Essential File Management for Photographers
Workshop - Photography | Registration opens 2/10/2026 9:00 AM EST
Are your files and file management a mess? Does your _DSC-3822 file name tell you,
Where it was taken?
When it was taken?
The content of the photograph?
The themes and trends in your work as a photographer?
- Essential File Management for Photographers is a practical, workflow-focused course designed to help photographers protect, organize, and future-proof their digital images. With image files representing both creative work and business assets, this class emphasizes reliable backup strategies, hard drive redundancy, and long-term data security.
Students will learn best practices for managing photo files from ingestion to archiving, with a strong focus on preventing data loss. The course covers the fundamentals of hard drive types and storage systems, including an in-depth overview of RAID configurations and how redundancy differs from true backup. Participants will explore the widely adopted 3-2-1 backup philosophy, learning how to implement it effectively for both small and growing photo libraries.
The class also examines cloud backup solutions, comparing popular services in terms of reliability, cost, speed, and security. Students will gain insight into when cloud backups make sense, how they integrate with local storage, and how to build a hybrid system that balances convenience and protection.
By the end of the course, photographers will have a clear, actionable plan for organizing their files, safeguarding their work, and choosing storage and backup solutions that match their workflow and budget.
C. Stephen Hurst
C. Stephen Hurst recently moved to Winston-Salem from New York City where he spent many years as a professional photographer and instructor at the International School of Photography. Hurst is a self-taught photographer who emphasizes connection, anticipation, and communication through his process; some of Hurst’s photography clients have included the Disney Family Foundation, Nike, and Columbia Business School. Hurst holds a B.F.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Learn more about his work at amancalledhurst.com.