IPTC metadata
IPTC metadata is the standard set of descriptive fields — creator, copyright, caption, keywords, location — embedded in a photo so it travels with the file.
The International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) defines the photo metadata fields that newsrooms, agencies and photo software use to describe and credit an image: who made it, who owns it, what it shows, where and when. The fields are embedded in the image file, so a JPEG sent to a client or an agency carries its credit and caption with it.
Most photo software reads and writes IPTC fields, including Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Bridge and Capture One.
How it works
The IPTC Photo Metadata Standard lists the fields and their meaning. Today they're mostly stored using XMP, with an older binary format (IIM) still read for compatibility. Common fields: Creator, Copyright Notice, Credit Line, Description (caption), Headline, Keywords, and location fields such as City and Country. Unlike EXIF, which the camera fills in automatically, IPTC is filled in by people or templates.
An example: an agency caption
A press photographer's template adds creator, credit and copyright to every frame on ingest; the photographer then writes a caption and keywords for each pick. When the picture desk opens the file, the credit line is already correct, and search tools find it by keyword months later.
IPTC in CloudTether
A shoot's settings in CloudTether have a Delivery metadata section with “Stamp IPTC/XMP metadata — Copyright, creator and keywords on every file”. Switch it on and fill in Copyright, Creator and comma-separated Keywords, and they're added to the files CloudTether delivers. For full captioning, pair CloudTether with Photo Mechanic's Live Ingest or Bridge's metadata templates.
IPTC and privacy
Metadata travels with the file wherever it goes. Keep personal details such as phone numbers out of public deliveries, and check whether a platform strips or keeps metadata on upload.
Tips and common mistakes
- Set copyright and creator once in a template; caption per picture.
- Use consistent keywords across a team so search works.
- Check what your gallery or social platform does with metadata before relying on it.
See also
Put it into practice
CloudTether tethers your camera to your phone and delivers every shot to the cloud, live as you shoot — no laptop.