How to: Store photos on your laptop

If you use a high-end digital camera, especially an SLR type, you will likely get that image sizes are very large. This is particularly real if you use the RAW image format, which is recommended because this format is completely unmodified next to the camera, meaning the data is in its most uncompressed ‘raw’ state.
Some cameras also save images in TIFF format and if you edit the RAW files it is recommended that save the images in TIFF format, as this will preserve the maximum quantity of information possible. However, a 16- bit TIFF file from a 10-megapixel camera could be over 50MB in size, as well as huge collections of these files could quickly fill up your hard drive.
Unless you absolutely require a 16-bit image, save the file as 8-bit, as well as use LZW compression in the save options, which will give you a TIFF file about one-fifth the size, depending on the detail in the image. The smallest image sizes can be obtained through using formats like JPEG and PNG, although JPEG uses lossy file compression, so you will lose information each time you re-save the image.
The best solution is to store RAW and TIFF files on an external hard drive, CD or DVD disc, as well as keep copies in JPEG or PNG format on your laptop’s hard drive. If you ever want to edit the original fi le, you can go back and use the TIFF version. However, it’s a good idea to keep copies of your images on a separate drive or disc anyway, just in case of damage to or loss of your laptop and the data within.