EXIF/XMP and Automator

[superscape]

Hi,

I was wondering whether you photographers use XMP/EXIF metadata much, and if so what for? Do you do much editing of metadata?

A little background: I'm a developer and I have a few Automator actions for working with XMP that I created for my own usage. I was toying with working them up into something good enough for others to use. Not sure if anyone would be interested though!

Any info, thoughts or comments would be appreciated!

 

[superscape]

I'll take the silence as, "We're not very interested in metadata, thanks", ;-)

 

[oblomow]

Give the people on the other side of the pond a chance to wake up.

Most people use the exif data to categorize and organize their images. Mostly 'under the hood' using lightroom or similar products.

 

[superscape]

Hah hah. Yes, I forget we're not all in the same timezone. Geography was never a strong point. ;-)

 

[Designer Dale]

Really. If I post after midnight local time I don't expect a reply until after mid morning. UK is something like 8 hours ahead of me here on the west coast of the US.

In regards to EXIF data, I use it to analyze how I shot a photo. It's useful to see how everything was set if a shot turned out either very good or not so good.

Dale

 

[superscape]

In regards to EXIF data, I use it to analyze how I shot a photo. It's useful to see how everything was set if a shot turned out either very good or not so good.

Cool. Thanks for the info.

So I guess you don't do much batch editing of EXIF data or doing *something* depending on what's in the EXIF data?

 

[themumu]

The only things I can come up with (that I have done myself) was these two:

1. Adding GPS coordinates from an external .gpx file to a bunch of photos (I use Photolinker now, and it's quite alright, though a bit overcomplicated).

2. Adding EXIF info to scans made from film. The first roll I shot, I just wrote the shooting data into a note on my phone, and then wanted an app on my Mac to add that in manually. The only app I found that did that was ugly and buggy as hell. Photolinker allows me to see that kind of data, but not to edit it . If I shoot more film, I'll try using PhotoExif, an iPhone/Mac app combo that lets you record the data as you shoot and then matches the tags to scanned photos automatically.

 

[ocabj]

When I generate the final JPEG from RAW+procession, I include all the EXIF plus my IPTC data (e.g. name, mailing address, date of production, location of production, etc). But recently, I realized that all this metadata takes a surprising amount of file size which is an issue on my website, where a lot of my photos go (as stock). Running jpegoptim with the -s (--strip-all) flag, I'll see lossless reduction in filesize by anywhere from 30 to 45 percent, and this is just stripping metadata.

But rather than exclude metadata when I do the Lightroom RAW -> post-processing -> jpeg export, I'll just use my regular flow.

Then anything that gets uploaded to my blog, I'll run jpegoptim on the server side.

 

[Designer Dale]

What sorts of responses are you looking for? What do the Automator actions you have written do for you? For me, the EXIF data is just a storage file of the image data. i can see adding some specifics to it like gps or resetting date and time, but not much more.

Dale

 

[Apple fanboy]

I just use it to record how I took the shot. I never edit it.

 

[MCAsan]

Why would a photographer want to edit the XMP sidecar directly instead of doing it via Aperture, LR, or other photo editing program? What if the XMP is inside a DNG? What if the XMP is inside an Aperture database package?

If the program modifies an XMP file modification, does it prompt the user to make sure they do a Aperture Vault or LR catalog backup to make sure the edit is backed up?

 

[Designer Dale]

Why would a photographer want to edit the XMP sidecar directly instead of doing it via Aperture, LR, or other photo editing program? What if the XMP is inside a DNG? What if the XMP is inside an Aperture database package?

If the program modifies an XMP file modification, does it prompt the user to make sure they do a Aperture Vault or LR catalog backup to make sure the edit is backed up?

That was my thought, too. But every time I say something like "sidecar file" some geek corrects me with a techno-lashing.

Dale

 

[superscape]

What sorts of responses are you looking for? What do the Automator actions you have written do for you? For me, the EXIF data is just a storage file of the image data. i can see adding some specifics to it like gps or resetting date and time, but not much more.

Dale

Hi,

The Automator action I've written for me is basically a user-friendly wrapper around exiftool (http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/).

I guess for photographers there may not be a huge need to read/write meta data. I suppose you wouldn't want to edit the GPS, exposure or whatever particularly often.

I work in the graphic design and printing industry and metadata (in the form of XMP) is often used to route files through workflows, log the history of the job etc.

I suppose maybe I'm asking in the wrong forum. ;-)

----------

Thanks for all for their thoughts, by the way!

 

[Designer Dale]

Hi,

The Automator action I've written for me is basically a user-friendly wrapper around exiftool (http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/).

I guess for photographers there may not be a huge need to read/write meta data. I suppose you wouldn't want to edit the GPS, exposure or whatever particularly often.

I work in the graphic design and printing industry and metadata (in the form of XMP) is often used to route files through workflows, log the history of the job etc.

I suppose maybe I'm asking in the wrong forum. ;-)

----------

Thanks for all for their thoughts, by the way!

I never got into design on a professional level but I have training and now know what you're talking about. Try over in Design and Graphics they may find your stuff helpful.

Dale

 

[DavGar51]

Hi,

The Automator action I've written for me is basically a user-friendly wrapper around exiftool (http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/).

I guess for photographers there may not be a huge need to read/write meta data. I suppose you wouldn't want to edit the GPS, exposure or whatever particularly often.

I work in the graphic design and printing industry and metadata (in the form of XMP) is often used to route files through workflows, log the history of the job etc.

I suppose maybe I'm asking in the wrong forum. ;-)

----------

Thanks for all for their thoughts, by the way!

I run a Photo group and this is what I need because -- I want to prepare a slide show that includes photo details such as aperture/ shutter speed/ ISO/ focal length used in the page details to help the discussion. Getting it into the paste buffer helps a lot.

Thanks

 

[anotherscotsman]

Hi,

I was wondering whether you photographers use XMP/EXIF metadata much, and if so what for? Do you do much editing of metadata?

A little background: I'm a developer and I have a few Automator actions for working with XMP that I created for my own usage. I was toying with working them up into something good enough for others to use. Not sure if anyone would be interested though!

Any info, thoughts or comments would be appreciated!

I use a script to add EXIF metadata (lens name, f no., focal length) to images that I've taken with my totally manual Samyang T/S lens. I run the script in Capture One on import to addd this data. I'm sure there is more info that could be added but I'm lazy...Essentially a wrapper around ExifTool like you describe. I'd certainly like to see a better version than mine!

 

[robgendreau]

I'm not sure if it can do much batch changing of exif, but Graphic Converter at least provides for a GUI for many exiftool operations—basically you can add or alter most anything, copy from IPTC or XMP and back, and so on.

There's a plugin for Lightroom, LensTagger, that makes adding lens info pretty easy, and you can save various lenses as templates for reuse.

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

There's a plugin for Lightroom, LensTagger, that makes adding lens info pretty easy, and you can save various lenses as templates for reuse.

I'll second this. I use it very regularly for all my manual lenses, the templates make it super easy to apply.

 

[Hughmac]

This is what I use to add EXIF info. from manual lenses - it's a GUI version of ExifTool - https://hvdwolf.github.io/pyExifToolGUI/manual/pyexiftoolgui.html

Cheers

Hugh