Adobe Education Technologies

As a new member to the Adobe Education SE team, I thought I’d like to begin by discussing Metadata and it’s value in Adobe applications such as the Adobe Digital School Collection (ADSC) as well as Creative Suite.
First let’s begin with a simple definition of metadata. Data about the data. Confused? Think of walking down a grocery aisle with no labels on the packages. It would be very difficult to know if the can had tomato or minestrone soup. The packaging information gives insight into what’s in the can, ingredients, calories, weight etc.
In graphic files it’s nearly reversed. The what it is can be obvious, that’s a person, but who, where when and how may not be evident on the surface.
Enter metadata, literally, to fill in the details. (More on how later.)
In the days of analog photography, it was common for photographers to carry a notebook recording shutter speed, aperture, location etc. Today with digital cameras much of that information is captured when the photo is taken and stored within the file. This type of metadata is called EXIF (Exchangeable image file format.)
To find the Metadata in ADSC open the Elements 8 Organizer and choose a file. Open the Properties panel – choose Window > Properties. In the properties panel select the “I” icon. If Camera Data is not visible toggle to View: Complete at the bottom of the panel. There’s your camera’s metadata.
If you are using Adobe Bridge, reveal the Metadata panel by choosing Window > Metadata. Select an camera made image to view the EXIF data.
Using metadata students can evaluate shutter speed and aperture combinations and see how a slow shutter speed or a small aperture impacts the photograph.
We’ll explore in a later post ways to enter metadata in both Elements Organizer and Adobe Bridge.