# Preset or Plug-in to extract EXIF data & display on transparent layer on export



## Chris_M (May 6, 2011)

Hi all, first post here, sorry it's a long one,
I just want to try and make what I'm looking for as clear as possible.

*Firstly some history* and then the question.  I use Lightroom to import Photos,
and am currently migrating from PaintShop Pro to Photoshop as my editor of choice.
In PSP, I started a thread on the users Forum requesting a script,
that upon pressing a button, extracts and adds EXIF data to a partially transparent layer,
the text and transparent layer being proportionally sized and various parts being customizable.
The results produced what you see in this picture:
*http://www.interceptor-one.com/Boats.jpg*
There was also an option to add other user-definable text and other variables.

The script was written in Python language.
The Thread can be found here:
*http://www.pspug.org/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl?b-gen1/m-1279580773/s-125/* (page 6 of 6).
However, since the posted script appears to no longer be on the pastebin used,
if necessary, I can provide the last three versions for reference purposes.

*The question*, is there any Preset or Export Plug-in for Lightroom that I could apply,
upon either exporting pictures or exporting pictures to a Web Gallery,
leaving Lightroom to automatically apply the described effect?
The important part is the customizability of it, dependant on what parts of the EXIF I want to add.

Oh yes, if relevant, I run Lightroom on a 64-bit Windows 7 PC as my main editing computer,
but also have Lightroom on a 32-bit Vista Ultimate machine for Training/Tutorial purposes,
and a 32-bit XP Dell Laptop that I only carry when doing tethered shooting.

Finally, I am currently unemployed, and after paying bills, quite literally,
do not have anything left over.  I can't even afford to go out for a beer anymore.
Which is why I am learning Photograhpy and switching to Photoshop,
trying to get qualifications to get into the photography industry.

So ideally, if such Presets/Plug-ins ARE available, I'd prefer one that is free for private use/freeware.
Failing that, if a scriptor or programmer savvy person (which I am most definately not),
could adapt the script as I described, into an export Preset or Plug-in,
I'd be very grateful, and available as a tester.


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## James_N (May 7, 2011)

Take a look at the LR2/Mogrify plug-in:  http://www.photographers-toolbox.com/products/lrmogrify2.php?sec=quickguide

By using "tokens" in the Text Annotation function you can specify the EXIF information you want overlaid on the photo, and how it is positioned.

This too can be done via Photoshop scripting:   
http://www.joecolsonphotography.com/wordpress/2010/05/23/printexif-v4-0-automatic-lens-id



Interceptor One said:


> Hi all, first post here, sorry it's a long one,
> I just want to try and make what I'm looking for as clear as possible.
> 
> *Firstly some history* and then the question.  I use Lightroom to import Photos,
> ...


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## Chris_M (May 7, 2011)

Thanks for the reply.

The second link you posted, from reading that, it would appear that it produces a solid background,
and add whatever EXIF data that's selected to that, basically creating a frame.

Concerning the Mogrify, I cannot find any examples of what it does with the EXIF,
pertaining to what I am looking for, and also,
it says it requires installation of yet more software to run it.
AND, it says this:


> ...
> The trial version limits the number of images that can be exported in one go to ten.
> ...



Neither of those solutions are what I am looking for.

What I am asking for, is _precisely_ the effect shown in my example photo,
which can then be automatically applied to one photo,
all the way up to however many photos I am exporting to a web gallery.

If such a thing is not available or possible with Lightroom,
I can still use my workaround, it's just that the workaround adds quite a workflow increase.
That workaround is:
Running the photos through PaintShop Pro in batch processing mode.
Which then has to open and read the file, extract whatever EXIF I have set,
set that info on layers, then flatten and save the file.
And the script is also rather slow to work.
It's a whole other process, which I'd like to aviod if this effect can somehow be done in Lightroom.

So again, thanks for your time and effort, but for now, I will keep looking.


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## James_N (May 8, 2011)

The second link is a Photoshop solution; I don't imagine its useful to you but it is to demonstrate that it can be done in Photoshop.  This package of scripts also contains one that prints image EXIF directly on the photo:  http://www.atncentral.com/zip/JJmacksImageVisualization.zip

The link to the LR2/Mogrify plug-in does exactly what you want without having to leave Lightroom to run another program.  At minimum I'd expect you'd try it before summarily dismissing it.  Good luck with your search.


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## Chris_M (May 8, 2011)

Thanks, I'll have a look at that pack ASAP.

Concerning Mogrify, the reasons I do not want to try it, are as stated in my previous post,
but let me clarify here:

I can quite literally not afford to donate to the project to get a registration code.
In my current situation, I'm lucky to have enough money to pay for an internet connection,
but there is NOTHING left over for purchases of any kind other than food.
The above being the case, if I try and like, I can't buy it anyway, so why bother?
I'd rather not have to install another program just so I can test/try a plug-in,
that I cannot buy anyway.

Don't take it personally, I'm not being a jacka$$, sorry if it comes over that way,
but my redundancy settlement HAS run out,
and if I don't start getting some kind of extra income within the next 3 months at the latest,
I will have to start by cancelling stuff, like my phone, then my TV and so on.
Yes, I _AM_ in that bad a situation!


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## Winston (May 8, 2011)

This was done with Lightroom and Tim's Mogrify plug-in:







http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo172/winstonmitchell/A700-006027.jpg


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## Chris_M (May 8, 2011)

_Hmmm, apparently something has gone wrong with my previous reply,
it hasn't shown up here at all, so, I'll try again._

Thanks for your reply *James_N*, I have downloaded that pack and will take a look ASAP.

Concerning Mogrify, I touched on the reason I didn't want to try it out in my previous post,
but I will try to clarify it here:

I cannot afford to pay for the plugin, and 10 photos per export as a trail version,
would slow down workflow too much. 
If I did try/test the plugin, and found I did like it,
I couldn't buy it anyway, so why waste time?
The Plugin requires, for some reason on a PC only, the installation of another program in order to run.
And as said before, I can't afford to buy it, then why clutter up my computer?
Having said all that, if I appear to come across as a jacka$$, I apologize, that is not my intention.
I quite literally do not have any money left over after paying bills, for anything other than food.
My redundancy money is all used up, I am lucky that I still even have an internet connection,
and if I don't find some extra income in about the next 3 months,
I will be forced to start cancelling things, my phone will be first to go, then the TV, etc.
Yes, my current situation *IS* that bad!

That is why links to anything that requires any form of payment are useless to me.

So like I said before, I DO appreciate yout time and effort, but I am forced to keep looking.

*** (That's about as close to what I typed last time as I can remember) ***

I did recently sell my first 5 photos, but it was for a friend of my mother,
and since I am not a qualified photographer, but still learning,
I told her just donate what she could for the photos, which was 10 Euro each.



*@ Winston*
Thank you for the example, I can see now that it *IS* exactly,
if not as close as makes no difference, to what I was looking for.
Unfortunatly, see the above, I can't afford to use it.


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## James_N (May 8, 2011)

Lightroom does not support scripting as PSP and Photoshop do. If it did, a script would have already existed since this is a fairly comment request.  To write a plug-in for this request would involve studying the Lightroom SDK and learning the Lua programming language.  That's why the LR2/Mogrify approach was suggested; it does exactly what you want.


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## Chris_M (May 8, 2011)

Fair enough James,
and also thanks to Winstons' example I can say, if/when money becomes available again, I will grab this plug-in.


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## Kiwigeoff (May 9, 2011)

You lot sure are having it tough in Ireland, hope your situation eases before too long!! :nod:


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## Chris_M (May 9, 2011)

Thanks Geoff, although, I'm sure that I am by far not the only one here, or anywhere else for that matter,
that has landed in this situation in the current economy.
For me personally, given the current unemployment situation here, my age and a couple of other factors,
I don't think things will be getting better any time soon.

This is why I am trying to turn my hobby into something more professional,
so I can either get qualified and thus gain employment and/or start something of my own,
or at the very least get some photography jobs on the side, since I have always loved taking photos.

They used to "love" me :crazy: back in my Youth Club days, I was rarely seen without a Camera, photographed everything.
If we'd had DSLR's back then (at which time Digital Film was only a cruel April Fools Day joke),
I probably would have become a photographer then, coz damn, 35mm film, developing and printing was expensive.


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## Kiwigeoff (May 9, 2011)

I understand mate!! It's tough down here. I think you ought to look at this: http://www.sofobomo.org/HomePage as an idea for a project, something to get your teeth into that costs nothing but your time and you end with something to show, even if only as a PDF.

Food for thought anyway!!


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## Chris_M (May 9, 2011)

It would be something to think about, however once I finish the Lightroom Tutorial I am currently doing,
I will be scrapping EVERYTHING I have in Lightrrom and rebuilding it properly from scratch.
When that is done, which _will_ take a while, I will probably have several, if not a _lot_,
of different photo series on different themes,
not to mention the Church Renovation Project I have been working on for over a year.

It's projected to go on until the end of the summer,
and will not only be documenting construction from before the beginning of construction,
and running until after the end of construction and the churchs' move back in,
but should also be documenting my progress as a manual mode photographer.

When I started this project, manual mode usually confused me, resulting in nothing useable,
I was always a program-assist mode photographer.
But I attended a 12-week photography night course, which was cancelled after 5 weeks,
coz on the week it got cancelled, I was the only one left in the class.
Anyways, that got me started shooting manual mode properly,
and now I almost exclusively use manual mode, not great at it,
but have had some pretty good results, including my very first 5 "sold" photos,
only 10 Euro each, but who cares, it's my first sale of anything I ever did/made,
I even had a scan of the Cheque made for me before I had to give it up at the bank!

That progress may or may not be evident in the photo series produced at the end of the project,
but most certainly would be if one examined the EXIF in the files.

I did almost all of the Product Photography for an online shop,
except for products that were unpractical to put together and photograph,
in which case the owner just used photo from his supplier.
And I have a few Lightroom Web Galleries of some of my work online on my webspace.

So as you can see, I have plenty to do, just at times not the knowledge, resources or financials to do it.
I also put out word amongst family & friends, that I would be willing to do portraits for free whilst learning,
in order to try and get some volunteers so I can practice with my home studio kit.


Jeeez, I do tend to waffle don't I?  I only notice that when I'm done typing and am checking for mistakes.


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