Julieanne Kost's Blog

When you create a file naming template, inserting  tokens (such as Date, Image Name and Metadata), tells Lightroom to use that information (on a file-by-file basis) from the metadata of each individual file. If you prefer to enter your own information, either type it directly into the text entree box (this embeds it as part of the template), or add the Custom Text token (which will allow you to create a template which gives you the opportunity to enter custom text like a client name  without having to edit the template).

In this quick tip (How to add Metadata After Importing Files), Julieanne shows how to add presets/templates using the Metadata panel.

There are several shortcuts that can help when working with keywords in Lightroom:

• Command + K (Mac) | Control + K (Win) will highlight the Keyword text entry field.

• Command + Shift + K (Mac) | Control  + Shift + K will highlight the larger, Applied Keyword box above it.

In addition, the Painter tool can be “loaded” with a keyword(s):

• Command + Option + Shift + K (Mac) | Control + Alt + Shift + K (Win) will display the Set Keyword Shortcuts dialog box where you can  set the Painters tool’s keyword. Then, with the Painter tool, simply click on any image in the Grid view to apply that keyword. Click-drag across multiple images to apply the keyword to several images.

• If the painter tool is set to apply keywords, Shift + K will remove the Painter tool’s keyword from the image.

Finally, Option + 1-9 (Mac) | Alt + 1-9 (Win) applies keywords from a keyword set when using the number pad on an extended keyboard. Holding the Option + (Mac) | Alt (Win) key displays the numeric shortcuts next to the Keyword Set so that you can see which number will apply what keyword.

In Lightroom you can mark a keyword so that it doesn’t export by double clicking on the keyword in the Keyword panel and unchecking Include on Export. This may come in handy when using hierarchical keywords. For example, you might have France, Germany and Italy all under the parent keyword “Countries” to make them easy to find. However you don’t necessarily want the “Countries” keyword to be exported.

At this point some of you might be thinking of adding a  “nickname” for your client – perhaps something that you wouldn’t want them to see. If you want my advice – don’t do it. Seriously, accidents happen.

Unfortunately, the Slideshow module cannot automatically wrap text. Therefore, if you have entered a long caption and want to display that caption under an image, the text will (more than likely) end up being truncated – unless you scale the caption really small. To avoid this, insert your own line breaks (in the Caption field in the Metadata panel) using Option + Enter (Mac), Ctrl+Return (Win).

To rename a single image in Lightroom, select the photo in the Library module and in the Metadata panel, enter in a new file name.

To correct a misspelled keyword, Control (Mac) / Right Mouse (Win) -click on the keyword in the Keyword List panel and select “Edit Keyword Tag”. Correct the spelling, click Edit and the keyword will be updated on all images that have that keyword applied.

1) Is there a way to make the Caption field in the Metadata panel larger?

Yes. You can select the “Large Caption” view from the drop down menu in the Metadata panel header (to the left of the word Metadata).

2) Are an image’s Develop Settings saved in the metadata of an image?

By default Lightroom saves changes made to an image in the catalog. I would suggest, however that you also choose to copy the information from the catalog into the individual files. To do this, either check “Automatically Write Changes to XMP” in Catalog Settings > Metadata and/or select Metadata > Save Metadata to Files when finished editing images. Either way, the Develop settings will be saved in a sidecar file for proprietary raw files, inside a DNG file and inside a JPEG, PSD and TIFF file if you have enabled “Include Develop settings in Metadata inside JPEG, TIFF and PSD files” in Catalog Settings > Metadata.

3) Is the History saved in an image’s metadata?

No, the History (in the Develop Module) is saved only in the Lightroom catalog.

Every image stores various amounts of metadata. For example, there is EXIF metadata, which describes the camera and lens that captured the image, as well as f-stop, shutter speed and a plethora of additional information about how the image was captured. In addition, images can also contain custom metadata information (such as that defined by  IPTC) including the copyright, contact information, rights usage and so on.

Typically photographers want this metadata to travel with their files, but every once in a while I am asked how to remove the extraneous metadata when exporting a file to be delivered to a client. To remove all metadata in an image (including camera settings, ratings, develop setting, etc.) except the Copyright Notice and Copyright Status upon export, check the box next to “Minimize Embedded Metadata” in the Export dialog.

Note: The develop settings will still be applied to the image on export so the image will look as you intended, but the settings will not be embedded in the file.

If you need to selectively strip metadata from exported images, check out Jeffrey Friedl’s Metadata Wrangler. 

And, if you want to see even more metadata than lightroom displays, check out Jeffrey Friedl’s Metadata Viewer.

In the Edit Metadata Presets dialog, a blank metadata field with a “check” in the right-hand column will overwrite (eliminate) existing data in that field when the metadata preset is applied. I find this feature useful when I need to remove all of the metadata that I have previously applied to images so that I can start a demonstration with a “clean” set of photographs.

If you have forgotten to apply a metadata template when importing images into Lightroom, you can always apply it in the Library Module. To do so, select the images in the Grid view (in the Library module), and choose the desired template from the Preset drop down in the Metadata panel.

This is not only a good wayto add a “forgotten” metadata template but also to assign a more image-specific template to a subset of images. For example, you may have slightly different templates to apply different “Image Usage Rights” or other information to a subset of images.

In Lightroom 3 we added a ‘’light switch’’ to the Sync button in the Develop module.  Turning the switch ‘’on’’ switches to Auto Sync mode which will apply any adjustment to all of the images selected not just the one you’re viewing. (This option is also available for the Metadata Sync button in the Library.)

In the Metadata panel, clicking on the word “Caption” (or Title, Copyright etc) will reveal recently applied captions/titles etc. Quickly apply them by selecting them from the list.

There are certain times when you might want to change the capture time for an image. For example  you change time zones when traveling and forget to reset the time on the camera, or maybe multiple cameras are used to photographed an event, only one camera was incorrectly set (making the Sort by Capture Time difficult as the images appear out of order due to the incorrect time stamp on that camera’s images). In order to correct the time, select the images from that camera (don’t forget you can easily  filter on the metadata/serial number of the camera to quickly find all of the images), and choose  Metadata > Edit Capture Time. Choose to adjust to a specific time (for example, if the time needs to be set 8 minutes forward) enter the correct time and all of the images will be shifted appropriately. If you changed time zones, then choose to Shift by a Set Number of Hours.

In addition, there is a preference that goes along with it that many photographers aren’t aware of. If you choose Catalog Settings > Metadata you can choose to Write date or time changes into proprietary raw files. This is the only occasion when Lightroom will actually write changes to the proprietary file (.nef or .crw for example).

Lightroom can interpret and apply changes made to photos in Bridge/Adobe Camera Raw/Photoshop (such as the addition of metadata and/or any changes made to color/tone/etc.) and vice versa. In order for this to go smoothly, in Bridge make sure that the  Camera Raw Preferences (under the Bridge menu on Mac, the Edit menu on Windows) are set to: Save image settings in: Sidecar “.xmp” files (not the Camera Raw database).

When these “changed/corrected” files are imported into Lightroom, you will not see the changes in the Import dialog box but Lightroom will read the .xmp sidecar file while importing and show you the changes/corrections made to the file in the Grid view.  Note: if you are working with the DNG file format, you will see the changes/corrections made to the images in Bridge/Adobe Camera Raw/Photoshop in the Import dialog box.

If you make changes/corrections to images in Bridge/Adobe Camera Raw/Photoshop to files that have already been imported into Lightroom, Lightroom will NOT automatically update the metadata. Instead, a small icon will appear in the upper right corner of the photo cell (in the Grid View in the Library module) warning that the file has changed outside of the application. To update the file either click on the icon and choose “Import Settings from Disk” or select the photo(s) and choose Metadata > Read Metadata from File. Note: sometimes it can take a few moments for the warning icon to appear so if I know that I want Lightroom to read the changes, I simply click Metadata > Read Metadata from File.