- Rate and Tag Using Photosmith
- Rate and Tag Using PhotosInfoPro
- Rate and Tag Using Editing Apps
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Rate and Tag Using Editing Apps
I’ve spent this chapter focused on Photosmith and PhotosInfoPro because they both work with many photos at once. The way I prefer to work, I first review and rate my photos, find the ones that are worth spending more time on, and then bring them into an editing program (on the iPad or on the computer) later. Sometimes it feels as if I can fire off 200 shots just watching dust migrate, so sorting images one at a time just isn’t practical.
However, if you’re under the gun to process a few shots and share them with a client, editor, or friends online, running them through Photosmith is overkill. That’s why some editing apps now offer the ability to edit various metadata and save that information to the exported image file.
Photogene
By way of example, I’m using the image editor Photogene, which I cover in more detail in the next chapter. Although the app contains some metadata support, the pro version adds star ratings and the ability to create IPTC sets that you can apply, which allows you to avoid the drudgery of entering the same information repeatedly.
Rate Photos
Photogene (in its pro mode) offers two methods for assigning star ratings:
- While you’re viewing photos in their albums, touch and hold a photo until an options bar appears, and then choose View Metadata.
- Open and edit a photo in Photogene’s editing environment, and tap the Metadata button.
Tap the General heading in the popover that appears, and then select a star rating (4.28).
4.28 Assign a star rating in Photogene.
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Add IPTC Information
Much of the IPTC information that gets embedded with the photo is specific to the shot. In the Metadata popover, tap to edit any of the text fields (4.29).
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4.29 Add descriptive information to the photo’s metadata.
However, the core data about you presumably stays the same, in which case you’ll want to create IPTC defaults and sets that you can easily copy and paste to new photos.
Create and use IPTC sets
The advantage to creating sets is that you might want most of the same information (such as contact info) but need something about it tailored for specific uses. In my case, I shoot with two cameras: a Nikon D90 and a Canon PowerShot G12. So, I’ve set up separate IPTC sets that are nearly identical except for the camera-specific information.
- In the Metadata popover, tap the IPTC heading and then tap the IPTC Sets button.
- Tap the plus (+) button to create a new set. Tap the name of the new set to reveal its information fields.
- Enter the relevant information in the IPTC fields. When you’re done, tap the IPTC Sets button in the popover’s menu bar.
The next time you need to quickly add metadata from one of your sets to a photo, tap the Metadata button, tap IPTC Sets, and then tap the Use Set button belonging to the set you created.
Export IPTC Information
When you’re ready to export the photo, make sure the IPTC data goes along with it. Tap the Export button and set the Preserve IPTC switch to On (4.30). The information is written into the file that gets exported.
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4.30 Make sure Preserve IPTC is turned on.