Barren River Lake. Photo by Amber Flowers www.soulgazephotography.com.

The word ‘summer’ brings to mind warm beaches, cold drinks and parties with family and friends. Fond memories of being out of school for the summer, or as you got older, enjoying a much needed vacation from work. These memories help you transition through the bitter cold and loneliness that winter can sometime bring, but are these memories enough? Can you see these memories as accurately as if you were there? Are your images so vivid that you can recall the smell of salt in the air or feel the texture of the sand between your toes as the gentle waves swirl around your feet at your ocean vacation? Nothing can capture a memory quite like a photograph or live video. Our minds are capable of displaying memories in great detail, but we can become easily distracted and as we age, our memories began to dull into oblivion. One day, years after, you have a sense of déjà-vu, but in reality the only real way to remember your memories is to photograph and preserve them for the future.

Maybe you feel that your vacation is too important to mess with a camera. Maybe you’re worried that you’ll damage it or not have the time to need it. Regardless, take that chance and bring it! In our modern times, many of the former camera safety worries no longer exist. Film could be easily damaged by light or water, but with digital cameras, there have been many advances. Although moisture and heat is still not a camera’s best friend, many of the larger DSLR’s and some of the professional lenses are weather sealed. This doesn’t mean they are waterproof, but they have additional protection from the elements. Photographers with a DSLR can also purchase waterproof cases for their camera through many popular retailers such as B & H (www.bhphotovideo.com) and Adorama (www.adorama.com). These cases are well designed to allowing you to use your buttons while sealing out moisture. Most waterproof cases allow your camera to go practically anywhere, including underwater. Be sure to read the instructions and insure your camera before visiting a location that could be damaging to your camera, with or without special protection. Alternately, many camera manufacturers sell waterproof point and shoot cameras. These are compact enough for your pocket, but allow you to keep them with your during all your summer activities such as swimming, fishing, boating and exploring.

So what do you do with your memories once you’ve captured them? There is one essential first-step that all photographers need to get in a habit of taking. Regardless whether you are a professional, amateur, hobbyist or just a family member capturing memories, your first step should always be to back up your files. This should always come before editing, sharing or printing your photos. Some photographers feel this wastes time unnecessarily. In reality, several hours of photographed memories being suddenly lost forever is time wasted, that you’ll never get back. For a professional photographer, this can mean sudden death for a business. For a family member capturing memories, you could lose your children’s first smile or other important milestone. Avoid these situations and back-up your files immediately. In the past, everyone assumed that copying your files over to your computer’s hard drive was safe and permanent provided your computer had the space. Although technology has advanced, errors and crashes still happen frequently and to anyone with little warning. Another popular alternative has remained CD’s, DVD’s and flash drives or portable hard drives. These are affordable options for any budget, but aren’t 100% reliable. CD’s and DVD’s can degrade over time, flash drives and portable hard drives can fail (although usually less likely than on a computer since they are used less). Another option is to utilize cloud technology, keeping your files digitally synced online. There are many companies providing this service, but with a price that may or may not be worth it depending on your budget. For drag and drop sync simplicity, Dropbox (dropbox.com) is a popular option, but extra space (2 GB account is free) must be purchased. For those who like the idea of cloud technology, but not the risk of data interception, there are multiple online vendors of photography galleries. These are companies who pride themselves in safe online storage of your photography. They offer many customization and privacy options for a yearly fee allowing you storage capacity and sharing capabilities with some including sales carts.

Some popular companies are:

Flickr: (www.flickr.com) Community of photographers where you can receive comments, favorite other’s work and you can choose whether or not your images are public. You can also choose whether or to submit your images for inclusion in Getty Images. $24.95 year unlimited or free account with 2 videos and 300MB/200 visible photos.

SmugMug: (www.smugmug.com) Unlimited photo/video uploading, permanent archiving Photoshop and other files via SmugVault, customizable and shareable galleries you can choose to make private or share with family, friends or clients including a sales cart. They provide a public forum (Dgrin.com) where you can connect with other ‘Smuggers’ ask questions and receive customization assistance. $40-150 year; depends on if you need pro features. (Discount code: XfVyhOovRyp4o).

PhotoReflect: (photoreflect.com) at $9 a month and Zenfolio: (www.zenfolio.com) at $25-$250 a year, offer online image hosting and sharing via a custom website and include a cart for selling photos. You choose what images are public or private. There are many more companies available, all boasting different features at different prices. Not everyone will need the ability to sell their images. Do your research and take advantage of their free trials before making a commitment. It’s not where you back up your photos that are important, it’s that you take the time to do so with a company that you can trust and afford.

Now that you’ve discovered some great ways to ensure your camera and files are protected, reconsider capturing those summer memories. Locally, there are many great options for photography practice, vacations or just a weekend getaway. Kentucky is rich with natural parks and tourist destinations and you can save a lot of money by staying local. Some popular destinations include:

Go camping, fishing, swimming or hiking at Barren River Lake in Barren County, Dale Hollow Lake in Cumberland County and Lake Cumberland in Russell County. If you want to enjoy diverse local plants and wildlife along rugged nature trails or explore caves visit Mammoth Cave National Park in Edmonson County and Lost River Cave in Warren County.  For more exotic animals, visit Kentucky Down Under in Horse Cave. Alternately some cities have multiple smaller family friendly destinations such as Cave City in Barren County. Bring your camera and step back in time at Dinosaur World, Guntown Mountain or American Action Park and stop at old-time stores with strangely unique items along the way.

Regardless of how you spend your summer, you can capture warm summer memories with your camera and inspiration from local destinations. With fall rapidly approaching, take those last minute vacations while you can. Just don’t forget to preserve your memories!

About the author: Amber Flowers, Owner of Soul Gaze Photography, is a photographer, digital artist and writer most known for her infrared photography and the ‘fine art’ feel to her work. She is Founder of Southern Kentucky Photographer’s Club and a member of The League of Creative Infrared Photographers. Amber resides in Glasgow KY with her Husband, two children and several pets. Learn more, ask questions or purchase fine art photography: www.soulgazephotography.com