Security For The Media - Today's Case

The recording media that we use for our photographs have changed quite a bit recently. Silver-plated copper and glass plates coated with liquid gun-cotton seem to have given way to small plastic biscuits with electronics inside. In between these were the rolls of plastic film and in between the rolls of plastic film was dust, fungus and insects...


That's actually something that happens with everything - the silvered plates got scratched, the glass plates got broken, and the plastic memory biscuits get left in shirt pockets and go through the washing machine. Or they get lost down the back of the couch, or the front of the dog. In short, anything we use to record the scene is subject to attack by the elements and we need to do something to protect it.

Leaving apart the glass plates and the film negatives - I recommend IKEA Kassette boxes for the former and negative sleeves for the latter - we come to the plastic biscuits known as memory cards. Lots of manufacturers make memory card wallets - Think Tank and Lowepro come immediately to mind, and these are a good way to make a collection of cards big enough that you cannot leave it in the shirt pocket or ignore it in your trousers. You are in control of where the cards go.

If you are in danger of getting doused yourself or are going into dusty or muddy conditions, consider a Pelican or GePe memory card case. These are hard plastic with waterproof seals around the edges and hold anything from 2 to 4 cards. Generally the manufacturers arrange the inside so that these can be either CF or SD size.

Consider any of these to be physical protection from the environment but remember that you can also be protecting your work from Man. It is not unknown for memory cards to be filched, as it was not unknown for film to be filched. I do not know about  12" x 16" glass plates - seems hard to sneak out of a party or wedding reception with one of these under the arm...

Remove the temptation if you are working or travelling. Spread your shoot over several cards and house those cards in something that sits close to you at all times. You might lose equipment, but you do not lose images or the job.