Strange question to make you think...

[BCPhoto]

I mentioned this to Abel the other day, and he thought it would make a good question. Ponder:

If there was a fire, and you didn't have time to grab your hard drive or computer, but you had a stack of your favorite all-time photos that you had taken nearby, and you could only grab ten, which ones would you choose, and why? What made you come to decide on those ten? Humor me.

[Patti Edens]

I can't even think of ten photos that I would grab, but here are a few...

The shot of my Mom and my Dad I took at their 75th wedding anniversary. They are both gone now so no more opportunities to take photos.

The shot of me and the 48 inch redfish I caught. I'll never catch another one that big and no one would believe I ever did without the photo.

The butterfly breaking out of the chrysalis. I don't think I'll likely see that again.

Snow in my neighbor's front yard lit up with the Christmas lights. Probably won't see that again - only happened once in the 33 years I've lived here.

Probably the rest would be just photos of people that can't be retaken - photos of little kids that have grown up or the family members that have passed away.

Interesting exercise. And interesting that most of my choices are more snapshots than photographs.

[CaptainTom]

This has changed over the years, but this situation actually happened to me.
In November of 1980 I was living in the mountains in southern California.
It's been labeled the Panorama Fire and burned lots of acreage and lots of homes.
When the fire department comes and says you have about 20 minutes before the fire hits your house you have lots of instant decision making to to.
I grabbed the two cats, my trumpet and my wifes clarinet, and took the photos that were hanging on the wall.

The wind changed and we were OK, but it sure makes you think.

[Wes]

Any pics I could find of my sister would be saved. She was killed about 30 years ago and I would want to save those. Next would be baby pics of my son.

[BCPhoto]

I like your responses. This was really a stop and think question, because like Tom said, unless you've had it happen, you normally won't perform this exercise. Isn't it nice to now know what you would do?

And too, I feel a great degree the same way you guys stated. Out of all the pics I have taken, my most valuable would be those of my family and parents. All other creations pale, regardless if they are better or worse..they are my most valuable.

[lscottpht]

Any pictures with my kids in them. Those are the most important ones to me.

[J Eddington]

I would walk out the door. No pictures.

[epoh]

Well, I watched my grandparents house (where I was living at the time) burn to the ground when I was 8. I've been a little freaked about fires every since. We have a fireproof lockbox in the house with all the normal important docs (birth certificates, deed to the house, etc) and I backup any photos that are important to me to a friend's server. Eventually I am gonna pay for one of those online photo backup things. Fires freak me out. (We've got 6 smoke detectors and my house is only 1800 sq ft.)

[gaea106]

After Katrina and Rita went by I had to make a new plan. I had my computer loaded in my car and all my printed film photos and negatives as we escaped. I realized I needed a new place and strategy for my important stuff.

So after the hurricanes I scanned all my old film prints and negatives that were important family photos and sent a copy on DVD's to my dad in another state. Then I set up an external hard drive backup system for all my photos and my important other electronic files. Now in case of emergency the laptop and the external drive is all I need in a rush and I won't lose anything.

[Tom]

I keep offsite backups in California, Louisiana and San Antonio. I update regularly.