Image Metadata Management

View, export, or remove image metadata including EXIF, IPTC, XMP, and ICC profile data. Essential for privacy protection, file optimization, and metadata management.

Overview

The metadata command provides comprehensive metadata management for images:

  • View Mode: Display detailed metadata information
  • Remove Mode: Strip all metadata for privacy and optimization
  • Export Mode: Save metadata to JSON files for archival

Metadata types handled:

  • EXIF: Camera settings, GPS location, date/time
  • IPTC: Copyright, keywords, captions
  • XMP: Extended metadata standards
  • ICC: Color profile information

Syntax

Terminal
$ mediaproc image metadata <input> [options]

Options

OptionAliasTypeDefaultDescription
--removebooleanfalseRemove all metadata from image
--remove-allbooleanfalseAlias for --remove
--exportstringExport metadata to JSON file
-o, --outputstringCustom output path
--dry-runbooleanfalsePreview without processing
-v, --verbosebooleanfalseShow detailed processing information

View Mode Examples

View Basic Metadata

Display all metadata from an image:

mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg

Output:

šŸ“ File Information: Path: photo.jpg Size: 2453.67 KB Modified: 12/15/2024, 3:45:23 PM šŸ–¼ļø Image Properties: Format: JPEG Dimensions: 4000 Ɨ 3000 pixels Color Space: srgb Channels: 3 Bit Depth: 8 Density: 72 DPI Orientation: 1 šŸ“‹ Metadata Summary: EXIF Data: 1234 bytes ICC Profile: 560 bytes IPTC Data: 256 bytes XMP Data: 890 bytes Total Metadata: 2.81 KB (0.1% of file)

Check Multiple Images

Analyze metadata for multiple images:

mediaproc image metadata photos/*.jpg -v

View PNG Metadata

Check metadata in PNG files:

mediaproc image metadata screenshot.png

Output for clean image:

šŸ–¼ļø Image Properties: Format: PNG Dimensions: 1920 Ɨ 1080 pixels Color Space: srgb Channels: 4 Alpha Channel: Yes ā„¹ļø This image has no embedded metadata

Remove Mode Examples

Remove for Privacy

Strip GPS and camera data before sharing:

mediaproc image metadata vacation.jpg --remove

Creates: vacation-clean.jpg with all metadata removed

Output:

āœ“ Metadata removed successfully! Input: vacation.jpg Output: vacation-clean.jpg Original size: 2453.67KB New size: 2450.86KB Saved: 2.81KB (0.1%)

Batch Privacy Protection

Remove metadata from entire photo collection:

mediaproc image metadata photos/*.jpg --remove -v

Custom Output Path

Specify custom output location:

mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove -o cleaned/photo.jpg

Remove from Social Media

Clean image before uploading:

mediaproc image metadata selfie.jpg --remove
# Upload selfie-clean.jpg to social media

Web Optimization

Remove metadata for web performance:

mediaproc image metadata product.jpg --remove -o web/product.jpg

Security Cleanup

Strip device and camera information:

mediaproc image metadata confidential.jpg --remove

Export Mode Examples

Export to JSON

Save metadata for archival:

mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --export metadata.json

Creates metadata.json:

{
  "file": {
    "path": "photo.jpg",
    "size": 2512588,
    "modified": "2024-12-15T20:45:23.000Z"
  },
  "image": {
    "format": "jpeg",
    "width": 4000,
    "height": 3000,
    "space": "srgb",
    "channels": 3,
    "depth": "uchar",
    "density": 72,
    "hasAlpha": false,
    "orientation": 1,
    "isProgressive": false
  },
  "exif": "base64_encoded_data...",
  "icc": "base64_encoded_data...",
  "iptc": "base64_encoded_data...",
  "xmp": "base64_encoded_data..."
}

Export Multiple Images

Export metadata from batch:

mediaproc image metadata photos/*.jpg --export metadata.json

Creates: metadata-1.json, metadata-2.json, etc.

Photography Archive

Export camera settings for reference:

mediaproc image metadata shoot/*.raw --export archive/metadata.json -v

Export copyright and IPTC data:

mediaproc image metadata licensed.jpg --export copyright.json

Metadata Comparison

Export before and after processing:

mediaproc image metadata original.jpg --export before.json
mediaproc image metadata edited.jpg --export after.json

Use Cases

Privacy Protection

Remove GPS location before sharing online:

# Check for GPS data
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg

# Remove all metadata including GPS
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove

# Verify metadata removed
mediaproc image metadata photo-clean.jpg

File Size Optimization

Reduce file size by removing metadata:

# Large metadata (camera RAW converted)
mediaproc image metadata converted.jpg
# Shows: Total Metadata: 45.2 KB (1.8% of file)

# Remove to save space
mediaproc image metadata converted.jpg --remove
# Saves 45KB per file

Photography Workflow

Archive metadata before editing:

# Export original metadata
mediaproc image metadata raw/*.jpg --export originals/

# Edit images
# ... your editing workflow ...

# Clean metadata for web
mediaproc image metadata edited/*.jpg --remove

Social Media Preparation

Prepare images for social sharing:

# Remove all metadata for privacy
mediaproc image metadata profile-pic.jpg --remove

# Upload the clean version
mediaproc image metadata profile-pic-clean.jpg
# Shows: ā„¹ļø  This image has no embedded metadata

Security Auditing

Check and remove sensitive metadata:

# Audit image metadata
mediaproc image metadata document-scan.jpg -v

# Remove if sensitive data found
mediaproc image metadata document-scan.jpg --remove

Batch Processing

Process entire directories:

# Export metadata from collection
mediaproc image metadata archive/**/*.jpg --export metadata/

# Clean all for web deployment
mediaproc image metadata website-images/*.jpg --remove -v

Common EXIF Fields

When viewing metadata, you may see these common EXIF fields:

Camera Information

  • Make: Camera manufacturer (Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.)
  • Model: Camera model (EOS R5, D850, A7III, etc.)
  • Software: Editing software used

Capture Settings

  • Date/Time: When photo was taken
  • Aperture: f-stop value (f/2.8, f/5.6, etc.)
  • Shutter Speed: Exposure time (1/500s, 1/60s, etc.)
  • ISO: Sensitivity (100, 400, 1600, etc.)
  • Focal Length: Lens zoom (24mm, 50mm, 200mm, etc.)
  • Flash: Flash fired or not

Location Data

  • GPS Latitude: Geographic latitude
  • GPS Longitude: Geographic longitude
  • GPS Altitude: Elevation above sea level
  • GPS Timestamp: When location was recorded
  • Copyright: Copyright notice
  • Artist: Photographer/creator name
  • Image Description: Caption or description

Color Information

  • Color Space: sRGB, Adobe RGB, etc.
  • White Balance: Auto, daylight, etc.

Metadata Types Explained

EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format)

Standard for storing camera settings and shooting conditions:

  • Camera make and model
  • Date and time taken
  • Camera settings (ISO, aperture, shutter speed)
  • GPS coordinates
  • Lens information
  • Flash usage

IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council)

Journalism and copyright information:

  • Caption/description
  • Keywords
  • Copyright notice
  • Creator/photographer name
  • Location information
  • Usage terms

XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform)

Adobe's metadata standard:

  • Rating and labels
  • Edit history
  • Keywords and descriptions
  • Rights management
  • Custom metadata fields

ICC (International Color Consortium)

Color profile information:

  • Color space definition
  • Device calibration data
  • Rendering intent
  • Profile description

Privacy Considerations

GPS Location Data

Photos often contain GPS coordinates revealing:

  • Where photo was taken
  • Home address
  • Travel patterns
  • Sensitive locations

Solution: Always remove metadata before sharing online:

mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove

Camera/Device Information

EXIF reveals:

  • Camera make and model
  • Serial number (sometimes)
  • Software used
  • Device name

Solution: Strip metadata for anonymous posting:

mediaproc image metadata anonymous.jpg --remove

Date/Time Information

Timestamps can reveal:

  • When photo was taken
  • Time zone information
  • Activity patterns

Solution: Remove for privacy:

mediaproc image metadata timestamped.jpg --remove

File Size Impact

Metadata typically adds 0.1% - 2% to file size:

  • Minimal (< 5KB): Simple phone photos
  • Moderate (5-20KB): DSLR camera photos
  • Heavy (20-100KB): Professional RAW conversions
  • Extreme (> 100KB): Heavily edited with history

Remove to optimize:

# Check size impact
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg
# Shows: Total Metadata: 45.2 KB (1.8% of file)

# Remove to reduce size
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove
# Saves 45KB

Output Naming

Remove Mode

Default suffix: -clean

photo.jpg ā†’ photo-clean.jpg
image.png ā†’ image-clean.png

Custom output:

mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove -o cleaned.jpg

Export Mode

Default suffix: .json

# Single file
photo.jpg ā†’ metadata.json

# Multiple files
photo1.jpg ā†’ metadata-1.json
photo2.jpg ā†’ metadata-2.json

Batch Processing

Remove Metadata from Directory

# Process all JPGs
mediaproc image metadata photos/*.jpg --remove

# Process all image types
mediaproc image metadata images/*.{jpg,png,webp} --remove

# Recursive processing
find photos -name "*.jpg" -exec mediaproc image metadata {} --remove \;

Export Metadata Archive

# Export all metadata
mediaproc image metadata archive/*.jpg --export metadata/archive.json

# With verbose output
mediaproc image metadata photos/*.jpg --export metadata.json -v

Parallel Processing

# Using GNU parallel for speed
parallel mediaproc image metadata {} --remove ::: photos/*.jpg

# With progress tracking
parallel --progress mediaproc image metadata {} --remove ::: photos/*.jpg

Verification

Check Removal Success

# Before
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg
# Shows: EXIF Data: 1234 bytes, GPS Data: present

# Remove
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove

# Verify
mediaproc image metadata photo-clean.jpg
# Shows: ā„¹ļø  This image has no embedded metadata

Compare Before/After

# Export original metadata
mediaproc image metadata original.jpg --export before.json

# Remove metadata
mediaproc image metadata original.jpg --remove

# Export cleaned metadata (should be minimal)
mediaproc image metadata original-clean.jpg --export after.json

# Compare files
diff before.json after.json

Tips & Best Practices

Privacy First

  • Always remove metadata before posting online
  • Check for GPS coordinates in outdoor photos
  • Strip device information from sensitive images
  • Verify removal with view mode after cleaning

File Organization

  • Keep originals with metadata in private storage
  • Create clean copies for public sharing
  • Use consistent naming: photo.jpg ā†’ photo-clean.jpg
  • Export metadata for archival before removing

Batch Operations

  • Process entire directories at once for efficiency
  • Use verbose mode to monitor progress
  • Keep original files, clean copies separately
  • Verify successful processing of all files

Web Optimization

  • Remove metadata for faster loading
  • Reduces bandwidth usage
  • Improves SEO (smaller files)
  • Enhances privacy for site visitors

Photography Workflow

  1. Import with metadata intact
  2. Export metadata for archive
  3. Edit images (metadata may be preserved)
  4. Remove metadata before web export
  5. Keep original files with metadata

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Social Media Upload

# Remove all metadata for privacy
mediaproc image metadata selfie.jpg --remove

# Upload the clean version
# selfie-clean.jpg is now safe to share

Scenario 2: Website Images

# Batch clean for website
mediaproc image metadata website-images/*.jpg --remove

# Verify all cleaned
ls -la website-images/
# Shows: *-clean.jpg files

Scenario 3: Archive Photography

# Export metadata before editing
mediaproc image metadata originals/*.jpg --export archive/metadata.json

# Edit images as needed
# ... editing workflow ...

# Remove metadata for web gallery
mediaproc image metadata gallery/*.jpg --remove

Scenario 4: Privacy Audit

# Check for sensitive data
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg -v

# If GPS or sensitive data found:
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove

# Verify clean
mediaproc image metadata photo-clean.jpg

Technical Details

Metadata Removal Method

Uses Sharp's withMetadata() with empty configuration:

await sharp(input)
  .withMetadata({
    exif: {},
    icc: undefined,
    xmp: undefined,
  })
  .toFile(output);

This completely strips:

  • All EXIF tags
  • ICC color profiles
  • XMP data
  • IPTC information

Metadata Export Format

Exports to JSON with structure:

  • file: Path, size, modified date
  • image: Format, dimensions, color space
  • exif: Base64-encoded EXIF data
  • icc: Base64-encoded ICC profile
  • iptc: Base64-encoded IPTC data
  • xmp: Base64-encoded XMP data

Performance

  • View mode: ~50-100ms per image
  • Remove mode: ~200-500ms per image (re-encoding)
  • Export mode: ~100-200ms per image

Troubleshooting

Metadata Not Removed

Issue: Image still shows metadata after removal

Solution:

# Force re-encode with explicit quality
mediaproc image optimize photo-clean.jpg -q 95

# Verify again
mediaproc image metadata photo-clean.jpg

Export File Too Large

Issue: JSON export file is very large

Cause: EXIF/XMP data is base64-encoded, increasing size

Solution: This is normal for images with extensive metadata

GPS Data Still Present

Issue: Location data not fully removed

Solution:

# Use --remove-all flag
mediaproc image metadata photo.jpg --remove-all

# Verify
mediaproc image metadata photo-clean.jpg

Batch Processing Fails

Issue: Some files fail during batch removal

Solution:

# Use verbose mode to see errors
mediaproc image metadata photos/*.jpg --remove -v

# Process failed files individually
  • stats - View image statistics and analysis
  • optimize - Optimize image file size and quality
  • convert - Convert between image formats
  • extract - Extract color channels or regions

See Also

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