What is Image Metadata

Think of image metadata as the digital "scribble on the back" of a physical photograph. It is a set of hidden data embedded within your image file that describes the "who, what, where, and when" of a picture.

 

When you scan an old photo today, your device sees the creation date as today's date, not 1975. Adding metadata is essential because:

- Time & Place Correction: Manually adding the original date and location ensures the photo appears in the correct chronological order in your digital library (Apple Photos, Google Photos, etc.)

- Easy Searchability: Adding tags like "Grandpa" or "Christmas 1982" lets you find specific memories in seconds rather than scrolling through thousands of files.

- Preserving Context: Digital metadata stays with the file forever, ensuring future generations know exactly who is in the picture, and all other details.

- Privacy & Ownership: You can embed your name as the creator, ensuring your family legacy is protected as it's shared across the web.

Without metadata, your scanned photos are just "blobs" of pixels. With it, they are searchable, organized history.

There are different types of image metadata:

EXIF metadata

This is technical information about photos. Digital cameras automatically add this, such as camera model, aperture, focal length and shutter settings. Also GPS data, file size and date. You should generally not modify it.

IPTC metadata

This is descriptive and administrative data. You must input this manually. IPTC standards define hundreds of tags for this purpose.

Amateur photographers only need a few tags. Such as: date, location, description and keywords.

In addition, professional photographers can also add administrative tags. These include personal profile, licensing and copyright information.

For more, see https://iptc.org/standards/photo-metadata/photo-metadata

XMP metadata

This incorporates IPTC data and edits-related information. And often, this is saved in a separate sidecar file.

How to view and edit image metadata?

For Mac users, SnipTag app makes it super easy to add and edit image metadata. You can do it for multiple photos at a time by typing or dictating. Visit SnipTag website to learn more and get a free trial.