We have all heard the time period, however what’s EXIF knowledge? What ought to we be doing with this knowledge, and might it’s harmful? In this text, we are going to take a look at what EXIF knowledge is, how we will learn and manipulate it, and focus on what we must be doing with it, and why some really feel it could possibly be harmful.
What is EXIF Data
EXIF knowledge, generally referred to as metadata, is a group of knowledge that’s saved by the digicam in the mean time you are taking a photograph. This data contains many settings and different technical features that may be very helpful. Some of the commonest knowledge are issues equivalent to date, time, GPS location, digicam mannequin, lens kind, ISO, focal size, shutter pace, and so forth.
The phrase “EXIF” comes from the Exchangeable Image File Format commonplace.
This knowledge is saved by the digicam throughout the photograph file and might be accessed and utilized by software program to find kind, and course of images. The photographer can even entry EXIF knowledge. This might be helpful when figuring out when or the place the photograph was taken, and in addition what settings have been used. Having all of this information captured by the digicam means you’ll be able to concentrate on taking extra photos as a substitute of taking notes to reference later.
EXIF knowledge is saved embedded into the bodily file of the picture, and subsequently can solely be accessed by particular software program. The data is eliminated when a photograph is transformed to codecs apart from JPEG, equivalent to PNG or GIF.
How can we learn EXIF Data?
EXIF knowledge might be accessed in some ways these days, which is an enchancment over the previous. There are devoted EXIF functions that you need to use to view, edit, and take away EXIF knowledge from photograph information.
Related: How to Keep the Horizon Straight When Shooting Landscape
The newest variations of Windows and Mac OS’s
show EXIF knowledge in file browsers, which lets you kind and filter photos
based mostly solely on the information.
If you’re a Windows consumer, I like to recommend putting in a free Raw Image Extension from Microsoft retailer so as to add native viewing help to proprietary RAW photos.
All photograph modifying packages show EXIF knowledge, and most have wonderful interfaces so as to add, edit, and take away knowledge as you desire to. Being in a position to edit the information on this manner means that you can take away data that you simply don’t wish to share, equivalent to location data and digicam settings. It additionally means that you can add further copyright data to your images.
How can we modify EXIF knowledge?
When it involves modifying the EXIF knowledge, there are a number of causes and methods to take action. Most all photograph modifying packages, equivalent to Lightroom, will enable you entry so as to add more information, and to vary the present data ought to it’s essential to.
Related: Sunset Beach Photography Tips
If you’re modifying picture utilizing Lightroom, you’ll be able to add a title and an outline to the photograph, which might help you afterward, and your shoppers as effectively. You can add GPS coordinates of the place you took the image for future reference.
Copyright data such because the copyright standing, creator identify, and who holds the copyrights to the usage of the photograph, can all be added. If utilizing Lightroom, you’ll be able to add it to a single image or a batch of chosen photos. You can even create “pre-sets,” which might be utilized throughout import so as to add your copyright data routinely.
Related: What are the Different Types of Photography
You can even alter the EXIF knowledge recorded by
the digicam. For occasion, you probably have a photograph that you simply took and the time is
incorrect due to time zone variations, you’ll be able to manually appropriate the time.
Should we preserve it or take away EXIF Data from our Photos?
A major level of contingency for lots
of photographers is whether or not or not you must take away EXIF knowledge earlier than posting
or publishing a photograph. While there are professionals and cons for each, quite a lot of the
time, it comes all the way down to the person picture and what you’re going to do with
it.
Pros for retaining EXIF Data
- Allows others to grasp how
the picture was created - Carries copyright data even
and not using a watermark - Shows the situation of the place the
image was taken
If you’re a photographer, you could have almost certainly checked out different photographer’s work. You could possibly be completely different types, composition, lighting, and so forth. Being ready to take a look at the EXIF knowledge of the picture would inform you numerous about what the photographer was doing after they took that photograph. You can then begin to attempt completely different settings and study to create the identical impact or look, which might enhance your pictures abilities.
Related: Outdoor Photography Tips for Beginners
While quite a lot of photographer marks their images with seen watermarks that categorical the copyrights of the picture, many really feel that is overbearing or takes away from the images. If the EXIF knowledge has the copyright data recorded, this could shield your work and preserve unauthorized prints from being made.
Lots of people will take a look at a photograph and need
to know the place it was taken. If the EXIF knowledge is current, this may present them.
Of course, this will also be a con relying on the topic and site of the
picture.
Cons for retaining EXIF Data
- Reveals digicam settings and tools used
- Can expose your location if images are taken at your property
- Increases file measurement, which might have an effect on the web site pace
If you could have a specific model of pictures or use particular tools that you simply view as a commerce secret, sharing the entire EXIF knowledge would expose this. For this motive, quite a lot of photographers will strip all knowledge or all however the copyright information.
Related: How to Use a Light Meter for Photography
Sometimes you wish to preserve the situation of the
photograph non-public. The causes could possibly be since you took it at your home, on
non-public property, or in an space that will be delicate to elevated site visitors.
The bigger a photograph file is, the longer it
takes to load when looking an internet site. To cut back the load time, photos used on
net pages will usually be stripped of the EXIF knowledge to make the information smaller.
How to take away EXIF Data from our Photos
Most photograph modifying packages supply completely different ranges of management over the EXIF Data. Lightroom offers us an in depth record of choices for managing what data to maintain and what to take away.
In Lightroom, you management the EXIF Data within the Export Module if you find yourself able to export the photograph for publishing.
You can select to incorporate Copyright Info solely, Copyright + Contact or protect All Metadata.
Plus, you could have the choice to incorporate or exclude the key phrases assigned to the picture in Lightroom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, EXIF knowledge is data that
is saved within the photograph file, that features knowledge concerning the picture itself, the
digicam and tools used to create it, the settings and particulars of modifying,
and copyright data.
We have full management over this knowledge and
whether or not or not we embrace it in our last information or not. Doing so can reveal
details about us, our gear and settings used, and site the picture was
taken.
The choice to incorporate it or not depends upon
what you’re doing with the photograph. If it’s a photograph of your baby’s birthday
get together in your yard, you might wish to strip the situation data. If you
are posting a brand new artwork set up on the town on social media, it’s OK to go away
the information in order that different photographers and like-minded readers can see extra
details about the photograph.