Travis & Marie's Ethereal Woodland Wedding at Leach Botanical Garden | PDX & RVA Wedding Photography

May 18, 2020

Travis & Marie’s wedding was everything a wedding should be. Their closest family and friends walked down a beautiful mossy path through the woods to get to the ceremony site. It was quiet, peaceful and whimsical. The ceremony was heartfelt and intimate, followed by a beautifully presented multi-course dinner that I couldn’t stop photographing (and eating)! The live music and perfect weather just made it even more memorable. Travis & Marie are just exceptionally adorable and their families were so incredibly sweet and welcoming. This was the first time I photographed a wedding at Leach Botanical Garden and it was such a nice, laid back experience. I hope I get to photograph again there one day!

Congrats Marie & Travis!

<3 Myles Katherine

The Best Way to Backup and Organize Files as a Photographer | Tips for Keeping Your Files Safe

April 16, 2020

Hi everyone!

As a photographer, I can’t imagine anything scarier than losing all of my files. My clients would lose their precious memories and I would definitely never be hired again! It’s taken me years to figure out the best way to keep my files safe and organized, and I want to help you do the same! It takes some getting used to, and I still spend entire days going through old files (from before I had this system down) and putting them into folders. It’s taken some trial and error in terms of the best way to name folders and the easiest way to find the files later. But now, my files are exactly where I need them to be and I know they are safely backed up.

Backblaze and Smugmug are the two main services I use for backup and storage and they are game-changers. I use Backblaze as an online backup system that continuously backs up my external hard drives (all 5 of them and over 23 TB!) and it only costs $60/year for UNLIMITED STORAGE (!!!!!!). The best part is that you can access your files from anywhere and download them directly to your computer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been traveling and realized I forgot to move some files onto my computer to edit. So I just log in to my Backblaze account, download the folder, and I can get straight to work. If one of your hard drives crashes, Backblaze can send you a new one with all of your files on it. When you log into your account, it’s basically a mirror image of your finder window, with all of your hard drives and folders exactly the way they look on your computer (see screenshot below). It’s actually the greatest service ever invented. Use this link to get a month of service from Backblaze for free!

I use Smugmug for all of my client galleries. I upload my edited images straight from Lightroom (using a lightroom plugin) into a gallery and then send the link to my clients. My favorite part about Smugmug is the app, which I use to download images from any of my galleries and upload to instagram, facebook, etc. I have the Portfolio plan which is $180/year and includes UNLIMITED storage. I have wedding galleries up there from 10 years ago that my clients can still access. They can also order prints and other gifts directly from the gallery. Use this link to sign up and get 15% off your plan! I’m telling you, it’s so worth it. I keep all of my folders on smugmug super organized too, which makes the app even easier to navigate and find files when I’m traveling. See the screenshot below to get an idea of how you can organize your different types of photos!

Honestly, I’m always looking for the most affordable way to run my business (I’m a bit of a cheapskate) and these two services are life-changing to me as a photographer. I’ve spent a lot of hours researching backup services and gallery services, but these two take the cake for me. I’ve been using them both for YEARS and I haven’t had any issues.

After a photo shoot, I come home and upload the files to my hard drives, which are then safely backed up to Backblaze (so if my house burns down with my memory cards AND my hard drives, they are still safe). Then, after I’ve finished editing a shoot, I upload the final images to a Smugmug gallery. My files are then safely in 3 places, 2 of which are online, accessible from anywhere, and safe from a house fire.

In terms of organizing my hard drives, I wanted to share a screenshot sample of my folders. This has proven to be the best way to not lose files and it’s pleasing to look at with my OCD brain. I also scan my film negatives at home, so I keep those files separate from my digital files. Essentially, the format is YEAR>MONTH>PHOTOSHOOT. I also have video files and other things that I make sure to keep separate from my photography.

I hope this helps you find an easy and affordable way to keep your files safe. It can be overwhelming when you first start organizing everything, but it’s so worth it when it’s done. It’s also important to name your files something that you’ll remember, in case you need to find them later. When I export my final images, I make sure to use keywords that I won’t forget. For example, if you took a trip to Florida with your family, you could name the files FloridaFamilyTrip2020. Then, ten years from now you won’t have a hard time finding the images.

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below, I’m happy to help! I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this crazy time!

<3 Myles Katherine

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

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Altar PDX SS20 Lookbook // PDX & RVA Fashion Photography

March 30, 2020

Life has been weird for everyone lately, but I’ve decided to turn over a new leaf this week. I’ve allowed my fears to stifle my creativity and I’m so done with that. We’re entering a new month this week which is the perfect time for new beginnings. Just because we are all stuck at home doesn’t mean we need to give up on our dreams. I had a lot of goals for this year and I’m not going to stop working towards them. I just need to find new ways to get to them. So yesterday I sat down and made a to-do list for the week. I decided to set my alarm for 8 am and I woke up, had my coffee, made biscuits and here I am back at work. And yes, I’m going to reward myself with an “At Home Happy Hour” at 6 pm.

Last month, I went to Portland for a few photo shoots and worked with so many talented ladies. When Altar PDX reached out to me, I was so stoked because it’s been a few years since we’ve done a shoot together. I’m not going to worry about when I’ll be able to visit Portland again, because this IS temporary. I’m going to fully enjoy the fact that I JUST went to Portland last month and created some incredible photos with some incredible people.

Here are all of my favorite images from my collab shoot with Altar PDX and Field Day Apparel last month. I included a handful of my fav film photos from the shoot as well. I hope these images help to brighten your day. Soon, we’ll be back to the normal fast pace of life and we’ll be wishing we had this time to spend with our families. I hope this time away from rushed lifestyles helps everyone to slow down and fully experience every moment. It’s definitely helping me and I will be taking this mindfulness with me to the other side.

Be sure to shop Altar & Field Day if you see anything you like! Small businesses REALLY need your help right now. And if you’d like to support my photography during this time, check out my Patreon. All of my new Patreon clients will be receiving a free print this month, and will gain access to see full blog posts like this one in the future. Anything helps!

Thank you for your support, it means the world!

<3 Myles Katherine