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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.
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.
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.
More recently, Adobe created the XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform)
XMP incorporates the IPTC file format.
You can use Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and the programs below, to view the metadata files.
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.
If you're using Photoshop Elements, go to Copyright / 1 - Labeling.
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.
Metadata can be stripped, removed, from the photography file.
Sometimes, this is intentional and it's beneficial.
When you're using Photoshop Elements, and click Save for the Web, the metadata is removed to reduce the file size for faster page loading.
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."
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.
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
PhotoME (Photo Metadata Editor) Jens Duttke
Review Bob Johnson
PowerExif Free trial
Time Stamp Modifier for JPEG Files Free, Zdenek Martinek
The programs below are for advanced computer users.
ExifTool Phil Harvey
ExifTool GUI Makes above program easier to use
jhead Matthias Wandel
ExifTool Phil Harvey, for advanced computer users
EXIF Viewer Free, Ali Ozer