Add individual meta data to multiple photos using CSV file
If you just shot a series of different product photos, you'll usually import the pictures into Lightroom. Although you can then immediately add meta data for the whole series, there's no fast way to add individual meta data to each imported photo. That's what csv2meta is made for: Before importing to Lightroom, the script assigns individual title, description, and keywords from a CSV file to each image file. The images can then be imported, together with their individual meta data.
The only thing, however, you are required to know is, which RAW file shows what. — The tool is not meant to add information that all images have in common and with which Lightroom excels, like photographer's name and legal hints. csv2meta rather helps you with those meta data that cannot be reasonably assigned as batch.
This bash script requires Phil Harveys' ExifTool.
$ brew install exiftoolClone the repo somewhere. You may want to add a symlink to your ~/bin directory.
$ gh repo clone tomkyle/csv2meta-cli
$ ln -s path/to/csv2meta-cli/bin/csv2meta csv2metaDive into your photos directory. Run csv2meta with one or many CSV files as parameters. Make sure you've got an update of your photo files as the script (in this early version) overwrites the original files.
In later versions, the possibility to add multiple CSV file parameters may be removed in favour of useful behaviour options.
$ csv2meta [OPTIONS] CSV_FILE | Option | Description |
|---|---|
| -f, --force | Overwrite original file. The input files will not be copied to *_original.ext. |
| -v, --verbous | Turn on verbose output. |
By default, the script uses ExifTool's functionality to create a backup from the input file. The backup file will be suffixed with _original . Pass --force or -f to instead overwrite the input files.
Pass --verbous or -v to add some helpful output.
Existing keywords will be preserved. New keywords are added (avoiding tag doublettes).
| CSV column | Image ID | Meta field |
|---|---|---|
| inputFile | The image file to write on | |
| id | Object ID | iptc:ObjectName |
| title | Title | iptc:Headline |
| description | Description | mwg:Description |
| keywords | Keywords/tags | mwg:Keywords |
The CSV file must be tab-delimited; strings must not be quoted, hence no linebreaks in strings! Sorry – I do not know how to handle delimiters dynamically with bash or deal with quoted strings in bash. If someone has a proper idea, please let me know :-)
It is not so important that the column names have exactly the same names as in this example. It rather is the column number/order with which the script identifies a certain tag value.
| inputFile | id | title | description | keywords |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| _DSC5186.NEF | artno_00981223 | Item Title for 981223 | This is an article description for item 981223 | foo,bar |
IPTC Photo Metadata Standard, 2019: Example file and specs
Rob Allen, 2019: Setting title and caption with exiftool – this article inspired me. Thanks Rob!
Anthony Morris, 2021: Obtaining Data From Images Using Exif: How To Automate The Process
Nine Degrees Below, 2015 (2010): ExifTool Commands for Image Organization
exiv2: https://exiv2.org/
Copyright 2021 Carsten Witt <tomkyle.net>
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