The Lifecycle of Embedded Image Metadata within Digital Photographs: Challenges and Best Practices. - or - The Secret Life of Photo Metadata To promote, protect, manage and archive your images.

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 2 The SAA Photo Metadata Project is made possible thanks to the generous support of the U.S. Library of Congress and our project partners.

May 7, 2009SAA Photo Metadata Project / Archiving 2009Page 3

MAKING A CASE FOR METADATA getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 4

What is the VALUE of an Image? getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 5

What is the VALUE of an Image? getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 6

What is the VALUE of an Image? getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 7

Who are these children? getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 8

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getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 11 Einstein images courtesy of Bettmann Archive/CORBIS

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getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 15 Who? What? When? Where? Why?

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getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 18 Where did this image come from?

Metadata 101 getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 19

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 20 What do we want to know about this image?

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An image file can hold more than pixels. It can also include metadata explaining: Creator and ownership information What the image depicts Rights and licensing information Technical information about the image file getMETAsmart SAA Photo Metadata Project Page 6

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 23 An image file is like a bento box …

… It includes containers for different things. getMETAsmart SAA Photo Metadata Project Page 8

These containers hold several flavors of metadata and they describe the image’s: Ownership Content Rights & Licensing Technical Details getMETAsmart SAA Photo Metadata Project Page 9

All flavors (actually “schemas”) include Fields of Information Insert Picture of Fields getMETAsmart SAA Photo Metadata Project Page 10

When adding info to those fields consider –What will be needed to “find” the image later? –Think like an art buyer or image researcher getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 27

Which Fields to Use? Essential Recommended Location-related Other getMETAsmart SAA Photo Metadata Project Page 12

Which fields to use? Essential Creator (aka Author or even Photographer) Copyright (Copyright Notice) Contact Info Credit / Provider* getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 29

Which fields to use? Recommended Provider / Credit Source Date Created (can be automated) Title (aka Document Title or Object Name) Description / Caption Keywords getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 30

Which fields to use? Location-related Location (building, street, etc.) City State / Province Country Country Code getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 31

Which fields to use? Other Special Instructions Rights Usage Terms “New” stuff (IPTC Extension, PLUS, etc.) getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 32

How do I know how to use a field? Download the IPTC Core Users Guide getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 33

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 34 How do I know how to use a field? Use our “Guide To Photo Metadata Fields”

My field names are not the same as yours! –Developers have not standardized Some use the older “legacy” IPTC-IIM named fields Some use the IPTC Core fields Some make up their own field names! getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 35

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My field names are not the same as yours! –Developers have not standardized Some use the older “legacy” IPTC-IIM named fields Some use the IPTC Core fields Some make up their own field names! –Use “Mapping Charts” ControlledVocabulary.com/imagedatabases/ ControlledVocabulary.com/imagedatabases/iptc_core_mapped.pdf getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 39

MFM Fields* –Provider / Credit / Credit Line –Title / Document Title / Object Name –Title vs. Headline –Description / Caption *Most Frequently Misunderstood getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 40

Caption and Keyword Guidelines –Who –What –When –Where –Why –How getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 41

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getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 43 Ray Goes Here

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getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 45 ControlledVocabulary.com/metalogging/

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 46 Bento Box GIF goes here

The Language of Schemas getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 47

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 48 The Language of Schemas IPTC-IIM IPTC Core IPTC Extension Dublin Core Exif PLUS

Schemas IPTC-IIM Short for Information Interchange Model Sometimes called “legacy” metadata Stored using the Image Resource Block method Limited field sizes getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 49

Schemas IPTC Core 2005 update to the IIM version Incorporates all the fields Adds Contact Info, Location, Rights Usage and special IPTC fields, Genre, Scene and Subject Codes Stored as part of XMP No limits on length of field Unicode Compatible getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 50

Schemas IPTC Extension New addition to the IPTC schemas (2008) Not currently in many applications Adds fields requested by “other” communities –Stock –Museum –Libraries Includes a number of PLUS fields Stored as XMP getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 51

Schemas Dublin Core Used by the Cultural Heritage Community IPTC-Core has 5 fields from the 15 original that overlap Stored as XMP getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 52

Schemas Exif Exchangeable Information File Primarily “Machine Readable” Stores technical data on capture Both a Schema and a Storage Mechanism getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 53

Schemas PLUS Picture Licensing Universal System Focused on Licensing and Rights Information Stored as XMP getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 54

How are these schemas stored inside image files? getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 55

How are these schemas stored? Exif –Both a schema and a storage method –Maintained by camera manufacturers getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 56

How are these schemas stored? Exif Image Resource Block –Legacy format –Holds IPTC-IIM schema getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 57

How are these schemas stored? Exif Image Resource Block XMP –Newer method developed by Adobe (2001) –Holds many schemas (IPTC Core, IPTC Ext, PLUS, Dublin Core) –Photoshop namespace holds star ratings, color labels –Unicode compatible –No limits on field lengths –Can be stored as a “sidecar” file getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 58

How do these schemas relate to each other? IPTC-IIM IPTC Core IPTC Extension Dublin Core Exif PLUS getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 59

… OK, in most cases: IPTC Core includes nearly all of IPTC-IIM Dublin Core shares five fields with IPTC PLUS will embed fields in IPTC Extension Exif goes along for the ride With a few caveats getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 60

… OK, in most cases: IPTC Core includes nearly all of IPTC-IIM Dublin Core shares five fields with IPTC PLUS will embed fields in IPTC Extension Exif goes along for the ride With a few caveats Crosswalks Synchronization getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 61

Synchronization Issues –“Shared” fields –Where & when info is written DOES matter –Backwards compatibility Issues getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 62

Synchronization Issues getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 63

Synchronization Issues –A Tale of Two Workflows getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 64

Synchronization Issues –A Tale of Two Workflows getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 65

Synchronization Issues –Old to New Workflow = No problems getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 66

Synchronization Issues –New to Old Workflow (and return) = Problems getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 67

Synchronization Issues –Old to New Workflow = No problems getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 68

Synchronization Issues –Old to New Workflow = No problems getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 69

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Looking Ahead getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 71 The good news: IPTC Core will soon be all you really need to know IPTC Extension will offer even more Information stored this way is easily repurposed And …

Looking Ahead getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 72 The good news: IPTC Core will soon be all you really need to know IPTC Extension will offer even more Information stored this way is easily repurposed And … software tools handle most of this for you: Photoshop Lightroom Photo Mechanic Expression Media Others

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 24 Photometadata.org QuickTour

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 24 Photometadata.org QuickTour

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 24 Photometadata.org QuickTour

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 24 Photometadata.org QuickTour

getMETAsmartSAA Photo Metadata ProjectPage 24 Photometadata.org QuickTour

Thank You! No Handouts Necessary Grab a post card, the URL is on the back May 7, 2009SAA Photo Metadata Project / Archiving 2009Page 78