Import Captions from Photo Metadata
Overview
Section titled “Overview”If you add captions to your photos in Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, or other editing software, Exposure can now automatically import those captions when you upload. No more copying and pasting—your captions appear instantly in your story.
This feature is enabled by default for all users and works with any JPEG photo that has embedded caption metadata.
How It Works
Section titled “How It Works”-
Add captions in your editing software (Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Capture One, etc.)
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Export your photos as JPEG with metadata included
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Upload to your Exposure story
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Captions appear automatically in the caption field
When your upload completes, you’ll see a message like “Found 3 captions in photo metadata” letting you know how many were imported.
Which Metadata Fields Are Used?
Section titled “Which Metadata Fields Are Used?”Exposure looks for captions in these fields, in order of priority:
Field | Where It's Set |
IPTC Caption | Most editing apps (Lightroom's Caption field, Photo Mechanic's Caption field) |
IPTC Headline | Alternative field used by some workflows |
EXIF Description | Basic camera/phone description field |
The first non-empty field found becomes your photo’s caption.
Compatible Software
Section titled “Compatible Software”These applications can embed caption metadata that Exposure will import:
Application | Caption Field Location |
Adobe Lightroom | Library module → Caption field in the Metadata panel |
Adobe Bridge | IPTC Caption in the Metadata panel |
Photo Mechanic | Caption field (IPTC:Caption) |
Capture One | IPTC Caption field in Metadata tool |
Apple Photos | Description field (limited support) |
Tip: When exporting, make sure “Include Metadata” or similar option is enabled to preserve your captions.
Turning the Feature On or Off
Section titled “Turning the Feature On or Off”You can control this setting from your preferences:
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Go to Settings → Preferences
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Find Import Captions from Photo Metadata
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Toggle on or off
When disabled, photos upload normally but captions won’t be extracted from metadata. You can still add captions manually.
Things to Know
Section titled “Things to Know”Captions Won’t Be Overwritten
Section titled “Captions Won’t Be Overwritten”If you’ve already typed a caption before uploading, the imported caption won’t replace it. Your manually-entered text always takes priority.
Works with JPEG Only
Section titled “Works with JPEG Only”Caption metadata is only present in JPEG files. PNG, GIF, and other formats will upload normally—they just won’t have captions auto-imported.
Long Captions Are Trimmed
Section titled “Long Captions Are Trimmed”Captions longer than 500 characters are automatically shortened to fit Exposure’s caption limit.
You Can Always Edit
Section titled “You Can Always Edit”After upload, you can modify any auto-imported caption just like you normally would. Click on the caption field in your story editor to make changes.
Troubleshooting
Section titled “Troubleshooting”My captions aren’t importing:
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Make sure the feature is enabled in Settings → Preferences
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Check that your photos are JPEG format (not PNG or HEIC)
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Verify your export settings include metadata
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Try viewing your photo’s metadata in another app to confirm captions are embedded
Only some captions imported:
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Not all photos may have caption metadata embedded
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Check that captions were added to all photos before export
Captions look different than expected:
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Exposure uses the IPTC Caption field first. If your captions are in a different field, they may not import.
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Some export settings strip metadata—double-check your export preferences
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”Q: Do I need a paid plan to use this? A: No, caption auto-import is available to all Exposure users, including free accounts.
Q: Will this work with RAW files? A: No, you need to export as JPEG with metadata included. RAW files aren’t uploaded directly to Exposure.
Q: Can I import other EXIF data like camera settings? A: Currently, only caption/description text is imported. Camera settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) are not imported to captions.
Q: What if I don’t want captions on some photos? A: You can delete the caption after upload, or remove the caption from specific photos before exporting from your editing software.
Q: Does this work with the Lightroom plugin? A: Yes, as long as your Lightroom export settings include metadata, captions will be imported.
Need Help?
Section titled “Need Help?”If you have questions about caption importing, we’re here to help:
- Email: hello@exposure.co
Need help?
Section titled “Need help?”Use the Exposure contact form.