How Many Memory Cards Will I Need for a Newborn Photo Shoot?

It is a question most photographers ask themselves each time they are packing for a photo-shoot. If you have read my post “Whаt’ѕ іn mу Camera Bag – Essential Gear for Newborn Photographers,” then you probably already know the importance of carrying multiple memory cards for a shoot.Whether in the studio or at home, photographers need enough space to keep the photos they capture. To know more and get help in answering the question, scroll along.Photography is a fantastic art. It is a way of capturing memories to store. It becomes breathtaking when you are working with a newborn. The innocent beautiful blessings can make you mellow inside and love working with the baby. However, when you take their photos, where do you keep them?Although it sounds beautiful and exciting to work with kids, it can be a pain on the neck. Unlike adults who are predictable and can take instructions, with kids, it doesn’t work like that. It is hard to tell them how to pose and what to do during the photo-shoot. That is why every moment counts, whether it is a full or mini session shoot.Every photo you capture is precious and paramount. It can be your last one or the one you have been waiting for a long time. It is, therefore, essential to have a place where the pictures you take can stay safe until you do the final editing. 

If you try to observe some black and white newborn photos, you will notice how it is enhanced to highlight the face of the infant or the whole medium. It is the magic of the filters that makes it look so realistic to a whole new level. Sometimes it is unbelievable how some photographers can capture the outstanding quality of the picture and make it seem so beautiful. It is indeed a talent to become a perfect photographer.

But with the help of the latest innovations in photography, taking a good quality black and white picture can be attainable even for non-professional photographers.

Here is what we recommend:

Importance of Having Multiple Memory Cards

In photography, a memory card is a memory data storage device that you use to store pictures. Most professional photographers know about memory cards because most cameras they use are digital that has a memory card to store photographs.

You can rely on a single memory card during a mini session, but what about the full sessions? You will have to have multiple cards during it.

Therefore how do you know the right memory card and how many to pack for a photo-shoot? It is a mind bugling question that bothers every photographer. To act professionally, you need to approach the subject broadly.

First, you need to ask yourself what to look for in a memory card. The answer helps you evaluate how many memory cards you should pack. When looking for a memory card, the following factors come in mind:

Other factors

Some other factors you need to look for before purchasing a Memory Card.

Types of Memory cards

There are many memory cards available in the market. It can be somewhat hard to choose the right one for your camera if you don’t have any idea or recommendation of what you are looking for in the card.

The good thing is that if you are using a digital single-lens camera, a secure digital card and Compact Flash (CF) can be perfect to use.

The type plays an integral role in knowing the size and speed of the card. With the information, you can understand how many memory cards you need for the newborn photoshoot. For peace of mind, both the SD and CF are suitable to use for your photo-shoot. What you need to know is the size. 

Size of memory card

Memory cards come in different sizes. To know the size you need, evaluate your workflow. How many photos are you taking in the shoot? That can take you back to the original question of how many memory cards you should carry to the photo-shoot.

Here, the size of the memory card plays a role in determining. You can choose one with more abundant storage. A good example is the secure digital high capacity (SDHC) for a professional approach. It can serve the purpose of storing all the pictures you take during a photo-shoot.

You can also choose to have many cards of small sizes. They are convenient because you always have a backup in the bag but can be cumbersome when organizing. Think hard and choose a size that makes sense depending on the photoshoot.

Brand of Memory Card

Yes, the brand matter too. Going to a photo-shoot with a brand that can fail you is the last worst thing, especially now that you are photographing a newborn.

Like said earlier, treating every picture as your last one is the best approach to having perfect photos.

With so many brands available, how do you know the best one? Reviews help in making the decision. SanDisk and Lexar cards are the best memory cards that are highly recommended by photographers due to their high performance. Besides, most digital cameras support them. 

Speed of Memory Card

If you are taking newborn photos, you need gear to capture every move they make. You can overlook it, but having a memory card that is fast enough to capture every photo without fail will be a plus for you. Fast data transfer can be up to 10mb/s, though some cards go up to 104mb/sec.

 

Where do you store your photos after taking them

After taking the photos, it is always suitable for a professional photographer to look for a place to store the images. That is because you need to format memory cards now and then to create space for a new upcoming photoshoot. However, that does not mean deleting the old photos.

Old is gold. You might need to refer to old photos in the future. So, how do you store and duplicate files after you finish taking them? You can store them in any of the following places: 

#1

A Computer

It is the most common storage place that many professional photographers use. A computer is secure and readily available whenever you want to refer to old photos. That does not indicate they are reliable. Inevitable happens, the machine may crash, and you may end up losing the images. That is why you need a hard disk.

#2

Portable Disks

They are reliable, mobile, and secure. What you will have to worry about is the case of a virus attack when the data in the hard drive may corrupt. To transfer the files, you need a USB cable and a computer. Once you transfer the photos into the computer, the data stay in the flash disk to store or share.

Tiny Prop Wrap Options

#3

Off-site Storage

Technology is wonderful. People nowadays don’t have to worry about data loss, thanks to cloud storage. Cloud storage is online storage where you can keep your data and pictures. It is an ideal choice of off-site since you can access the photos from wherever you are.

As a photographer who is considering to store photos on a cloud source, it is easier for you to use the secure eye-fi compact flash. It makes your work more comfortable as it saves the images online as you take them, and you only need one card for the photo-shoot.

Now, the question is – what cloud storage options do you have? You can choose from the following:

  • Google photos
  • Dropbox
  • Flickr
  • Soopx

Back to the original question, “how many memory cards do I need for a newborn photoshoot?” to answer the problem in the right way, evaluate the following:

The type of camera you are using

Is it compatible with most memory cards, or do you have to use specific ones? Through the answer, you can know whether the compatible one has enough space or you need several to complete the photo-shoot. My blog already has a newborn photographer’s guide to camera selection. You can read it carefully and make the final decision.

What is your workload


Since you are dealing with newborns, you should invest in a camera that captures every moment when you are working with your subject. A camera that has more functions gives you the flexibility to capture more images and editing later. That is DSLRs.

Keep in mind that digital single-lens reflex cameras are expensive. To get the right one, you will have to part with a couple of dollars. If you are starting or upgrading for the one you have, a digital one is the right way to go. It comes with additional functions making your photography work easier.

What can you afford

What budget are you working with for memory cards? You might be starting small and don’t have money to invest in a specific memory card. However, memory cards with ample space tend to be expensive. Thus, go for what you can afford and upgrade as you grow.

If you want to learn more techniques to buy photography products within your budget then read this article – Thе Best Wау to Sреnd $100, $250, аnd $500 оn Newborn Lighting Eԛuірmеnt.

What the professional photographers recommend

Different photographers have different preferences, depending on the above points. Most recommend that you have an original memory card to use in the camera then have a backup in your camera bag pack in case you lose the primary one.

Safety

How safe is your bag pack at the photoshoot? If the baby drools or damages the camera, where will you find a backup? With that in mind, have a backup memory card in case the original one fails.

Convenience

Do you have a problem changing memory cards during the photo-shoot? Smaller size memory cards can get full and then require you to change and insert another one. Are you comfortable doing that? Will it bother you to organize the files later?

 

Final thought

As a photographer, working with a newborn can be challenging. Capturing every moment counts to get the final result. That is why having the right memory card for the photo-shoot is vital. Unlike adults who can repeat a pose, newborns cant; you need to save every photo you manage to take.

On how many memory cards you should carry to the photo-shoot, well, it all depends on many parameters. So, make memories by capturing them and saving them the right way. However, you can still capture the best pictures even if you have less equipment. My post “How to take newborn pictures with limited equipment” will tell you how to manage your photoshoot project in the absence of most required equipment.

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