WHY READ AND USE YOUR IMAGE METADATA
WHAT IS METADATA?
Every image taken with a digital camera will have metadata attached to and recorded with the image file. Image metadata will record the lens/camera information at the time of capture. You may add, via your image editing software, additional data. These data can include an image title, description of the capture conditions, GPS, keyword descriptor, copyright and a rating among other manually entered data.
TYPES OF METADATA
There are two types of metadata: scene related written automatically by the digital camera and user added data. Scene related metadata includes information like date and time, and the lens/camera settings that were set at the time of the exposure. User added metadata is information that you add yourself. It helps you to locate images through keywords and image tagging, making it possible to find an image among thousands. You also can add copyright and contact information. Most programs used for image management offer some form of metadata editing. Other programs may automatically enter data via their image processing, facial recognition being the most common.
WHY IS METADATA IMPORTANT
Reviewing your metadata is a great way to experiment and learn from your images. What worked, and what didn't? At what ISO does your camera start to get noisy and under what conditions? What aperture produces the perfect depth of field? What shutter speed produced the desired blur on moving objects? Experimentation and image analysis can help you achieve that “perfect” image.
User entered metadata can help you organize your image catalog. Supplementing your metadata with keywords, image names, GPS coordinates and event details will make your images more easily searchable. Adding your copyright data will protect your image rights!
USING METADATA
Metadata is a powerful tool for image perfection. Comparing lens/camera settings like shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length and metering can help you perfect your imaging techniques. Which exposure set worked best. Experiment during image captures and review your captured images. Then you can add descriptions and/or ratings based on your experimenting. This can be applied to many situations, such as recorded image blur compared against shutter speed. Experiment photographing a moving subject like water or panning with a moving object at a variety of shutter speeds. When you review your metadata, you easily can see which shutter speed produced the effect you were looking for. Stepping through available ISO levels is a great way to benchmark the noise levels of your camera. By comparing the results at various ISO settings, you can define the ISO/noise levels for your camera. You'll know just how far you can push ISO when you're dealing with low levels of light. The list is only limited by what you wish to perfect in your imaging set.
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