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Photo Location Created or Location Shown: What Is the Difference?

By ImgHeal · Updated

The landmark in a photograph may be across a river or border from the photographer. Metadata can preserve that difference, provided you do not copy a guessed place into every location box.

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Mark what the image actually establishes

Write down the depicted place and the probable viewpoint as separate claims. A clearly identified building may establish the subject location without revealing the exact camera position. Keep supporting evidence such as a map reference or matching skyline with the record. A modern capture of an old print establishes neither historical position. Before adding precise coordinates, consider whether the family wants that location distributed with every exported copy, especially when a private residence is involved.

Choose the field by its meaning

IPTC provides separate structures for Location Created and Location Shown. Consult your editor because older location labels may not expose that distinction. Use the field that matches the evidence, and leave the other unresolved when necessary. Do not duplicate a landmark's coordinates into the camera-position field simply to make all boxes complete. If a site only offers a generic place description, explain in words whether it names the depicted subject or a researched viewpoint.

Verify the delivered map and caption

Open a sample export in the receiving service and check both its visible place text and any map pin. Make sure the software has not presented a subject location as an exact camera location. Keep uncertain positions in research notes rather than laundering them into precise-looking metadata. When sharing an ImgHeal viewing copy, describe the recorded location without treating newly generated scene detail as geographical evidence. Preserve the source-based map comparison so later researchers can understand or revise the choice.

Check before sharing this record

  • Keep subject and camera locations separate.
  • Leave unknown coordinates unfilled.
  • Check how the receiving map interprets the entry.

Sources and further reading

Questions about this restoration task

Should I add the place where I scanned the print?

Only to a clearly identified digitization record when useful. It should not silently become the historical place depicted or the location from which the original photographer took the picture.

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Keep the original scan. Upload a separate digital copy, review ImgHeal’s generated result, and decide whether it suits your needs.

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