{"id":56258,"date":"2024-08-21T02:04:15","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T00:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/excire.com\/?p=56258"},"modified":"2025-03-24T05:43:05","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T04:43:05","slug":"photo-tagging","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/excire.com\/en\/photo-tagging\/","title":{"rendered":"The Essential Guide to Photo Tagging"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019re serious about keeping your image database both organized and searchable, then I highly recommend you incorporate tagging into your workflow.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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As a photographer myself, I can understand why image tagging is generally viewed as tedious, time-consuming, and downright unpleasant; after all, who wants to spend hours each week carefully applying tags to images when they could be out photographing?\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Fortunately, recent AI-powered photo technology<\/a> has made tagging much, much <\/em>easier. In fact, with powerful tagging software combined with an efficient workflow, you can keep your photos organized and searchable by spending just a few minutes per week (or even per month) managing your database. That\u2019s what I do, and in this article, I explain my step-by-step process so you can do the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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So if you\u2019re ready to learn how to save time and tag your files effectively, let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n

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What Is Photo Tagging?<\/h2>\n

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Photo tagging refers to the process of labeling your image files so they can be organized and\/or located later on. In general, photographers (and image archivists) tag their files with keywords<\/em><\/a> – that is, words or phrases that describe the photos – though you can always choose to tag your photos with non-descriptive labels (such as numbers or alphanumeric strings).<\/p>\n

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Tagging is generally done by an image-management program, such as Excire Foto 2024<\/a>, Adobe Lightroom Classic<\/a>, or Capture One Pro<\/a>. Of course, these programs aren\u2019t designed only <\/em>for tagging and image retrieval; in addition to tagging\/keywording, you can use a photo manager to group photos into albums and collections, to add ratings and color labels, and (in some cases) to edit files<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s important to note that image-tagging methods vary depending on the program you use to manage your files and the type of file you\u2019re attempting to tag. If you\u2019re working with RAW files, some programs – such as Excire Foto and Adobe Lightroom Classic – can be set to automatically save new keywords to XMP (sidecar) files, though you also have the option to store these tags in a separate database. With certain file formats (JPEG, TIFF), you can even embed your tags directly into the files.<\/p>\n

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Why Is It So Important to Tag Your Photos?<\/h2>\n

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For a long time, I did absolutely zero <\/em>image tagging; instead, when I filled up a memory card, I transferred the files to my hard drive, and then I added them to Lightroom Collections. (For non-Lightroom users, Collections are essentially just virtual folders that exist inside Lightroom.)<\/p>\n

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This approach worked for a while, but as the number of photos in my Lightroom catalog grew, it became more and more difficult to find the images that I needed despite my Collection-based workflow. I realized that consistent image tagging was essential, and I ultimately turned to Excire Foto 2024 (a program with automatic keywording capabilities) for my image-tagging needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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While I\u2019ll talk more about Excire Foto 2024 and other image-organization programs<\/a> in a minute, I want to emphasize: Unless you have a very small number of photos, it\u2019s important to develop a regular tagging workflow. Without descriptive tags, you\u2019ll waste more and more time trying to find specific images that are buried deep in your image catalog, and you\u2019ll find yourself overwhelmed by thousands of photos with no real way to appreciate them. Once descriptive tags have been applied to your images, however, you\u2019ll be able to use keyword-search functions and keyword hierarchies to quickly retrieve and <\/em>categorize your shots.<\/p>\n

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Fortunately, applying tags to your photos doesn\u2019t have to be hard. You can get in the habit of doing it regularly so that you spend a few minutes each day or week keeping your tags up to date, or you can rely on an AI-powered program (or plugin) to do the heavy lifting for you!<\/p>\n

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Tagging for Yourself vs Tagging for Others<\/h2>\n

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So far, I\u2019ve talked about tagging in the context of locating and organizing photos in your own image databases and on your own hard drives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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For most photographers, myself included, that\u2019s all that matters: being able to organize and then find images as needed. That might be because you need to deliver files to a client, because you want to add files to your online portfolio, or because you\u2019d like to share files on social media. Regardless, the tags are for you<\/em>, so you can choose tags that you\u2019ll remember later on and that\u2019ll allow you to retrieve your images as needed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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However, a small subset of photographers tag not so that they <\/em>can find their images, but so that others <\/em>can find the images. Here I\u2019m referring primarily to photographers who publish work on stock sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Aerial<\/figure>\n

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If you\u2019re a stock photographer, it\u2019s important that you take a different approach to tagging – at least for choosing the tags to use when uploading images to stock sites. Instead of creating tags based on what you\u2019ll remember and how you like to search for files, you must create tags based on what potential customers will remember and how potential customers search for files.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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To get a feel for how stock photographers tag their photos, you can always check out a popular stock website such as Getty Images<\/a>. Browse through photos that are similar to your own, and make mental (or physical) notes of the tagging strategies you see.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Some stock photography websites have specific tagging requirements – for instance, a minimum and maximum number of keywords that you should apply – so always keep this in mind as you go about your tagging workflow. When in doubt, however, tag more, not less. The more tags you apply to a file, the more likely it is that the image will be found by a customer!<\/p>\n

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Note: The \u201ctag more\u201d rule does not <\/em>apply to personal tagging. When you\u2019re tagging for your own catalog, choose labels that you\u2019ll remember. You don\u2019t need to be restrained in your tagging, but you shouldn\u2019t waste time applying keywords that won\u2019t be helpful down the line.<\/p>\n

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Manual vs Automatic Tagging<\/h2>\n

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Up until recently, tagging was entirely <\/em>manual. You reviewed each image, and you applied your own descriptive keywords. Sure, you could streamline the process by bulk-adding keywords to certain photoshoots or by maintaining a list of your core keywords for reference, but at the end of the day, it was all done by you<\/em>, the photographer.<\/p>\n

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Now, however, some cutting-edge programs offer AI-powered tagging to help you save time. The specifics depend on the software in question, but here\u2019s the basic approach:<\/p>\n

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