It's safe to say that hurricane season wasted no time putting Floridians back on their toes in 2019. As Dorian churns up the Atlantic, here we are again with long lines at gas stations and empty shelves where bottles of water once sat dusty. Some folks are running around in a panic, some are stocking up on beer (me) and hunkering down. Pets, medication, water, and important paperwork are always the first things that people think about packing when making a run for it. Photo albums have always been one of the first things that people think of taking with them when they evacuate, too.
Technology has made preserving our images much more convenient than 15+ years ago. It is far easier to put a hard drive, thumb drive, or DVD/CD containing thousands of photos in the trunk of your car than it is to pack up many bulky photo albums or keep track of loose prints. Additionally, you can backup your photos in multiple places including a cloud service. Unfortunately, there will be times when photographic prints cannot be salvaged and that is what makes investing in digital negatives so valuable. It will allow you to reprint that photo an unlimited amount of times.
You won't mourn the loss of your furniture or appliances the way you would your family photos if they were gone. There is no denying that they are irreplaceable and priceless, which makes the digital negative such a fantastic investment that you aren't likely to regret.
I found the following article interesting and wanted to share it with all of you. "Faces of Katrina" is by Miami-based photojournalist, Charles Ommanney, who documented the physical photos left behind by families who fled the Category 5 monster.
Prayers for safety to everyone this hurricane season and remember to keep your memories and yourselves safe. To connect with the St. Johns County, Northeast and Central Florida community regarding weather, forecast updates and weather photography, check out Storm Chaser Logan Parham on Facebook.
Cheers!
Credit: Charles Ommanney, Getty Images Chris McGonigal, HuffPost