EXIF Info Needed to be Automatically Read

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

06/05/2008 03:08:24 PM · #1

This thread was started in another section but really belongs here in "Web Site Suggestions". I would be surprised if something like this hasn't been posted here already--I'm too lazy to look. :-(

The gist of it is that we are asking Landon (or his programmers) to automatically read EXIF that comes in as part of an image upload and to display the basic photo information, including the time of day the photo was taken, the focal length used to capture the image, and the longitude/latitude (geotagged) info. As a bonus, Virtual/Live Earth and Google Earth both provide APIs so that DPC can interface with their maps. How cool would it be to see exactly where a photo was taken on a 3D map? Yeah!

We know that a lot of EXIF information is stripped out when using Photoshop's "Save for Web/Device" feature, but for non-challenge images, many photographers may choose to preserve that information.

Also, not everyone geotags their photos automatically (using a GPS device), but there are some tools (free and not free) out there to drag your photos to an online map and the resulting geotag info (long/lat) is saved in your photos' EXIF metadata. There is really no reason to not geotag you photos any more (unless there is a sensitive location you need to protect). If you look at my Flickr collection, most of my photographs are geotagged and mapped.

Message edited by author 2008-06-06 01:11:52.

SDW

Canon EOS-60D

06/05/2008 03:24:28 PM · #2

A simple way of geotaging a photo is go to google maps, zoom in as close as you can to where you took the picture and right click the mouse. Left click on "Destination from here" and it will place a marker labeled "A" on the map. Look at the start address line next to the google logo and it will display the geotag. Of course you will have to manually input the info and I don't know how that would affect a photo being entered into a challenge.

Message edited by author 2008-06-05 15:26:21.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

06/05/2008 08:49:06 PM · #3

Scott, there's no need to torture yourself to geocoding if you don't have a GPS. Download this free software, point to a google map, select one or more photos in File Explorer, right-click and choose the option to update your EXIF with the current google long/lat coordinates.

Now, if DPC would honor this EXIF info and do some of their mapping on this site, that would be very nice.

Message edited by author 2008-06-05 20:49:25.

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

06/05/2008 08:55:39 PM · #4

It's probably worth mentioning that the vast majority of challenge entries don't have EXIF attached.

~Terry

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

06/06/2008 01:11:40 AM · #5

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:

It's probably worth mentioning that the vast majority of challenge entries don't have EXIF attached.

I did mention something to that effect in the originating message . . .

"We know that a lot of EXIF information is stripped out when using Photoshop's "Save for Web/Device" feature, but for non-challenge images, many photographers may choose to preserve that information."

togtog

Nikon D300

06/06/2008 02:13:40 AM · #6

Btw, save for web isn't the only way the EXIF gets stripped out, I know in CS3 using save as also strips it out. Seems more like a bug to me, but we all know Adobe would never ever make a mistake. *cough*

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

06/06/2008 03:59:56 AM · #7

Originally posted by togtog:

It must be a bug in your system (maybe a pilot error?) because I just finished "Saving As..." jpg for about 120 images today and they all have their EXIF data intact.

I'm using Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended version on Windows Vista 64 bit.

togtog

Nikon D300

06/06/2008 04:02:23 AM · #8

Interesting, I will double check my process. There might be something else I am doing to cause it, perhaps saving as PSD first, and possibly reopening the PSD. We'll see. :)

Odd: Doesn't seem to be doing it now. I will have to keep an eye on that. Thanks AP!

Message edited by author 2008-06-06 04:09:11.

alpharich

Fujifilm X-S10

Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R IOS

06/06/2008 07:34:10 AM · #9

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:

It's probably worth mentioning that the vast majority of challenge entries don't have EXIF attached.

~Terry

I would love to see this feature and i for one don't leave the exif info in because dpc doesn't use it, it it did i would deffinatly leave it in.

marcusvdt

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/06/2008 07:47:49 AM · #10

On Paint Shop Pro, when you go to export, jpg optimizer, it's up to you to keep or not the exif information. It adds around 30kb for the photo and that's why I don't keep the exif information sometimes.

Anyway, if the DPC site is going to read that information, it could also automatically detect if the photo has or not the exif info and then allow more 30kb on the size of files. Say, if the file has exif info, allow the max file size (150 or 200kb) plus 30kb.

It would be very nice to have that.

For those who have flickr, this feature is available there. Take a look on my flickr:
//www.flickr.com/photos/14391168@N07/

Bujanx

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II

06/06/2008 10:33:42 AM · #11

I was actually thinking about this while hiking yesterday, the function is already built into php - so it's not like it would be complicated to add (We built a site a month or two ago that had this feature in it)

'
$exif = read_exif_data ('p0001807.jpg');

while(list($k,$v)=each($exif)) {

echo "$k: $v
\n";

}

?'

The output would be something like this,

FileName: p0001807.jpg

FileDateTime: 929353056

FileSize: 378599

CameraMake: Eastman Kodak Company

CameraModel: KODAK DC265 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA (V01.00)

DateTime: 1999:06:14 01:37:36

Height: 1024

Width: 1536

IsColor: 1

FlashUsed: 0

FocalLength: 8.0mm

RawFocalLength: 8

ExposureTime: 0.004 s (1/250)

RawExposureTime: 0.0040000001899898

ApertureFNumber: f/ 9.5

RawApertureFNumber: 9.5100002288818

FocusDistance: 16.66m

RawFocusDistance: 16.659999847412

Orientation: 1

ExifVersion: 0200

-----------------------

Just noticed there are a few new php5 exif libraries built by users. Some look pretty good.

Message edited by author 2008-06-06 10:35:22.

citymars

Nikon D700

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

06/06/2008 10:35:16 AM · #12

I think the EXIF info should be entered in manually, if one chooses to. Just my 2 cents. :-/