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AddingKeywordsToMetadata
Version 1, changed by andy@smugmug.com. 02/07/2007. Show version history
Posted by Pat Kane on Digital Grin.
Did you know that you can embed a caption and keywords directly into your digital image file PRIOR to uploading it to smugmug?
Did you know that this data will be AUTOMATICALLY used by smugmug to fill in the caption and keyword for your uploaded image?
Embedding metadata directly within an image file is a tried and proven process, pioneered by the news industry, but now in common use among other professionals and hobbyists. If you're curious, read the Wikipedia entry for IPTC (the group that got this rolling). Also take note of the collaborative effort between Adobe and IPTC that resulted in the "IPTC Core Schema for XMP."
Why would I want to do this? Here are just a few benefits of writing metadata to the files on your computer:
1. the metadata follows your image where ever you send it, e.g., to someone via e-mail, uploading to smugmug, a stock photo agency or another on-line hosting service, etc.
2. search the images locally on your computer using the metadata
3. whenever you create derivative works of the image, the metadata usually is saved in the new image
4. smugmug does not embed the on-line entries of captions and keywords back into the original image file, i.e., the time you invested in making these entries would be lost if something happened to smugmug.
OK, how do I do it?
1. gain a basic understanding of how to properly caption and keyword
1.a. for an easy read, follow the Wikipedia IPTC link above and find this article: "Guidance and techniques for tagging and keywording images"
1.b. a more advance read is The Dam Book
2. find some software that supports IPTC and ideally the XMP standard. Some examples (for the hobbyist) include:
2.a. Adobe Photoshop -- an image at a time via File Info, $$$
2.b. Adobe Bridge -- allows you to apply metadata to a bunch of images all at once, $$$
2.c. ThumbsPlus -- powerful image database, but becoming quite dated (still my tool of choice), $
2.d. PixVue -- free Windows program. I gave it a quick test drive and it seems pretty decent.
2.e. IrfanView -- free Windows program (thanks richW)
2.f. iTag -- free Windows program. I've not tried it, but it looks decent.
2.g. etc. There are a LOT of programs out there (google IPTC editor). I'll add other favorites to this list as requested.
Did you know that you can embed a caption and keywords directly into your digital image file PRIOR to uploading it to smugmug?
Did you know that this data will be AUTOMATICALLY used by smugmug to fill in the caption and keyword for your uploaded image?
Embedding metadata directly within an image file is a tried and proven process, pioneered by the news industry, but now in common use among other professionals and hobbyists. If you're curious, read the Wikipedia entry for IPTC (the group that got this rolling). Also take note of the collaborative effort between Adobe and IPTC that resulted in the "IPTC Core Schema for XMP."
Why would I want to do this? Here are just a few benefits of writing metadata to the files on your computer:
1. the metadata follows your image where ever you send it, e.g., to someone via e-mail, uploading to smugmug, a stock photo agency or another on-line hosting service, etc.
2. search the images locally on your computer using the metadata
3. whenever you create derivative works of the image, the metadata usually is saved in the new image
4. smugmug does not embed the on-line entries of captions and keywords back into the original image file, i.e., the time you invested in making these entries would be lost if something happened to smugmug.
OK, how do I do it?
1. gain a basic understanding of how to properly caption and keyword
1.a. for an easy read, follow the Wikipedia IPTC link above and find this article: "Guidance and techniques for tagging and keywording images"
1.b. a more advance read is The Dam Book
2. find some software that supports IPTC and ideally the XMP standard. Some examples (for the hobbyist) include:
2.a. Adobe Photoshop -- an image at a time via File Info, $$$
2.b. Adobe Bridge -- allows you to apply metadata to a bunch of images all at once, $$$
2.c. ThumbsPlus -- powerful image database, but becoming quite dated (still my tool of choice), $
2.d. PixVue -- free Windows program. I gave it a quick test drive and it seems pretty decent.
2.e. IrfanView -- free Windows program (thanks richW)
2.f. iTag -- free Windows program. I've not tried it, but it looks decent.
2.g. etc. There are a LOT of programs out there (google IPTC editor). I'll add other favorites to this list as requested.
