast or how good your wifi is. This can be a huge problem if you’re in a place with not the best access to the internet but need to download an image or document to show to someone. To properly enjoy the cloud, you will need a good internet and if you’re anything like me then your best option might be at home or at work. However, if the internet providers ever end up failing then some of us can be doomed in just a matter of seconds. The reliability upon bandwidth to effectively use the cloud is something that eventually will have to be worked on if possible because it has been a hindrance to many photographers and videographers like myself.
7. Con: Lifetime Cost
The price you pay per month for the convenience of cloud storage sounds great at first until you consider the years ahead of how much you will be paying as a whole. It’s similar to when you visit a car dealership. The overall cost of the vehicle will naturally have you in shock until the sales representative give’s you a monthly figure to achieve that overall cost which sounds a lot more appealing. This lifetime cost can be very high if you consider how much you’re paying on a yearly bases for mass storage.
I hope this article has helped you to see both the advantages and disadvantages of using cloud storage as everything has its pros and cons. I truly appreciate you stopping by to read this article and look forward to seeing you another time. Until then, take care.
Michael – I feel there is one big ‘Con’ users should be very aware of – if you have cloud storage set to monitor a particular drive or folder and to do an immediate update when files are added / modified, there is the possibility you may lose a file totally, if there is no other form of backup made, if you accidentally delete a file on the host computer, as it would then be immediately deleted from the cloud server – to me, the auto update is a major reason why the cloud should only ever be considered for ‘grandfather’ backups.
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Michael – I feel there is one big ‘Con’ users should be very aware of – if you have cloud storage set to monitor a particular drive or folder and to do an immediate update when files are added / modified, there is the possibility you may lose a file totally, if there is no other form of backup made, if you accidentally delete a file on the host computer, as it would then be immediately deleted from the cloud server – to me, the auto update is a major reason why the cloud should only ever be considered for ‘grandfather’ backups.