The Hidden Risks of Digital Storage:
Are your photos safe?

Let me tell you something I don’t love admitting — even as a professional photographer, even as someone who cherishes photo memories with my whole heart, I once lost a massive chunk of my personal photo archive.

And I’ll be honest… it still stings.

It was early 2020 (before the world changed so much - remember those days?!). I was about to bring a new puppy home, and my phone camera had been acting up, so I had to get a new iPhone (because I *had* to be able to capture puppy photos without fail, duh!). For the first time ever, I decided to trade my old phone in. So, I wiped it clean. Easy enough, right?

I had Google Photos backing things up — or so I thought. I didn’t double-check. I just trusted that everything was syncing the way it always had.

But when I went back into my account later (weeks or maybe even months later, I didn’t even notice this at first), my stomach dropped. Something had stopped working — months earlier — and I hadn’t realized.
Just like that, over six months of memories were gone.

Poof.

And the worst part? That stretch included the last photos I ever took of my sweet Great Dane, Emmet.

His silly senior moments. His couch naps. His final days.

Gone.

I was devastated. And I still am.

So, let’s talk about digital storage.
We rely on it. Heavily.

It’s convenient, it's always with us, and for many people, it feels safe.
But here’s the hard truth: digital doesn’t always mean dependable.
And just because your photos are “in the cloud” doesn’t mean they’re protected.
Here are a few very real risks most people don’t think about until it’s too late:

1. Syncing failures and silent errors
Just like in my story, sometimes devices stop backing up… and no one tells you.
You assume everything’s safe — until one day it isn’t.
Apps glitch. Settings get changed during updates. It happens more often than you’d think.

2. Locked-out accounts
Forgotten passwords, two-factor authentication gone wrong, outdated email recovery options — these can all lock you out of your account permanently. (Yes, even if it’s your own account. I’ve seen it happen.)

3. Platform shutdowns or changes
Tech platforms change their terms, merge, or even disappear.
Remember Picasa? Shutterfly albums from 2009? MySpace? Digital memories on those platforms are often lost forever.

4. Hacks and data breaches
No one wants to believe it’ll happen to them, but online accounts are not immune to hackers.
A single compromised password can give someone access to years of your memories.

5. “Out of sight, out of mind” syndrome
Sometimes, the biggest risk is simply forgetting what you have and where it’s stored.
Multiple cloud accounts, old hard drives, dusty laptops in drawers... When your photos are scattered, they’re at risk of being lost, duplicated, or forgotten.

So what can you do?
The good news? You don’t have to live in fear of losing your memories.
There are ways to keep them safe — and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
It starts with taking stock of what you have, where it lives, and making a plan for organizing and preserving it in a way that’s intentional and secure.
And that’s where I come in. 
Helping families protect and actually enjoy their memories is at the heart of what I do.
Because I’ve felt that kind of loss — and I don’t want you to.

Whether you’ve got 3 cloud accounts and no clue what’s where, or you're just starting to think, “maybe I should back this up somewhere,” you’re not alone. And it’s not too late.
Your memories deserve more than digital dust.
 They deserve to be protected, accessible, and cherished for generations.

Want to start taking small, doable steps toward safer photo storage?
I’ve got some friendly tips to share if it sounds like photo organization is something you need — Join my email list, and you’ll be the first to get them.