[ad_1]
We have now all heard the time period, however what’s EXIF information? What ought to we be doing with this information, and may or not it’s harmful? On this article, we’ll take a look at what EXIF information is, how we are able to learn and manipulate it, and talk about what we must be doing with it, and why some really feel it may very well be harmful.

What’s EXIF Knowledge
EXIF information, generally known as metadata, is a set of data that’s saved by the digicam in the mean time you’re taking a photograph. This data contains many settings and different technical points that may be very helpful. Among the commonest information are issues equivalent to date, time, GPS location, digicam mannequin, lens kind, ISO, focal size, shutter pace, and many others.
The phrase “EXIF” comes from the Exchangeable Picture File Format commonplace.
This information is saved by the digicam throughout the picture file and may be accessed and utilized by software program to find kind, and course of images. The photographer can even entry EXIF information. This may be helpful when figuring out when or the place the picture was taken, and likewise what settings have been used. Having all of this data captured by the digicam means you may concentrate on taking extra footage as a substitute of taking notes to reference later.

EXIF information is saved embedded into the bodily file of the picture, and due to this fact 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 Knowledge?
EXIF information may be accessed in some ways these days, which is an enchancment over the previous. There are devoted EXIF functions that you should use to view, edit, and take away EXIF information from picture information.
Associated: The way to Hold the Horizon Straight When Capturing Panorama
The newest variations of Home windows and Mac OS’s
show EXIF information in file browsers, which lets you kind and filter photographs
primarily based solely on the info.


If you’re a Home windows consumer, I like to recommend putting in a free Uncooked Picture Extension from Microsoft retailer so as to add native viewing assist to proprietary RAW photographs.
All picture modifying applications show EXIF information, and most have glorious interfaces so as to add, edit, and take away information as you prefer to. Having the ability to edit the info on this method 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 information?
On the subject of modifying the EXIF information, there are a number of causes and methods to take action. Most all picture modifying applications, equivalent to Lightroom, will enable you entry so as to add additional information, and to vary the prevailing data ought to you’ll want to.
Associated: Sundown Seaside Images Ideas
If you’re modifying picture utilizing Lightroom, you may add a title and an outline to the picture, which may also help you afterward, and your purchasers as nicely. You may add GPS coordinates of the place you took the image for future reference.

Copyright data such because the copyright standing, creator title, and who holds the copyrights to using the picture, can all be added. If utilizing Lightroom, you may add it to a single image or a batch of chosen photographs. You too can create “pre-sets,” which may be utilized throughout import so as to add your copyright data routinely.
Associated: What are the Totally different Kinds of Images
You too can alter the EXIF information recorded by
the digicam. For example, if in case you have a photograph that you simply took and the time is
incorrect due to time zone variations, you may manually right the time.

Ought to we hold it or take away EXIF Knowledge from our Pictures?
A major level of contingency for lots
of photographers is whether or not or not you need to take away EXIF information earlier than posting
or publishing a photograph. Whereas there are execs and cons for each, loads of the
time, it comes right down to the person picture and what you’ll do with
it.
Professionals for maintaining EXIF Knowledge
- Permits others to know how
the picture was created - Carries copyright data even
with no watermark - Exhibits the situation of the place the
image was taken
If you’re a photographer, you will have most probably checked out different photographer’s work. You possibly can be totally different kinds, composition, lighting, and many others. Having the ability to take a look at the EXIF information of the picture would inform you a large number about what the photographer was doing once they took that picture. You may then begin to attempt totally different settings and be taught to create the identical impact or look, which might enhance your pictures abilities.
Associated: Out of doors Images Ideas for Newcomers
Whereas loads of photographer marks their images with seen watermarks that specific the copyrights of the picture, many really feel that is overbearing or takes away from the photographs. If the EXIF information has the copyright data recorded, this could shield your work and hold 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 information is current, this can present them.
After all, this will also be a con relying on the topic and placement of the
picture.
Cons for maintaining EXIF Knowledge
- Reveals digicam settings and gear used
- Can expose your location if images are taken at your own home
- Will increase file measurement, which might have an effect on the web site pace
You probably have a specific fashion of pictures or use particular gear that you simply view as a commerce secret, sharing the entire EXIF information would expose this. For that reason, loads of photographers will strip all information or all however the copyright data.
Associated: The way to Use a Mild Meter for Images
Typically you wish to hold the situation of the
picture non-public. The explanations may very well be since you took it at your own home, on
non-public property, or in an space that may be delicate to elevated visitors.
The bigger a photograph file is, the longer it
takes to load when searching an internet site. To scale back the load time, photographs used on
internet pages will typically be stripped of the EXIF information to make the information smaller.
The way to take away EXIF Knowledge from our Pictures
Most picture modifying applications supply totally different ranges of management over the EXIF Knowledge. Lightroom provides us an intensive record of choices for managing what data to maintain and what to take away.
In Lightroom, you management the EXIF Knowledge within the Export Module if you find yourself able to export the picture for publishing.
You may select to incorporate Copyright Information solely, Copyright + Contact or protect All Metadata.

Plus, you will have the choice to incorporate or exclude the key phrases assigned to the picture in Lightroom.

Conclusion
In conclusion, EXIF information is data that
is saved within the picture file, that features information in regards to the picture itself, the
digicam and gear used to create it, the settings and particulars of modifying,
and copyright data.
We have now full management over this information and
whether or not or not we embrace it in our closing information or not. Doing so can reveal
details about us, our gear and settings used, and placement the picture was
taken.
The choice to incorporate it or not is dependent upon
what you’re doing with the picture. If it’s a picture of your baby’s birthday
celebration in your yard, it’s possible you’ll wish to strip the situation data. When you
are posting a brand new artwork set up on the town on social media, it’s OK to go away
the info in order that different photographers and like-minded readers can see extra
details about the picture.
Articles Associated to “What’s EXIF Knowledge? When to Hold it and When to Take away it“
[ad_2]