Preservation
A photographic archive is not only a folder of files. It is a set of images with enough context and evidence to be understood, checked, moved, and restored years later.
Inventory first
The first requirement is a clear inventory: what exists, where it is stored, which project it belongs to, and what metadata explains it. Without that inventory, backup and preservation remain approximate.
Evidence matters
Checksums and signed manifests turn preservation into something verifiable. They make it possible to detect corruption, missing files, or unexpected changes instead of relying on memory.
Copies are not enough
A 3-2-1 strategy helps only if copies are identified, documented, and tested. Off-site storage, NAS copies, and local archives should all be part of a readable chain.
Restore is the real test
An archive is useful when it can be restored without guessing. Obscura Flow keeps archive history, validation, and restore choices explicit so future work is safer.