Archiving Photos: How to create an archival system using Lightroom and a NAS system.

Capture Magazine has hosted a webinar to demonstrate the blueprint for building a professional, organised and secure photo archive. By watching this, you will understand how to set up a Synology NAS system (or like), as well as setting up a photo archive on the NAS, or any other hard drive system.

Webinar Highlights
Why you need to organise and safeguard your images
The advantages of an on-site NAS system
How to setup a NAS system in 15 minutes
Simple Lightroom workflow tips to keep your images safe and accessible
Understanding basic IPTC Metadata
Live Q&A with Tim Levy and Anthony McKee

It’s a scenario many photographers know too well. One hard drive fills up with images, so you buy another, and another until your cupboard or drawers house a growing graveyard of hard drives. Then comes the inevitable hunt for an image you shot a decade ago – or was it eight years ago? The frantic search through a maze of disconnected drives finally yields the photo after 30 minutes of searching – a task that a well-managed archive would have accomplished in five seconds.

This haphazard approach is a high-stakes gamble. Every single one of those drives is a ticking time bomb, because all hardware eventually fails, yet the bulk of photographers lack a streamlined system for safe, regular backups.

This can turn your life's work into a digital landfill, making the simple act of retrieving a specific photo from years past a near-impossible task. On top of this, many photographers don't know how to add their own IPTC metadata – something that helps searchability and demonstrate ownership, as well as usage rights over your precious images.

As a magazine editor, it is astonishing how often we receive images, even from established professionals, with nothing but the original camera file name – like _DSC8472.NEF – and no embedded information. An unnamed file without metadata is easily lost; it has no story, no context, and no clear creator. This is why understanding a proper archival workflow is an integral part of being a photographer.

It's time to stop simply storing files and start managing your legacy. By creating a consistent archival system and embedding your work with metadata – your name, copyright, and keywords – you move beyond just taking pictures. You begin to truly own your work, transforming each file from a generic digital object into a permanent, professional, searchable and valuable asset.

If you don't have a robust archival system, you're leaving your most precious memories and professional work vulnerable to digital chaos and catastrophic loss.