Spring

Busy weekend, as Spring has sprung.

Data, Data and more Data

For the past ten days I have been involved in a important,but very tedious task.
I started shooting digital in 2001 exactly ten years ago. At the beginning I used CDs to archive all my images. This was the most cost effective method as hard disks were small and expensive.
Cost of HD Via BoingBoing
For extra protection I wrote two discs. One was kept in my studio and one was stored off site (sounds better than in the shed!). This was OK as files were relatively small at around 4MB each.
In 2004 I changed camera and computer. Now most files were about 13MB and my computer could write DVD's. By early 2011 my archive had grown to 9 PhotoCDs 329 CDs and 220 DVDs  plus 6 internal and external HD's, where I stored files I needed on a regular basis.

The net result was rather chaotic, so rationalisation was needed.
The first thing was to purchase two 2TB drives and enclosures. Each disc would have enough space to store everything I had and the second disc was used as a mirror of the first. Then came the tedious bit, reading every CD and DVD back onto the computer crosschecking the files were on the Hard Drives  and recreating folders so I can find everything, then write these files back to the two 2TB drives.

This is now done The files need to be assessed and edited as a large proportion of clients from ten years ago are no longer in existence.
It has been lots of work. I also found that my early archive methods were not very efficient as several sets of files were archived in several places and some jobs seem never to have been saved at all, and a couple of discs had corrupted files.. The best thing for me is that I now have easy access to everything I have ever shot, I have space on the Hard Drives for another year or two of shooting and then I will be able to buy 4TB discs for the same price as the 2TB cost when I bought them. I also no longer have to worry about the long term stability of the DVD and CD discs I am free of the cost in time and money of creating DVDs and I space again when I get rid of the discs.

Moon Rise

A short run out for the sunset and moonrise.

Frosty morning

A bit of a frost this morning, although it did not sit for long. After I had the first bike ride of the year.

Day 5

By day five we were both getting rather tired. The day before we had to get our flight was spent doing some final bits of sightseeing before the flight home . We had missed a couple of churches and we wanted to revisit the market. Them it was back to the hotel, to the bus and fly home. Getting home rather cold and tired late at night.

Day 4

Day 4 was given over to more  Gaudi houses and exploring La Ravel area of the cty.

Day 3 Gaudi Day

Monday is a day when many museums close in Barcelona. So we headed out to La Sagrada Família. It is such an iconic building I was quite prepared to be disappointed by it. The exterior is interesting but the interior is breathtaking an equal to any church I have seen. 


After we visited Parc Guell another area with lots of features designed by Gaudi. This was less spectacular. 

Barcelona Day 2, Sunday

Sunday was the day for a slow ramble through the narrow streets of the 'Barri Gothic' area of Barcelona. It was very quiet and we were able to visit lots of churches and museums. Not many shops were open but as we were not shopping that was not a great issue. At the end of the day we ended up in the square outside the Cathedral watching the band and the dancers.