Lossless "export" of images with embedded metadata?

After over 20 years on the Mac platform, I have made the difficult decision to switch to Windows for a number of reasons. One issue is migrating my photos and videos out of iPhoto '11 for import into a Windows-compatible photo management program, like Picasa.

I have old photos on which I painstakingly added dates. I chose "Modify original files" when I did that, so I think all of the date metadata should transfer fine. However, I have also painstakingly added "Assign a place" information (including both coordinates and place names), "Add a description" information, and "Keywords". I believe that iPhoto stores all of those pieces of information in a separate iPhoto database that does not travel with the original photo files.

I have discovered the abilty to "Export" the photos with the options of exporting "Title and keywords" and "Location information", and that appears to store at least some of the additional metadata in the final file. However, I have a couple of questions:

1. The most important question is related to maintaining the integrity of the original photo file. By my observation, the only way to get the additional metadata in the final file is to export the photos, but by doing that, iPhoto is re-saving the JPEG in a file that is (by definition) lower quality than the original but which has a size that is 2x to 4x larger than the original. Is there any way to have iPhoto or Aperture or some third-party program write the additional iPhoto metadata directly to the original photo file so that it does not have to undergo another round of lossy re-saving? Alternatively, is there a better way to migrate this data?

2. When iPhoto is exporting the "Title and keywords", does "Title" actually mean the "Add a description" text or the album title or some other title information? When iPhoto is exporting "Location information", does that actually mean the "Assign a place" information, and does it include only the GPS coordinates, or does it also include the place names assigned to the GPS coordinates? It would be nice if iPhoto used the same terminology throughout.

iMac (20-inch Mid 2007), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Nov 21, 2013 9:21 PM

36 replies

LarryHN

Level 10

106,142 points

Feb 4, 2015 4:01 PM in response to AuntFrahn

Which brings me to another thing I noticed. If I do a quick edit in iPhoto, the file is saved, but I can undo. That's fine. But, what if I really want to keep the original and the edited version [saved with a different name]? I like to compare changes like - did this crop look better? or did it really look better before enhancing?

That is not how iphoto works - it always saves the original but does not provide for viewing side by side - in edit mode you can display the original by presing the shift key - releasing i comes back to the edited version -

we keep coming back to the same point - you really do not want Photon should pick a different solution for your needs

As to Aperture - it has more features and more editing capabilities (and is harder to use) but works exactly like iPhoto with the exact same library structure and same overall work flow - just more options

When you duplicate a photo in iPhoto it does not create a new photos - it creates a new edit list giving you a different set of edits on the same original - exactly like Aperture does

Feb 12, 2015 1:46 PM in response to Yer_Man

Just to add one point - not trying to beat a dead horse.

Another big reason I export to my EHD is that when I upload to Facebook it takes forever for the photos to be presented for selection from iPhoto. I think it was the Pictures folder. Not sure, now.

I don't upload to Facebook directly from iPhoto.

I prefer to view my photos in iPhoto and make the selection from the appropriate folder on the EHD to upload to Facebook.

léonie

Level 10

200,531 points

Feb 12, 2015 2:10 PM in response to AuntFrahn

I don't upload to Facebook directly from iPhoto.

I prefer to view my photos in iPhoto and make the selection from the appropriate folder on the EHD to upload to Facebook.

That is a good precaution. If you directly upload from iPhoto the Facebook album will be synced with your iPhoto Library and it is easy to make mistakes and accidentally to delete photos both from iPhoto and on Facebook.

Feb 14, 2015 9:22 AM in response to léonie

Yes, I agree. I thought there was something going on with that especially when I went to delete something and read the warning.

Thank you

Jan 29, 2016 3:42 PM in response to LarryHN

please can you assist

I am trying to export photos from iPhoto. I am exporting the jpeg with titles and location etc checked. However when I impiety the jpeg back into another iPhoto folder it does not have location and time and date. Any suggestions?

Yer_Man

Level 10

165,912 points

Jan 29, 2016 4:18 PM in response to tigerfish9000

There are 9 different versions of iPhoto and they run on 10 different versions of the Operating System. The tricks and tips for dealing with issues vary depending on the version of iPhoto and the version of the OS. So to get help you need to give as much information as you can. Include things like:

- What version of iPhoto.

- What version of the Operating System.

- Details. As full a description of the problem as you can. For example, if you have a problem with exporting, then explain by describing how you are trying to export, and so on.

- History: Is this going on long? Has anything been installed or deleted? - Are there error messages?

- What steps have you tried already to solve the issue.

- Anything unusual about your set up? Or how you use iPhoto?

Anything else you can think of that might help someone understand the problem you have.

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Lossless "export" of images with embedded metadata?