What
is "metalogging"?
It's a contraction of the terms "Metadata" and "Cataloging."
And in case you didn't know, Metadata can be defined
as information regarding the characteristics of any object, such as its name,
location, importance, quality and relationship to other objects in the collection.
In other words, it's structured information about resources.
Cataloging is the act of adding
an image to an image database.
"Metalogging" is the process of adding descriptive information about an image and storing it in such a way that it can be used as an aid in retrieving that image from a database or collection after it is "cataloged. Metalogging includes activities such as adding captions that explain what is occurring in the image, as well as determining which imagery-rich keywords and other known information (location, date & time, etc.) should be included.
Describing images didn't begin with the advent of digital imaging or digital cameras. Photographers, as well as journalists, editors, stock agencies, librarians, and other collections specialists have been writing captions for images for years. In the paper age, this information was written on the back of the print or contact sheet. With digital image files there is no back of the print, as there often is no print! However, with digital images, comes the ability to store textual information alongside the image data in the form of "metadata" The Image Database portion of this site discusses ways in which you can store this information within the digital image itself through the use of the IPTC standard, and newer metadata schemas. This section of the Controlled Vocabulary site will focus on resources, suggestions and guidelines to make creating metadata easier. Use the links at the top or bottom of this page to navigate between the other pages.
Why metalog?
The primary reason is to exploit the underlying technology that is used in
most of the upper-end image databases. Canto Cumulus, Extensis Portfolio,
FotoStation,
iView Multimedia/MediaPro, iMatch, Hindsight Stockview and a number of others
will create thumbnails and "export" the metadata found in the
various
IPTC / File Info / XMP storage
"containers." Each application may differ in how this info is stored,
so I highly recommend downloading the demos and "dating" each demo
version before making a serious commitment to one or the other. You can find
links to many of the better image
database programs as well as reviews on the programs page in that section.
In addition, once you have your metadata "embedded" (stored inside the image header) in the file, then it travels anywhere the file goes. If you upload an image with embedded IPTC information to a metadata savvy online portal like Digital RailRoad, PhotoShelter, or even a photo sharing site like Flickr, this information is automatically transferred into that system. Other individuals can then search using the information in many of those fields to locate images with the subject they are trying to find.
There are various forms of metadata that already may exist in a digital image, as well as that which you can add or embed. EXIF data typically contains read-only information on the digital camera used to make the image, and/or the application used to save the image file last. For more details about the standard made popular by the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) and Adobe, see the IPTC-NAA page.