Give each shoot a stable home
Choose a folder pattern that captures a date and a short project name. Keep it stable across projects. Separate original captures, working edits and delivery files so an exported JPEG cannot quietly replace the source you meant to preserve.
The exact spelling matters less than consistency. Avoid using a client’s full personal details in filenames that might later become public URLs. Keep sensitive administrative notes apart from the photographs you intend to share.
Record the decisions outside your memory
Save the final selection, delivery date and the version sent to a client or published online. A short text note inside the project can be enough. Include the location of any separate assets the edit depends on.
If a photo editor uses a catalogue, sidecar files or linked originals, understand which of those items must be backed up together. A catalogue that opens successfully does not prove the original photographs are still available.
Try recovering a small project
Choose a finished project and recover it from your backup into a separate location. Open an original, a working edit and a final export. Check that the recovered project contains enough information to produce the delivery again.
Record the date and result of the exercise. Revisit the process after changing storage or editing software. A recoverable archive is not something you can assess simply by looking at a drive’s free-space indicator.
Keep in mind
- Separate originals and exports
- Record the delivered version
- Include catalogue dependencies
- Recover a complete sample project