It’s not a matter of if you’ll lose your photos — it’s a matter of when. In this relaunch episode of the DIY Photo Organising Podcast, Chantal goes back to basics with Golden Rule #1 of the Five Golden Rules of Photo Organising: Backup.

Episode Summary

Chantal kicks off the solo relaunch of the show by revisiting the single most important step in getting your photos under control: backing them up. Drawing on real stories, she explains why photo loss can happen to anybody, and why backup has to come before any sorting or organising.

She breaks down the crucial difference between synchronising and a true backup, and walks through the industry-standard method she recommends for keeping your photos safe for good. She also shares the exact backup setup she uses at home, what should be included in a backup, and a few simple habits that prevent future headaches.

What You’ll Learn

• Why backing up photos is Golden Rule # and the most important of the five.
• The real difference between syncing and backing up (and why iCloud, Dropbox and OneDrive aren’t true backups on their own).
• The simple, industry-standard method Chantal recommends for backing up your photos properly.
• What to include in a backup (hint: it’s more than just your Pictures folder)!
• Simple habits to build in to save you from future stress.

Resources Mentioned

• Episode 120
• Backblaze (cloud backup service)
• Time Machine (Mac) / File History (Windows)
• Related episodes: Episode 13 and Episode 42 (digitising prints, slides and film reels)

Next Steps

Ready to get your photos backed up and organised? Join Chantal’s free webinar on 27 August 2026 for a high-level walkthrough of getting your photos backed up, organised, and under control. Register here!

Check out the DIY Photo Organsing Course here and if you are an iPhone and Mac user, you might be interested in the upcoming live-classes. It’s not open yet but you can hop on the waitlist here to be the first to know.