Tuscany, Italy – where slowing down isn't optional... it's part of the experience.

When we travel, we tend to focus on what we might miss.

Do I have the right equipment?
Battery Chargers and Cables?
Accessories?
Have I packed enough socks and underware?!

But there’s another question worth asking:

What’s the simplest way to protect the photographs I make—without interfering with the fun of the experience?

iCloud Is a Great Start—But It’s Not the Whole Story

If you're using an iPhone, iCloud is the easiest answer.

Turn it on, and your photographs are backed up automatically in the background. It’s effortless—and that’s a good thing, especially when you’re immersed in a place like Tuscany or ... (you fill in your destination!).

But iCloud is best thought of as a safety net, not a final destination.

It protects your photographs while you’re traveling.
It doesn’t replace having your own copy.

A Quick Note About Airplane Mode

If you’re traveling internationally, you may have your phone in airplane mode much of the time.

When you do, iCloud simply pauses.

Your photographs are still on your phone, but they won’t upload until you reconnect to Wi-Fi. Once you do, everything resumes automatically.

This is important to understand:

• During the day, your photos may only exist on your phone
• Which is why having a second back up option can be helpful.

What’s Changed (and Why This Is Easier Now)

With newer iPhones using USB-C, there’s a simple option that didn’t really exist before.

You can now connect a small portable drive directly to your phone and copy your photographs in just a few taps.

No special apps.
No complicated setup.

Just a cable and a drive.

Ancient Olive Tree, Tuscany, photographed in iPhone Infrared

A Simple Two-Layer Approach

Here’s what I recommend:

• Let iCloud run quietly in the background, and 
• Add a simple, manual, intentional backup at the end of each day

That second step can be as easy as plugging in a portable solid state drive (SSD) and copying your photographs using the Files app on your iPhone.

What You Need

Here are a few portable drives for different budgets that work well:

• Samsung T7 Portable SSD ($189.99)
  A fast, reliable, and widely trusted portable SSD—great all-around choice for travel.
• Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD ($224.99)
  A rugged version of the T7 with added durability—ideal if you want extra protection while traveling.
• Crucial X9 Pro Portable SSD ($119.99)
  Excellent balance of performance and price—very strong alternative to Samsung.
• ONN Portable SSD 500GB ($59.00)
  A more economical option that still works well for simple, reliable photo backups.

A Quick Note About Cables

One small detail that’s easy to overlook: not all USB-C cables are the same.

The cable that comes with your portable drive is designed for both power and data, and it will work perfectly for transferring your photographs.

If you happen to use a different cable, just be aware that some USB-C cables are designed only for charging and won’t transfer files. If your drive doesn’t appear in the Files app, the cable is usually the reason.

When in doubt, simply use the cable that came with your drive.

If You’re Also Using a Traditional Camera

If you’re photographing with a traditional camera that uses an SD card you can include those photos in this same process.

All you need is a small card reader. I like:

• Anker USB-C 2-in-1 SD Card Reader ($14.99)
  Compact, reliable, and easy to use—plugs directly into your iPhone for quick transfers.

Then:

• Insert the SD card into the reader
• Open the Files app on your iPhone
• Copy those images to your portable drive

Now everything—your iPhone photographs and your camera photographs—lives in one place.

A Simple End-of-Day Routine

At the end of the day:

• Review your photographs
• Copy your iPhone photos to the SSD
• If you used a camera, copy those as well
• Open a few images to confirm everything transferred
• Let iCloud continue syncing when you’re on Wi-Fi

A Different Kind of Practice

This isn’t just about backup.

At the end of the day, when you sit down and review what you’ve photographed, something else happens.

You begin to see what drew your attention.
What you responded to.
What you might want to explore more tomorrow.

The backup becomes a small ritual.

A pause.

A way of staying connected to the experience—not just the images.

A Simple, Reliable Approach

We want our photographs to be safe—but we don’t want to be thinking about that all day.

This isn’t the most elaborate backup system you could create. It doesn’t need to be.

It’s reliable, lightweight, and easy to do.

And once it becomes part of your day, it quietly does its job—so you can stay present with the experience, not concerned about whether your photographs are safe.

If you enjoy thinking about photography this way—less about gear, more about the experience—I share ideas like this in my newsletter, along with workshops and learning opportunities.

Subscribe to my newsletter here.

Thank you for being here. I look forward to seeing you online or – better yet – in the field in 2026. Safe travels and however you photograph... enjoy!