The 3-2-1 backup rule: how photographers never lose a photo
Every photographer knows the 3-2-1 rule. Far fewer actually follow it, because between the shoot, the delivery and the next booking, the third copy always comes last. Here's the method, and how to keep it up without thinking about it.
By William Desse, photographer · October 16, 2026
The 3-2-1 rule in one sentence
Popularized by photographer Peter Krogh, the rule starts from a simple fact: every drive fails eventually, and when it does, you choose neither the drive nor the moment. With three copies spread over two types of media and two places, three bad things have to happen at once for you to lose a photo.
What it looks like for a photographer
A concrete setup, common among wedding and event photographers:
| Copy | Where | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Working copy | An SSD, internal or external | Culling, editing, exporting. Fast, but it's the copy that takes the most risk. |
| 2. Onsite backup | A hard drive or a NAS, in the office | Back to work in minutes if the working copy fails. |
| 3. Offsite copy | A drive kept at someone else's place, or an online backup | The worst-case net: theft, burglary, fire. |
Your SD card isn't a copy. It will be formatted at the next shoot, and it's the most fragile link in the chain. The three copies count on drives, once the card has been offloaded and verified.
“Two different types of media” today mostly means two devices that won't fail together. Two drives of the same model, bought the same day and plugged into the same cable, share the same weaknesses. An SSD and a hard drive, or a drive and an online backup, is better.
The workflow, from shoot to archive
The rule says how many copies to keep, not when to make them. The riskiest moment is the evening after the shoot: your photos only exist on the cards, and you want to format them for tomorrow. Here's the order that closes that window fastest.
- Offload the cards to two drives at once. Working copy and onsite backup leave in the same pass. You have two copies before your bag is even unpacked.
- Verify every copy. A copy without an error message isn't a verified copy: every copied file has to be read back and compared with the original.
- Only then format the cards, in the camera. Details in how to format an SD card in your camera.
- Send the third copy offsite on a fixed schedule: at the end of each project, or every month, depending on how much work you're willing to have in only two copies.
- Check the archive now and then. A copy you haven't read in two years may have drifted, or sit on a drive that no longer spins up. Compare your drives against each other regularly.
The number people forget: 3-2-1-1-0
A stricter version of the rule adds two numbers:
- 1 offline copy: an unplugged drive that no virus, wrong click or sync can reach.
- 0 errors: every copy has been verified and holds no damaged file.
That zero matters most for a photographer. Three copies of a file corrupted during the offload are three corrupted files. The 3-2-1 rule only protects what was copied correctly in the first place.
I learned it the hard way: a 51 GB video file, copied to two SSDs, card formatted the next day. Two days later, it was unreadable on both drives. I had two copies, and zero healthy ones. A recovery app, then a lab: €619 in total to get it back.
Mistakes that quietly break the rule
- Two copies on the same drive, in two folders or two partitions. If the drive dies, both go with it.
- Counting RAID as several copies. RAID protects against a drive failure, not a deletion, a damaged file or theft. A RAID NAS is a very good copy, but only one.
- Confusing sync with backup. A service that syncs a folder also mirrors your deletions and damaged files. It's a handy copy, not an independent one.
- Letting the offsite copy age. A drive dropped at a friend's place a year ago only protects the photos from a year ago.
- Never verifying. The day you need a backup is too late to find out it was incomplete.
Keeping up the 3-2-1 rule with Récolte
That's why I built Récolte. It doesn't do online backup: it handles everything between your cards and your drives, which is where the rule is really won or lost.
Two or three copies from the offload
When you create a project, you add as many backup drives as you want. Every file on every card is copied, then read back and compared with the original on each of them. If a drive disconnects or fills up along the way, the copy continues on the others, and the report says which one had a problem.
One more copy, after the fact
Only had one drive with you that night? From a project's report, or by selecting several projects in the list, you copy everything already secured to one or more extra drives. And when you close a project, Récolte offers it if you haven't done it yet.
Archive drives that stay up to date
The Multiple backups tool compares your working folder with several backup drives and updates the ones you pick. Nothing ever flows back into your working folder. The Compare folders tool shows what's missing on either side between two drives, and can copy it for you.
A reminder for the offsite copy
The bell on the projects screen manages backup reminders, one-off or recurring: every X days, months or years. Each reminder can be exported to iOS Calendar or added to Google Calendar, so you're notified even when Récolte is closed. That's what keeps the offsite drive from gathering dust.
Everything happens locally, between the drives connected to your computer. Récolte doesn't schedule automatic backups and sends nothing to the cloud: for an online offsite copy, keep your usual backup service.
Your 3-2-1 checklist
- Three copies of every shoot, not counting the SD card.
- On at least two types of media that won't fail together.
- One copy in another place, updated on a fixed schedule, with a reminder.
- Every copy verified, not just “no error message”.
- A regular check of the archive: the drives still spin up, and still hold the same files.
FAQ
What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?
Keep 3 copies of your files, on 2 different types of media, with 1 copy offsite. If a drive fails, your gear is stolen or your home burns down, there's always a copy somewhere else.
Does my SD card count as a copy?
No. It will be formatted at the next shoot, and it's the most fragile link in the chain. The three copies count on drives, once the card has been offloaded and verified.
Is a RAID NAS enough?
No. RAID protects against a drive failure, not against a deletion, a damaged file, theft or fire: whatever happens to the data happens to every drive in the array. A NAS is a very good copy, but only one.
Does the cloud count as the offsite copy?
Yes, if it's a backup service. A sync service also mirrors deletions and damaged files: handy, but not an independent copy. A drive kept at a friend's or family member's place works just as well.
How often should I update the offsite copy?
As often as you can afford to lose. If you shoot every weekend, a monthly update means a month of work only exists in two copies. Pick a rhythm and set a reminder, or the offsite drive gathers dust.
Does Récolte back up to the cloud?
No. Récolte copies and verifies between the drives connected to your computer. For the offsite copy, use a drive you keep elsewhere, or an online backup service alongside it.