Photographers use photo metadata to organize and protect their digital work. In this guide, you will learn how to read photo metadata and how to edit it. When it comes to managing photos, metadata is frequently mentioned by photographers. Photographers can classify their photos and protect their work with image metadata.
Metadata is present in all kinds of digital files, including video, music, PDFs, and images. The term “data about data” may have been used to describe metadata.
In this post we’ll explore why optimizing image metadata may be a good idea, how to find metadata on a photo, and how to edit it to include copyright information in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Metadata Defined
In essence, photo metadata is meant to make it easier to manage and work with digital assets. If you don’t organize your digital assets, you’ll be drowning in a sea of clutter.
In addition to providing information about photos, metadata serves two main functions for photographers:
- Organization – Digital asset management relies heavily on metadata to create well-organized libraries of your work.
- Copyright – Metadata can communicate usage rights for your work when you publish it online and contribute to maintaining proof that you own your work.
Cameras and phones automatically record some metadata about images. It is called EXIF data (Exchangeable Image File Format). Among these basic photo metadata are the date and time stamp, the shooting location, and the camera setting (ISO, aperture, f-stop).
It is also possible to manually enter metadata, allowing you to add more information about your work to enhance your photos’ searchability on the web, and to provide information about how your work can be used and contacted by others.
Metadata Stored With An Image File
Compare your collection of photos and their metadata to a library of books. Using the Dewey decimal system, books are categorized by subject and author name, allowing for easy finding within an entire library.
The metadata for RAW image files, JPEGs, TIFFs, or DNGs is stored internally, and the metadata remains with that digital image forever. Internal metadata is similar to the Dewey decimal label on a book’s spine.
Similarly to a Dewey decimal card, metadata can be stored externally to the image file. Information such as the subject, author, and library location can be found on that card.
Metadata Formats For Photos
As computer programs have adapted to handle information more efficiently, different metadata formats have evolved to efficiently transmit and recall data. Some are stored directly on files, while others can be stored separately.
Each of these metadata formats allows you to add different information about your images. Here are some of the most commonly used types of metadata on photos.
- EXIF Data (Exchangeable Image File Format)
- IPTC Data (International Press Telecommunications Council)
- XMP Data (Extensible Metadata Platform)
EXIF Data
Exchangeable Image File Format contains metadata that the camera or phone automatically attaches to an image file.
When film photography was still in vogue, it was up to the photographers to record camera settings and location information on paper. These details are now captured with just a click of the shutter.
EXIF data can provide the following information:
- Camera make/model
- Camera settings (shutter speed, aperture, ISO)
- Date and time of the photo
- Location (GPS coordinates)
- Image resolution
- Lens model
- Whether or not the image had been altered with a graphics program
- White balance
When uploading photos online, photographers may strip their EXIF data to protect their photography style or reduce the image file size to speed up website loading.
An image viewer on the web won’t be able to access your EXIF data. The EXIF data in a photograph is embedded within the file, so you’ll need the right tools to inspect it.
IPTC Data
Photographers, news organizations, archivists, and developers can exchange multimedia information between their devices by using the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTIC) digital photo metadata standards.
In the same way as EXIF metadata, IPTC metadata is embedded within an image file. IPTC metadata is administrative details about the image rather than technical details about the location and gear, which are of interest to content creators and archivists.
Examples of IPTC metadata include:
- Creator’s information and contact details
- Copyright information
- Descriptive information about the image
- Keywords
- Permissions and licenses
- Photograph title and captions
- Rights usage terms
Copyright protection is advantageous for professional photographers when sharing work online with IPTC data.
Millions of images on the internet are categorized using IPTC photo metadata by search engines like Google. Because search engine algorithms cannot see images like humans, they rely heavily on this information to understand their content. Creating metadata for search engines maximizes the online exposure of your content. It is also a key component of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
It is possible to program your camera so that it automatically records your copyright information on every image that you take. In most cases, metadata is added to photos in Lightroom or Photoshop after the photo has been taken -we’ll discuss how to do it shortly.
XMP Data
Adobe Systems has developed the Extensible Metadata Platform to standardize metadata. Besides storing information from EXIF, IPTC, and other formats, it also stores information about how you edited your RAW image file so that you can always go back to the original.
A benefit of XMP is that it allows you to enter multiple values for one property as opposed to the other two types we’ve discussed. Adobe’s XMP was designed to automate and streamline publishing workflows within Adobe applications.
There are two ways to store XMP information: embedded in the original file or externally as a sidecar file. No matter what the format of a file is (PSD, JPEG, etc.) the XMP metadata remains intact.
Viewing Your Photo Metadata
A beginner photographer and creator looking for information about the camera settings and tools used in a particular photo will benefit from learning how to find metadata in a photo file.
A publisher will also read photo metadata to determine usage rights and contact the photographer.
You can view your image’s metadata on your computer without any additional software. In this article, we’ll show you how to access the EXIF data of your image on Windows and OS.
Viewing Your Image Metadata On Windows
- Right-click your image file on your desktop or file folder and select “Properties.”
- Once you’re in the file properties, navigate to the “Details” tab.
Viewing Your Image Metadata On A Mac
- Open the image with Preview.
- Select “Tool” and choose “Show Inspector.” The keyboard shortcut for this step is Command + I, which will open a small “More Info” window.
- Click the information icon on the menu bar to open the display showing you General, EXIF, IPTC, and TIFF information about your image.
Adding Metadata To Photos
After you’ve located your image’s metadata, let’s review how you can edit these fields so that you can remove or add relevant information.
Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or MetaImage by NeededApps are my preferred tools for editing photo metadata. With Adobe’s multiple tools and MetaImage, you can create metadata presets for an efficient workflow. This will improve your collection organization and add your creator information to your photographs, which is critical for selling them.
Conclusion
Incorporating metadata into photographs is an essential practice for modern photographers. It enhances organization, accessibility, and copyright protection. By embedding details like location, date, and camera settings, photographers can preserve the context and authenticity of their images. Embracing metadata empowers artists to tell more compelling visual stories while ensuring their work remains properly credited and valued.