Tips / Metadata

What's Metadata?

Metadata is data about data.

In photography, metadata is the information about the photograph, such as the camera settings, date and time of creation, and so forth.

You can add information to a metadata file, such as captions, key words, and copyright and contact information.

When you press the shutter release, two files are created: a photography file embedded with a metadata file.

Photographers used to put their metadata on the backs of their photographs.

They'd stamp their name, contact information, and copyright, on the backs of their prints.

For example, Weegee's stamp included the headline, Weegee the Famous.

Their First Murder

By Weegee the Famous

Formats

IPTC

The original format is IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council).

IPTC is used in newspaper publishing.

The IPTC file stores captions, copyright, comments, contact information, tags, and the like.

EXIF

The next format to be be developed is EXIF (Exchangeable Image File), created by the Japan Electronic and Information Industries Association.

The EXIF format is used to record camera information.

XMP

More recently, Adobe created the XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform)

XMP incorporates the IPTC file format.

Viewing & Editing Metadata

You can use most of the programs to edit IPTC files (captions, etc.), but not the EXIF files (camera information).

A few of the programs allow you to edit both the IPTC and the EXIF files.

Windows

To view the metadata using Windows, right click on a file.

 Go to Properties > Summary > Advanced (XP), or Properties > Details (Vista).

 iPhoto - Mac

Go to Photos > Get Extended Photo Info.

Picasa - Windows & Mac

Go to Picture Data : Viewing EXIF Data.

Flickr

Click More Properties on the photograph's page.

Other Programs

You can also use use the programs below to view the metadata files.

Photoshop Elements

Viewing

To view the metadata using Photoshop Elements, go to File > File Info.

In the left column, click Description, Camera Data 1, Camera Data 2, and Advanced.

Go to Copyright / 1 - Labeling.

Enter the Same Metadata Repeatedly

You may want to use the same information for every photograph.

If so, create a metadata template by doing the following.

1) Go to File > File Info.

2) Enter the information that you want in the metadata template.

For example, enter your name and copyright information.

Leave the caption box empty, as it will vary depending on the photograph.

3) To save the template, click the black triangle at the top right of the File Info window and select Save Metadata Template.

5) Enter a template name.

6) Click Save.

Printing Metadata

You can print the metadata using Photoshop Elements.

However, the metadata is not formatted.

The programs below may print the metadata in a more readable format.

1) Go to File > File Info.

2) Click Advanced in the left column.

3) Click Save at the bottom left.

When you open the file, you'll be prompted to select a program with which to view the file.

Select WordPad if you're using a Windows computer.

Disappearing Metadata

Metadata can be stripped, removed, from the photography file.

Sometimes, this is intentional and it's beneficial.

Go to Metadata Removal.

Unfortunately, metadata is often stripped when you transfer a photograph from one program to another.

Or, the metadata may be intact, but it isn't recognized by a subsequent program.

This problem is largely being ignored by the photography industry.

The Stock Artists Alliance and the Picture Archive Council of America, are beginning to address this issue.

However, Apple's response is more the industry norm.

Charles Bandes, "an unredeemable Apple-zealot of the worst kind," reviewed Apple's Aperture program.

He noted how "Aperture will strip metadata from exported files, and won’t respect metadata that is input from other apps. It also won’t correctly write metadata to raw files."

And, "worse yet Apple acknowledges this problem but claims it is 'as designed' in a smug tech-support doc."

Solution

Test for metadata stripping when transferring your photographs from one program to another for the first time.

If the metadata is stripped, transfer copies of your photographs only.

To view the metadata, you'll have to return to the primary program.

Resources

Windows

ACDSee

EXIF Date Changer Free, Greg Driver

IrfanView Free, download the plug-ins as well

KUSO EXIF Viewer V2.0 Free, viewer only, English version available

Microsoft Pro Photo Tools 2 Free

PhotoME (Photo Metadata Editor) Jens Duttke

Review Bob Johnson

PowerExif Free trial

Time Stamp Modifier for JPEG Files Free, Zdenek Martinek

Command Line Utilities

The programs below are for advanced computer users.

ExifTool Phil Harvey

ExifTool GUI Makes above program easier to use

EXIFutils

jhead Matthias Wandel

Mac

Annoture

ExifTool Phil Harvey, for advanced computer users

EXIF Viewer Free, Ali Ozer

iMagine Photo