What to Check in Photo Metadata After Conversion
By ImgHeal · Updated
Keep descriptive records outside the image file as well as inside it.
Inventory important fields
Note which dates, names, captions, and location fields matter before converting. Distinguish camera creation dates from scan dates and estimated event dates. A metadata timestamp is not automatically proof of when the photographed event occurred.
Inspect the exported copy
After conversion, check which fields remain in an appropriate metadata viewer. Different tools may retain, alter, or omit fields. Do not assume that a file-format change preserved every annotation simply because the pixels still look correct.
Keep an external index
Store essential descriptions in a separate text or spreadsheet index keyed by stable file identifiers. Back up that index with the images. When sharing publicly, review location and private notes before attaching an unchanged metadata-rich source file.
Check before you finish
- Check metadata before and after conversion.
- Keep captions in a separate indexed record.
Further reading
- National Archives: Digitizing Family Papers and PhotographsBackground on retaining originals, recording metadata, file naming, and independent backups.
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