5 Photo Metadata Tips Christopher Desmond Co-Founder, MemoryWeb 5 Photo Metadata Tips
Tip 1: Know digital file type capabilities Tip 2: Tools for reading, displaying, editing Tip 3: Family history platforms Tip 4: Adding people metadata Tip 5: Adding location metadata
Quick review – what is metadata
2 main types: EXIF and IPTC • EXIF developed by camera mfg http://www.cipa.jp/std/std-sec_e.html
• IPTC developed by newspaper/media https://iptc.org/standards/
Common metadata fields used by family historians Tip 1: File type capabilities
File Type Release Inventor Quality IPTC EXIF
JPG 1992 Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) Lossy Yes Yes
RAW/Bitmap Lossless Yes1 Yes
TIFF 1986 Aldus (now owned by Adobe) Both Yes Yes
PNG 1996 PNG Development Group (W3C) Lossless Yes Yes2
GIF 1987 CompuServe Lossless3 No No
PDF 1993 Adobe Both Yes Yes
1 "For IPTC: there is a ""sidecar"" file that travels with the raw content. The content of the photo is directly from the image sensor within a camera and is not yet processed." 2 "As of 2017, there has been updates that include an EXIF ""chunk"" in PNG file formats, adoption is yet to be seen.http://ftp-osl.osuosl.org/pub/libpng/documents/pngext- 1.5.0.html#tag">C.eXIf" 3 There is still a compression algorithm implemented but it is a lossless algorithm. Tip 2: Tools for reading/displaying…
Our favorites: Jeffrey's Image Metadata Viewer http://exif.regex.info/exif.cgi
The eXif.er https://www.thexifer.net/#xmp-gpano-tags
IPTC Organization Site Tool https://getpmd.iptc.org/getiptcpmd.html Tip 2: Tools for editing (Test File)
• Created by IPTC org • Has EVERY possible IPTC field inside • We added GPS coordinates (in EXIF) Tip 2: Tools for editing (Rating Scale) Platform’s ability to read, edit, export:
Area Yes (majority) Limited (some) No (little)
Find and show IPTC Find and show IPTC and/or Can’t find and show IPTC Read and/or EXIF EXIF details and/or EXIF details
Allows user to modify Allows user to modify item Does not allow user to Edit item partially/without all variables modify item
Detects all edits made in Detects some edits made in Unable to detect edits Export platform and injects into platform and injects into IPTC made in platform or inject IPTC and/or EXIF fields and/or EXIF fields into IPTC and/or EXIF fields Tip 2: Tools for editing Tip 2: Tools for editing (Metadata Capabilities) Common fields as of February 1, 2019
Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Tip 2: Tools for editing (Metadata Capabilities) Common Fields as of February 1, 2019
Read Edit Export CAUTION!Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Free version will compress your file resolution on uploaded
Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Tip 3: Platforms used for family history Tip 2: Tools for editing (Metadata Capabilities) Common fields as of February 1, 2019
Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Read Edit Export Family History Tool Metadata Capabilities as of February 1, 2019
CAUTION! On Export, they strip the tags you added in Facebook AND overrides nearly ALL other tags Family History Tool Metadata Capabilities as of February 1, 2019
Adding insult to injury, Facebook also compress your original file resolution.
Yes Limited No or N/A Family History Tool Metadata Capabilities as of February 1, 2019
CAUTION! On Export, they strip the tags you added in MyHeritage AND overrides nearly ALL original tags
Family History Toolas of February Metadata 1, 2019 Capabilities
FamilySearch is taking steps to read metadata on import! Tip 4: - Adding location metadata
GOOD: Add in comments or caption BETTER: Add in both IPTC and EXIF fields when given the chance BEST: Have as GPS coordinates (so it can be read by all platforms) in EXIF Photo courtesy of Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective
Tip 5: Adding people metadata
GOOD: Add in comments or caption BETTER: Add to People IPTC field BEST: Add locations on the photo of people along with People IPCT tag Questions? Feedback Remember to give feedback! 1. Go to session PH3974 in the RootsTech Mobile App 2. Tap the “Clipboard” icon 3. Rate the presentation
5 Photo Metadata Tips
Christopher Desmond Co-Founder, MemoryWeb e: [email protected] w: www.memoryweb.me