Consistent Image Metadata Using Lightroom

A metadata template that contains all of your core contact information and copyright information will allow you to consistently apply this information across all of your photos.

Once this is created, it can be applied during import via the Apply During Import panel. You can create a Metadata template from the Import screen by opening the Metadata drop-down menu and choosing New, or you can access it from the Library module by selecting Metadata > Edit Metadata Presets.

After opening the Edit Metadata Presets dialog box, you should enter only information that applies to all photos equally. I include all the IPTC Copyright and IPTC Creator fields in my submissions — excluding the street address, phone, and email.

One thing to keep in mind when using this template is to check the boxes next to the fields you are personalizing. Otherwise, leave them unchecked to preserve any existing metadata. People have made the mistake of checking the GPS field only to find that Lightroom ignores the data in that field.

You also want to make sure that there is no unnecessary information, such as keywords at the bottom, that you don’t want to include by accident. After configuring, and double-checking, click the Preset drop-down menu and choose Save current settings as a new preset to store the current settings for reuse.

Now that you’ve taken care of your file management and metadata, you can focus your energy on other Lightroom enhancements to your images.

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