What's it all about?

This blog is about photography and photoediting. Its purpose is to provide hints and tips and links to interesting and useful resources for digital photographers, regardless of their level of expertise or experience. It is aimed at people who use digital SLR cameras and who process their images using the latest versions of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

The author of this blog is Glenn Springer and you can read more about him at his web portal at faczen.com. Information on workshops, and links to everything is at photography.to. Glenn's original blog, which is an ongoing journal of his photographic meanderings goes back to 2006 and contains many additional hints and tips, as well as representative images that he has made. Gallery quality prints are available through his Smugmug gallery site. It is an interesting place to visit to see a variety of quality images, as well as an ongoing general journal of photos going back several years.

Photography workshops are scheduled every few weeks starting in the Spring. For an overview of what's happening, please visit the photography.to website.

The most recent blog post is below. Scroll down to the bottom to see the list of previous postings or search for any particular topic.


Thursday, January 30, 2014

Amazing amount of Metadata!

I wanted to see the shutter count on my new D800 – information which I know is captured in the Metadata by the camera but which you normally can't see – so I opened a Metadata editing program to read it. I was struck, as I always am, by the sheer amount of information recorded by the camera whenever you press the shutter.

I've barely set up this camera yet (it's a factory refurb, by the way. Nikon said it had 594 shutter actuations when I got it). Copyright info isn't in yet, the clock's off by an hour, colour space & filename not yet set (actually, I just spent the last 30 minutes doing that stuff but it wasn't set when I shot this image).

I use a free Metadata editor program called PhotoME that's available at this website. Each camera stores different information. For instance, Canon cameras don't seem to record the shutter count. Still it shows an impressive array of information!

Here's the metadata for the following image.

In fact this image is a JPEG rendering of the original RAW file listed, without any modification other than conversion, resize and watermark.


By the way, check out the noise in this unedited image. Would you believe it was shot at ISO 6400?

An edited version of this image (actually the next frame) is on my regular weekly blog.



[ PhotoME ]
PhotoME version: 0.8ß2 (Build 891)
[ Overview ]
File name: K:\FACZEN photos main files\2014\2014-01\2014-01-29\DSC_2065.NEF
File type: Nikon Camera RAW
File size: 47,801.6 KB
Creation date: 1/29/2014 22:44
Last modification: 1/29/2014 22:44
Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera: NIKON D800
Lens: AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm F3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Software: Ver.1.02
Dimension: 7424 x 4924 px (36.6 MP, 3:2)
Focal length: 120 mm (equiv. 120 mm)
Aperture: F8
Exposure time: 1/8"
ISO speed rating: 6400/39°
Program: Aperture priority
Metering Mode: Pattern
White Balance: AUTO1
Focus Mode: AF-S
Image Stabilizer: On
Noise Reduction: Off
Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
[ Image ]
New subfile type: Reduced-resolution image data
Image width: 160 px
Image height: 120 px
Number of bits per component: 8, 8, 8
Compression scheme: uncompressed
Pixel scheme: RGB
Manufacturer: NIKON CORPORATION
Image input equipment model: NIKON D800
Image data location: 0x0001E6A8
Orientation of image: 90° CW (left/bottom)
Number of components: 3
Number of rows per strip: 120 rows
Bytes per compressed strip: 57600 bytes
Image resolution in width direction: 300 dpi
Image resolution in height direction: 300 dpi
Image data arrangement: Chunky Format (Interleaved)
Unit of X and Y resolution: inch
Software: Ver.1.02
File change date and time: 2014-01-29 22:44:10
Person who created the image:
SubIFD Pointer: 0x0002C7A8, 0x0002C820, 0x0002C904
Pair of black and white reference values: [0, 255, 0, 255, 0, 255]
Copyright holder:
Exif IFD Pointer: 0x00000668
GPS IFD Pointer: 0x0001E694
Date and time of original data generation: 2014-01-29 22:44:10
TIFF/EP Standard ID: 1.0.0.0
[ Additional Image Data (1) ]
New subfile type: Reduced-resolution image data
Compression scheme: JPEG (old-style)
Image resolution in width direction: 300 dpi
Image resolution in height direction: 300 dpi
Unit of X and Y resolution: inch
Offset to JPEG SOI: 0x0010EC00
Bytes of JPEG data: 3551893 bytes
Y and C positioning: Co-Sited
[ Additional Image Data (2) ]
New subfile type: Not set
Image width: 7424 px
Image height: 4924 px
Number of bits per component: 14
Compression scheme: Nikon NEF Compressed
Pixel scheme: CFA (Color Filter Matrix)
Image data location: 0x00472000
Number of components: 1
Number of rows per strip: 4924 rows
Bytes per compressed strip: 44287554 bytes
Image resolution in width direction: 300 dpi
Image resolution in height direction: 300 dpi
Image data arrangement: Chunky Format (Interleaved)
Unit of X and Y resolution: inch
CFA Repeat Pattern Dimension: Horizontal repeat pixel unit: 2, Vertical repeat pixel unit: 2
CFA Pattern 2: [Red, Green], [Green, Blue]
Sensing method: One-chip color area sensor
[ Additional Image Data (3) ]
New subfile type: Reduced-resolution image data
Compression scheme: JPEG (old-style)
Image resolution in width direction: 300 dpi
Image resolution in height direction: 300 dpi
Unit of X and Y resolution: inch
Offset to JPEG SOI: 0x0002CA00
Bytes of JPEG data: 926205 bytes
Y and C positioning: Co-Sited
[ Camera ]
Exposure time: 1/8"
F number: F8
Exposure program: Aperture priority
ISO speed rating: 6400/39°
??? (8830): 2
Date and time of original data generation: 2014-01-29 22:44:10
Date and time of digital data generation: 2014-01-29 22:44:10
Exposure bias: ±0 EV
Maximum lens aperture: 5 Av (F5.6)
Metering mode: Pattern
Light source: Unknown
Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Lens focal length: 120 mm
Manufacturer notes: 0x00000888
User comment:
DateTime subseconds: 0.5"
DateTimeOriginal subseconds: 0.5"
DateTimeDigitized subseconds: 0.5"
Sensing method: One-chip color area sensor
File source: Digital Camera
Scene type: A directly photographed image
CFA pattern: [Red, Green], [Green, Blue]
Custom image processing: Normal process
Exposure mode: Auto exposure
White balance: Auto
Digital zoom ratio: Digital zoom was not used
Focal length in 35 mm film: 120 mm
Scene capture type: Standard
Gain control: High gain up
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Subject distance range: Unknown
[ GPS ]
GPS tag version: Version 2.3
[ Manufacturer notes ]
MakerNote Version: Version 2.1.0
ISO: 6400/39°
Quality: RAW
White Balance: AUTO1
Focus Mode: AF-S
Flash Setting: None
Flash Type: None
White Balance Fine Tune: ±0, ±0?
White Balance Red/Blue: 1.32421875, 2.5546875, 1, 1
Program Shift: ±0 EV
Exposure Difference: ±0 EV
Preview IFD Pointer: 0x00005A06
Flash Exposure Compensation: ±0 EV
ISO Setting: 100/21°
??? (0017): 1.6.0
Flash Exposure Bracket Value: ±0 EV
Exposure Bracket Value: ±0 EV
Hi-Speed Crop: Off (7424x4924 cropped to 7424x4924 at pixel 0, 0)
??? (001C): 1.6
Serial Number: 5011113
Color Space: sRGB
VR Info Version: 1.0.0
Vibration Reduction: On
??? (001F): 1 (On?)
Active D-Lighting: Off
Picture Control Version: 1.0.0
Picture Control Name: STANDARD
Picture Control Base: STANDARD
Picture Control Adjust: Default Settings
Picture Control Quick Adjust: ±0
Sharpness: +3
Contrast: ±0
Brightness: ±0
Saturation: ±0
Hue Adjustment: ±0
Filter Effect: not set
Toning Effect: not set
Toning Saturation: Not set
Time Zone: UTC -5:00 (New York, Toronto, Lima)
Daylight Saving Time: On
Date Format: Day/month/year
ISO: 6400/39°
ISO Expansion: Off
ISO (2): 100/21°
ISO Expansion (2): Off
Vignette Control: Normal
Distortion Info Version: 1.0.0
Auto Distortion Control: Off
Lens Type: D, G, VR
Lens: 24-120mm F3.5-5.6
Flash Mode: Did Not Fire
Shooting Mode: Continuous, Unused long exp. NR slowdown
Auto Bracket Release: Auto Release
Lens F-Stops: 5.33
Shot Info Version: 2.2.2
RAW Compression: Lossless
Noise Reduction: Off
Color Balance Version: 2.1.7
Lens Data Version: 2.0.4
Used Lens: AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 24-120mm F3.5-5.6G IF-ED
Exit Pupil Position: 93.1 mm
AF Aperture: F5.8
??? (0098): 16
??? (0098): 0
Focus Position: 0x11
??? (0098): 64
Focus Distance: 0.67 m
Focal Length: 119.9 mm
Lens ID Number: 120
Lens F-Stops: 5.33
Min Focal Length: 24.5 mm
Max Focal Length: 119.9 mm
Max Aperture At Min Focal: F3.6
Max Aperture At Max Focal: F5.7
MCU Version: 124
Effective Max Aperture: F5.7
??? (0098): 22
??? (0098): 109
??? (0098): 28
??? (0098): 106
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): 0
??? (0098): F1.1?
RAW Image Center: x = 3712, y = 2462
Retouch History: None
??? (00A3): 0
??? (00A4): 3.0.0
Shutter Count: 608
Multi Exposure Data Version: 1.0.0
Multi Exposure Mode: Off
Multi Exposure Shots: 0
Multi Exposure Auto Gain: Off
High ISO Noise Reduction: Normal
AF Info Version: 1.0.0
??? (00B7): 0
AF Area Mode: Single-point AF
??? (00B7): 0x0
Auto Focus: On
??? (00B7): 1
File Informations Version: 1.0.0
Directory Number: 954
File Number: 2065
[ Nikon Preview ]
Compression scheme: JPEG (old-style)
Image resolution in width direction: 300 dpi
Image resolution in height direction: 300 dpi
Unit of X and Y resolution: inch
Offset to JPEG SOI: 0x00005A72
Bytes of JPEG data: 99215 bytes
Y and C positioning: Co-Sited