What is EXIF and how you can use it to your advantage?

EXIF is a format for storing metadata in image files. When you take a picture, metadata is embedded within the image file itself. Metadata includes information that can be very valuable to the photographer. It usually includes date and time, aperture, shutter speed, focal length and ISO speed. It can also include information you add in a photo-editing program.

By reviewing the metadata for each image, you can get a better feeling on how the various settings on your camera affect your images. For example, you can take many different shots of the same motif with different settings for every shot. Later on you can examine the EXIF (Exchangeable image file format) data of these pictures and see how different settings affect your pictures.

ACDSee Pro Photo Manager is a software that allows you both viewing and editing of Exif metadata. There are also other programs that give you the option to view and edit EXIF information. Some are free and others are not.

Figure 1: On the right side of the picture you can read EXIF data about the picture on the left. In a little light red box you see exposure time, F-number used (aperture), ISO settings and date when the picture was taken.