Tell me how to handle hundreds of trip photos during a trip!

[tar heel]

I've not been on a once-in-a-lifetime trip since digital took over. Back in the day, I bought a dozen rolls a film, loaded a new one when needed and brought them all home to be developed. How do I do it now? Assume I know nothing (which is just about the truth)! I am guessing we might take as many as 1,000 photos.

TIA -- I'm working on getting into the 21st century.

 

[cornflake]

I'm not quite sure what you're asking - like what aspect you're asking about?

If you have a decently large memory card in your camera, they'll all fit. If you're worried about losing the camera you can download them intermittantly to your computer or device (provided you're bringing one).

 

[tar heel]

I was assuming I would need to put them somewhere other than the camera both because of space and to keep them safe. Can I use a tablet to download them? Is it better to put them on that device or upload them somewhere?

We are taking at least one tablet and should have internet service part of the time.

 

[cornflake]

I was assuming I would need to put them somewhere other than the camera both because of space and to keep them safe. Can I use a tablet to download them? Is it better to put them on that device or upload them somewhere?

We are taking at least one tablet and should have internet service part of the time.

If you have a big enough memory card (and it's not very large or expensive for 1,000 photos, honestly - how much you can hold depends on the resolution of the camera but 32gb will hold probably at LEAST 1500 pics on even a 10+ mp camera and cost you like $30.), you can just leave them all in the camera. Unless you lose it or something really bad happens to it, they're fine.

If you want to dl them, generally, yeah, you can move them to a tablet with the cord comes w/your camera. You can also, on many cameras, stick them on a drive (you can get a 32gb flash drive for like $25 or less nowadays). Don't need Internet service to move stuff unless you want to then send them to yourself someplace else. Also, if you're moving them before you get home, I'd just copy them to the other device, not erase them from the camera, so they're two places.

 

[tar heel]

That's helpful, cornflake - thanks. This sounds easier than I thought it was . . .

 

[tvguy]

With a decent sized memory card, you can take thousands of photos.

However, we now just take a few dozen photos. 30 years of "once in a life time" trips have left us with dozens of photo albums that we NEVER look at, and hundreds of VHS and VHS C tapes we never watch.. Now, we spend our time enjoying our trip, not taking photos.

 

[cornflake]

That's helpful, cornflake - thanks. This sounds easier than I thought it was . . .

Sure.

It really is easy. Just make sure you have a decently large memory card (it's a matter of opening the little flap, pulling the old one and sticking in the new one - and the cards hold the pictures, even if you swap them around, so don't go throwing the old one out or anything!). They're pretty much interchangeable, so you can just pick up whatever. Everyplace like Target, etc., has a display of 'em by the cameras.

Like so -

Then you can just leave them and/or copy them to a tablet. Like so -

Usually, your device will recognize what's going on and pop up an appropriate handler for the pics. If not, just leave them on the camera and deal with it when you get home. No big.

 

[tar heel]

I understand your point, tvguy. I'm not even sure I'll take an outrageous number, but I know I'll take more than I usually do. For the record, I've been traveling as long as you and this is the first time I've referred to a trip as "once in a lifetime." I'm going to India!

 

[MIGrandma]

With a decent sized memory card, you can take thousands of photos.

However, we now just take a few dozen photos. 30 years of "once in a life time" trips have left us with dozens of photo albums that we NEVER look at, and hundreds of VHS and VHS C tapes we never watch.. Now, we spend our time enjoying our trip, not taking photos.

I'm the opposite of you. My main souvenir of any trip is PHOTOS, and lots of 'em!!

I copy all my photos from the camera memory card onto my computer, in a file labeled whatever trip it happens to be, then I also have prints made from the photos and put them in an album. And unlike you, I DO look at my photo albums occasionally and know I'll enjoy them even MORE as we get older. I also keep a "trip journal" which is very detailed and I LOVE going back and reading those again, to refresh my memory about each trip and sometimes I read something and think "oh, I had forgotten all about that!"

To me, photos are priceless and are a wonderful way to make sure you remember everything about your trip.

OP, I hope you have a wonderful time on your trip to India!

 

[sam_gordon]

First, have multiple cards on hand. You can have one 'big' (16G+) and a couple smaller (8G or less). I use the smaller ones for backups (in case I lose the big card). I have a 16G card in my 12 megapixel camera and it fits 2K pictures in 'Fine' mode.

On our vacation, I'll take a laptop. I'll create a folder on the laptop with the title of the vacation (ie: Mexico Vacation 12). Each night, I create a new folder inside that folder with the date (ie: Thursday, June 1). I copy the pictures from the camera to that folder. I do NOT delete the pictures off the card. This gives me two copies of each picture.

If I had internet access and there were some 'must keep' pictures, I'd set those to upload overnight (ie: to photbucket or picassa). I will glance through the pictures after they're copied to the computer. Any pictures that are not worth keeping, I'll delete off the computer.

When I get home, I'll copy from the card again to my main storage, or I'll burn a DVD off the laptop.

 

[poohfriend77]

Are you taking a laptop? If so, I would still take at least two memory cards. Use one, and upload the pics each night. And ALWAYS have an extra card in your camera bag/purse (just in case you leave the card in your laptop at the hotel ). For that matter, I always have an extra battery, too.

If you won't have a way to upload pics each night, I'd take several memory cards. A card for each day is ideal, if you can do it. Swap them out every day or two, and keep the used ones in your room safe. That way, if your camera is lost or stolen, you won't lose ALL the pics from your trip. If you're going this route, a 4-8 gb card should be plenty big for each day. They are usually super cheap before Christmas, if your trip is not before then.

When I get home, I upload all the pics and delete the bad ones or exact duplicates (like when I quickly snap 8 pics of my kids with Mickey... I end up keeping one "looking forward and smiling" and one "hugging" photo). That leaves me with a slightly more manageable number of photos to print or use for a photobook.

 

[dakotix]

I'm a photographer with 10 years experience. Either leave your photos on the memory card or do as I do and copy them onto a usb flash drive. Take them to Walgreens or Walmart. They have self-serve machines where you can insert your memory card (or flash drive) and you can either print them or burn them onto a dvd.

I wouldn't leave the important photos on the mem cards, flash drive or on your computer as there's a chance they can degrade or the technology can crap out on you and those photos are lost forever. Burn them onto CD and store them in a safe spot.

 

[Poohforyou]

When we went to China a few years ago we brought a netbook with us. Just about every night I upload pictures from our camera to snapfish and then cleared the memory card. For a once in a lifetime trip I'd recommend this over a large memory card. If you lose the camera you lose everything.

 

[tar heel]

Thanks everyone. Even though my question was pretty stupid, it's clear from your answers that there isn't any one answer. I'll do a combination of these ideas. I've got big and small memory sticks and will buy a few more small ones. We will have internet a few nights and will have a small notebook in our group.

 

[DeaverTex]

With a decent sized memory card, you can take thousands of photos.

However, we now just take a few dozen photos. 30 years of "once in a life time" trips have left us with dozens of photo albums that we NEVER look at, and hundreds of VHS and VHS C tapes we never watch.. Now, we spend our time enjoying our trip, not taking photos.

Heh... We bypassed the interim stage entirely and went straight to enjoying the trip without taking photos. I think we took a half dozen at WDW, and this was our first ever trip. I'd feel guilty knowing that, somewhere, I had thousands of photos I knew that I'd never look at again after the day I made 'em.

 

[shortbun]

Don't spend too much time behind your lenz. Make real memories. I've been lucky to have taken many 'once in a lifetime' trips because I was a travel agent. I quickly learned that my brain was great for memories and fiddling with a camera constantly dulled them. I'm not saying 'no pictures' but I've taken trips without taking pictures and it was fantastic! Have fun in India!!

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Have a fabulous time in India! Where are you going?

I just looked- I took close to 4000 pics when I went there a couple years ago! I agree with a PP- those are my primary souvenir. I did delete alot of multiples, but I have gone through those pics numerous times, I've have blown up a couple dozen to use as displays for presentations I've been asked to give for school, church, scouts... (Be forewarned you'll be an "expert" once you get back!

I love going back and looking at them.

(For the record, I took them all on 3 memory cards. {Two different cameras}. I didn't have anything to download them to each night- but I would have if I had the opportunity/device, just for the piece of mind if a camera had been stolen/lost.)