A shoot produces hundreds, sometimes thousands of files. Two years later, nobody knows where the right image is, which version is the latest or whether you are still allowed to use it. So how long should you keep everything, and how should you organise it so it is genuinely useful? Here are practical benchmarks, without claiming to replace legal advice.
How long should you keep them?
There is no single legal period for company photos and videos. The right duration depends on three things:
- Usage value. Images still in use (website, presentation, recruitment) are worth keeping as long as they are used. An image library gains value over time.
- Rights. Copyright assignment and image-rights consent are limited in duration, territory and media. An image whose rights have expired should no longer be used.
- Personal data. An identifiable person in a photo is personal data: the GDPR asks you not to keep data longer than necessary. When a colleague leaves the company, the use of their images should be reviewed.
For raw footage, a common practice is to keep it for the duration of the project and any reworks, then decide what is archived and what is deleted. This period is best agreed upfront with your supplier, in the quote or contract.
How to organise them
A simple, shared organisation beats a sophisticated system nobody follows. A few principles:
- Name files logically. For example: date_project_place_number. The name should make sense without opening the file.
- Separate the stages. Raw footage, selects, final exports and legal documents in distinct folders.
- Manage versions. Keep the reference version and clearly label derived versions (formats, languages, lengths).
- Add metadata. Captions, keywords, credit and rights notice in photo files make them searchable.
- Document the rights. For each image: who may use it, where, until when.
Backups: the 3-2-1 rule
A hard drive always fails eventually. The 3-2-1 rule is a good benchmark: three copies of your files, on two different types of media, with one copy off site (for example in the cloud or in another location). A backup that has never been restored is not a guarantee: test it from time to time.
| File type | Keep | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Final exports (films, retouched photos) | Long term, while rights run | This is what you use |
| Selects (best takes and photos) | Long term | Lets you re-edit or re-export |
| Raw footage | For the project and reworks, then decide | Bulky, of little use in the end |
| Contracts and releases | As long as the images are used | Proof of usage rights |
The link with the image library
A well-organised library becomes an asset: you can find the right image for a website, a trade show or a job ad in seconds. That is where the image library makes full sense: it is built over the year in small sets rather than in a single shoot. Our article on the six types of photos every business needs shows what it should contain.
To remember. Keep what is useful and what is covered by current rights, name and file from day one, back up in three copies, and decide the fate of raw footage at the quote stage. For legal questions, consult your legal adviser.
An image library to structure?
We deliver named, filed files together with their usage rights.