RAW File Information

Aaron Jors

I have a couple questions in regards to the RAW file image information.

1. When I go through my workflow and process the image for my website the final file is in a jpeg format. It seems that I am losing some of the information that is attached to the photo when I compare the RAW vs JPEG the jpeg is missing information. I would like all the information that is present in the RAW file to stay with the image no matter what format it goes to. Some key information I would like to stay with the photo in particular is the Owners Name and Lens used. Is this possible?

2. When looking at the RAW file information is there any way I can edit the information? For example I would like to input GPS information on the RAW files. The space for the information is there but it is blank, how can I add this information?

3. I would also like to be able to add keywords and copyright info to the RAW files and have it stay with the image.

My workflow is Canon DPP>TIFF>PHOTOSHOP>JPEG

Here is the information for the RAW vs JPEG

RAW:
File name
_MG_6231.CR2
Camera Model Name
Canon EOS 30D
Shooting Date/Time
9/1/2007 07:30:43
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/640Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F5.6
Metering Modes
Evaluative metering
Exposure Compensation
+1/3
ISO Speed
400
Lens
EF400mm f/5.6L USM
Focal Length
400.0 mm
Image size
3504 x 2336
Image Quality
RAW
Flash
Off
White Balance
Auto
AF mode
One-Shot AF
Picture Style
Standard
Parameters
Tone Curve : Standard
Sharpness level : -
Pattern Sharpness : -
Contrast : 0
Sharpness : 3
Color saturation : 0
Color tone : 0
Highlight tone priority : -
Color matrix
-
Color Space
Adobe RGB
File Size
7995 KB
Dust Delete Data
No
Drive Mode
High-speed continuous shooting
GPS Data
Latitude : -
Longitude : -
Altitude : -
Geographic coordinate system : -
Owner's Name
Aaron C Jors
Camera Body No.
420302782

JPEG:
File name
_MG_6231.jpg
Camera Model Name
Canon EOS 30D
Shooting Date/Time
9/1/2007 07:30:43
Tv(Shutter Speed)
1/640Sec.
Av(Aperture Value)
F5.6
Metering Modes
-
Exposure Compensation
+1/3
ISO Speed
400
Lens
-
Focal Length
400.0 mm
Image size
900 x 655
Image Quality
-
Flash
Off
White Balance
-
AF mode
-
Picture Style
-
Parameters
Tone Curve : -
Sharpness level : -
Pattern Sharpness : -
Contrast : -
Sharpness : -
Color saturation : -
Color tone : -
Highlight tone priority : -
Color matrix
-
Color Space
sRGB IEC61966-2.1
File Size
742 KB
Dust Delete Data
No
Drive Mode
-
GPS Data
Latitude : -
Longitude : -
Altitude : -
Geographic coordinate system : -
Owner's Name
-
Camera Body No.
-

arodney

Very few Raw converters allow you to edit the actual Raw data, and for good reason. Adobe for example never alters the data, they write updated editing instructions and the like in a sidecar file OR you can convert to DNG after which this data can be embedded into this format.

GPS is just metadata that could be added, again using the caveats above.

claudermilk

It's just the metadata that is getting dropped. Every single editor I've used loses most, if not all, of the maker notes metadata. You can use ExifTool to copy the data from the original RAW to your JPEG (and I just found out about ExiftToolGui to help use it). For GPS data, you might want to look into RoboGeo; I just acquired an older GPS unit & plan to start playing with tagging my files, RoboGeo seems like the utility needed to do that.

Aaron Jors

What about Keywords, what inexpensive programs can I use to add keywords and will those stay with the file from RAW to JPEG?

BinaryFx

Aaron Jors wrote:

What about Keywords, what inexpensive programs can I use to add keywords and will those stay with the file from RAW to JPEG?

As you have Photoshop (what version?), you currently have the ability to add keywords and other 'file info' text metadata such as found in the old IPTC standard etc. There are many other apps to do this, both freeware and commercial. Many photo sites make use of this metadata or 'tags' (not to be confused with ICC profile 'tags'!) The Photoshop help system should return more info on a keyword search of 'keyword' and 'iptc' and 'file info' and 'custom metadata template'.

Stephen Marsh.
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/

claudermilk

Just keep in mind Adobe apps now ignore the older IPTC data spaces & use their own XMP format. Not all apps, or services use that yet.

Richard

claudermilk wrote:

Just keep in mind Adobe apps now ignore the older IPTC data spaces & use their own XMP format. Not all apps, or services use that yet.

Chris,

Are you sure about that? IIRC, I once tried adding captions to the IPTC fields using CS2 and Smugmug picked them up when I uploaded. I hope Adobe isn't going to ignore the existing format. I think it is cleaner to embed this information, as you only have to worry about one file, not a pic and a sidecar.

Regards,

jfriend

rsinmadrid wrote:

Chris,

Are you sure about that? IIRC, I once tried adding captions to the IPTC fields using CS2 and Smugmug picked them up when I uploaded. I hope Adobe isn't going to ignore the existing format. I think it is cleaner to embed this information, as you only have to worry about one file, not a pic and a sidecar.

Regards,

For JPEGs, the XMP format is embedded in the JPEG file itself. The newer XMP format is a more extensible, XML-based format for recording metadata than what existed previously.

For read-only files (like RAW files), Adobe puts the XMP info in a .XMP sidecar file (or, optionally, in a side database). For writeable files (like JPEG files), Adobe puts the XMP formatted metadata info in the actual file.

BinaryFx

rsinmadrid wrote:

Chris,

Are you sure about that? IIRC, I once tried adding captions to the IPTC fields using CS2 and Smugmug picked them up when I uploaded. I hope Adobe isn't going to ignore the existing format. I think it is cleaner to embed this information, as you only have to worry about one file, not a pic and a sidecar.

Regards,

AFAIK the new XMP method also writes backward compatible data in the old IPTC/NAA 'file info' scheme.

More from the source:

http://www.iptc.org/IPTC4XMP/


Stephen Marsh.
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/

Art Scott

claudermilk wrote:

For GPS data, you might want to look into RoboGeo; I just acquired an older GPS unit & plan to start playing with tagging my files, RoboGeo seems like the utility needed to do that.

There is also the WORLD WIDE MEDIA EXCHANGE SOFTWARE for free PC based software.....just make sure your camera and gps clocks are synced as this is the only drawback to the system.........

claudermilk

jfriend wrote:

For JPEGs, the XMP format is embedded in the JPEG file itself. The newer XMP format is a more extensible, XML-based format for recording metadata than what existed previously.

For read-only files (like RAW files), Adobe puts the XMP info in a .XMP sidecar file (or, optionally, in a side database). For writeable files (like JPEG files), Adobe puts the XMP formatted metadata info in the actual file.

That's my understanding of it. From what I've seen on the support forum for my DAM software, the XMP data is not always replicated in the IIM "legacy" data blocks. I don't use Adobe apps to update my metadata, so have not run into this myself--in part because of reading of other users' issues and what the developer has seen in the guts of the APIs. Ofcourse, that said, I could be all wet. Again. It's something to be aware of and check for when developing your workflow.