convert finder tags to metadata

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Level 1

42 points

convert finder tags to metadata

I want to convert Mac finder "tags" and Photos keywords for import into Light Room Classic. At this point I want to abandon Photos entirely as it is too frustrating to use for a large photo database, but I do not want to lose years worth of keywords added to those photos. I once had a dandy exiftool formula for doing that very thing, but it disappeared a few Macs ago. Seems there is no elegant way to extract the finder tags or the Photo keywords. Photos won't even map finder tags to keywords. The Photos export of XMP sidecar files is not an option since 90 percent of the Photo images are NOT raw.

iMac, OS X 10.11

Posted on Aug 2, 2023 4:45 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 3, 2023 1:17 AM in response to Jay Gamel

> I do not want to lose years worth of keywords added to those photos [in Photos.app]

You can preserve metadata added in Photos.app when exporting:

a) Export Unmodified Originals (non-lossy original pixel data) with "Export IPTC as XMP" .xmp sidecars, and then join the .xmp with "GraphicConverter 12.0.3 or later > XMP Sidecar File > Copy into JPEGs, TIFFs, PNGs, webp, HEICs, MOVs, MP4s, M4Vs". I prefer this option.

b) Export as .jpg (lossy), .tif, .png or .mov (lossy) and include title, keywords, caption, location, (date is always included). Works OK in images but in .mov Keywords is not correctly written and is lost in the process.

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Answer 2

Aug 2, 2023 11:03 PM in response to Jay Gamel

If you are talking about Finder comments, color tags, "downloaded from" etc, then the only option I know is to use exiftool to copy them to IPTC or XMP tags (to keywords, descriptions etc).

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Answer 3

Jay Gamel Author

Level 1

42 points

Aug 5, 2023 10:17 AM in response to Yer_Man

Mac tags applied directly in the finder (or elsewhere) are invisible to the metadata exchange planet: even photos does not see them, much less larger metadata programs, save EXIF, to my knowledge, and I've been poking around a bit. LRC does not see them, much less import them as keywords.

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,978 points

Aug 3, 2023 12:32 AM in response to Jay Gamel

What happens when you try use the LRC importer?

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Answer 5

Aug 3, 2023 1:39 AM in response to Matti Haveri

p.s. macOS 10.15-13 Catalina - Ventura Photos.app exports non-standard GPS coordinates to .xmp so western and southern coordinates are erroneously put to the east and north if standards are followed when writing .xmp to the image or movie.

GraphicConverter 12.0.3 has a workaround for this for Keys:GPSCoordinates (that QuickTime Player and Photos.app read) but not yet for XMP coordinates. GC author is aware of this but I have not nagged him because those apps do not read XMP in movies. But Adobe apps do, so you might ask GC author to fix also XMP GPS tags accordingly.

Yes, I have reported this to Apple a few times during the last few years...

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Answer 6

Jay Gamel Author

Level 1

42 points

Aug 5, 2023 10:21 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Yes, I know that process, but only in Photo's, which will not import tags applied in the finder (Get Info, etc.) Photos will not import those tags; it does not see them at all. I apply tags to everything via finder and Preview, but they are invisible to the rest of the planet. I suspect it's a bit of proprietary jealousy and a way to keep files in house ... not confined to apple by any means. Contact programs on all platforms do not export labels or keywords either. Makes one pause before trying something different if years of keywording can't be included.

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Answer 7

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,978 points

Aug 6, 2023 1:59 AM in response to Jay Gamel

Finder tags are hopless anywhere except in the Finder but I would expect Exif and IPTC tags from Photos to be available to LRC. They certainly were when I migrated years ago. So, what is your workflow here?

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Answer 8

Jay Gamel Author

Level 1

42 points

Aug 5, 2023 10:13 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Thanks, Matt. I have it but haven't been able to come up with the formula again. I had it a long time ago but is has disappeared, along with half my mind.

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convert finder tags to metadata

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