What are the ways, "Author" can be automatically added to metadata?

The Term "Author" as opposed to "Photographer" , (in the context of photography), has always puzzled me. Now I wonder how on earth someone's pictures might end up with "Author" already flled up wth someone else's name.

Imagine an honest person.

Asher

Hi, Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

The Term "Author" as opposed to "Photographer" , (in the context of photography), has always puzzled me. Now I wonder how on earth someone's pictures might end up with "Author" already filled up with someone else's name.

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Are you speaking of EXIF metadata, or IPTC metadata, or just whatever might have a data item called "author" in it?

Do note that "author" is the formal term in copyright law for the creator of a work, in whom copyright is in initially vested absent any contractual or statutory provision otherwise.

Do you mean how might you automatically populate the "author" data item (if there is such a thing) or are you wondering how some file that come to you might already have it populated - I can't quite tell from your discussion.

Finally, to the best of my knowledge, there is no data item properly labeled "author" in the specification for Exif metadata or either type of IPTC metadata (but I might be in error).

Best regards,

Doug

It's a field in iviewmedia pro, (now Microsoft Expression), and also in "File info" under Photoshop.

What is the possible way one can get that field filled automatically by editing a file in PS and not putting the name in the field oneself?

Asher

Some card download apps let you populate IPTC fields automatically...

Nill

Hi, Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

It's a field in iviewmedia pro, (now Microsoft Expression), and also in "File info" under Photoshop.

What is the possible way one can get that field filled automatically by editing a file in PS and not putting the name in the field oneself?

Click to expand...

In Photoshop CS5 (and I assume other versions), if there is a metadata template in effect (set in the File Info dialog), PS will put its content into the Exif, IPTC IIM, and IPTC XML metadata areas of the file being edited.

I think that by default there is not a metadata template in effect, but I'm not sure. I do not find a default template listed in the list of available templates (just several that I have established).

The "Author" field in the PS File Info dialog populates the following actual metadata items when the file is saved:

Exif metadata: Artist
IPTC IIM metadata: Byline (part of the Author category)
IPTC XML metadata: Creator

When PS CS5 reads a file, it shows the IPTC IIM Byline item value as "Author" and "Creator" in the File Info dialog, and if the file is then saved, places that value in the three places listed above.

Best regards,

Doug

It actually grew out of the IPTC standards which were set up for press usage beyond just photographs. Everything had an author to one degree or another so it worked as a generic label. We know of IPTC more in regard to its role as metadata for images but the label remains.

As a matter of interest, in the provisions for Exif metadata, there are the following two pertinent items:

Artist
Copyright

In the IPTC IIM (legacy IPTC metadata), there are the following pertinent data items:

By-line
By-line title [that is the title of the person writing the byline, such as "copy editor"]
CopyrightNotice
Writer-Editor

In the base IPTC XML metadata, there are the following pertinent data items:

Creator
Rights

Best regards,

Doug

Let me step back a bit to provide the origin of this question. To understand some pictures, looking at the way the picture was taken, for example ISO and aperture or shutter speed, can be helpful. So when some mismatch is discovered, the comment on the picture is better tailored to the needs of the image and it's author.

Just to clarify, we have an OPF member who's pictures are mis-labelled in the Author info line in Microsoft Expression with someone else's name! The computer was bought used and CS3 was already on it. So where would one find the master dialog box to change this behavior of labeling the new photographer's work with the previous guys name.

Thanks,

Asher

Hi, Asher,

Asher Kelman said:

ion with someone else's name! The computer was bought used and CS3 was already on it. So where would one find the master dialog box to change this behavior of labeling the new photographer's work with the previous guys name.

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In PS CS5, in the File Info dialog, put whatever information you want to be the "default" for your edited pictures (empty all the items if that's what you want), do "Export" (one choice in the dropdown for templates), give the template some nice name ("Default"), then make sure that one remains selected in the templates box.

Best regards,

Doug

Asher Kelman said:

Just to clarify, we have an OPF member who's pictures are mis-labelled in the Author info line in Microsoft Expression with someone else's name! The computer was bought used and CS3 was already on it. So where would one find the master dialog box to change this behavior of labeling the new photographer's work with the previous guys name.

Click to expand...

Hi Asher,

In addition to what Doug has written, there may be another source for someone else's name popping up (a suggestion I got from Cem). That has to do with the info that can be automatically entered e.g. with Canon camera's in the EXIF. For that one uses the EOS utility, and enters a Owner''s name in the camera settings, under the set-up menu tab. That info shows up under the Author field in e.g. Expression Media.

So when buying a second hand camera (I'm not sure if that's the case here), one should check/update that piece of information.

Cheers,
Bart