Below is an example and a breakdown on how I would key word this image.
Firstly the Description...
Four adults, one with a young child are walking down a snow covered street in rural Britain. They struggle through the snow with bags of grocery shopping, as the roads are impassable.
Now the keywords...
Step one: Take out all the key words from the description...
four, adults, young, child, walking, snow, covered, street, rural, britain, struggle, bags, grocery, shopping, roads, impassable.
Step two: Add similar key words that are in step one, including singular and plural versions...
4, men, women, female, male, toddler, baby, walks, snowy, snowing, snows, covering, streets, countryside, country, england, english, britains, struggling, bag, carrier, plastic, food, groceries, road,
Step three: Add new adjectives...
ice, icy, cold, coldest, freezing, frozen,
Step four: Put yourself in the position of someone searching that image and add any final words that represent the image and think big!
extreme, weather, conditions, winter, local, community, communities, help, helping, others, isolated, stocking, up, supplies, family, families,
You will then end up with the following keywords...
four, adults, young, child, walking, snow, covered, street, rural, britain, struggle, bags, grocery, shopping, roads, impassable, 4, men, women, female, male, toddler, baby, walks, snowy, snowing, snows, covering, streets, countryside, country, england, english, britains, struggling, bag, carrier, plastic, food, groceries, road, ice, icy, cold, coldest, freezing, frozen, extreme, weather, conditions, winter, local, community, communities, help, helping, others, isolated, stocking, up, supplies, family, families,
Remember this is how I would do it and I feel this image is now covered with most of the keywords that would be used to represent this image and used in a search. I'm sure some of you would find some other words? This is not a test!
Nick Fallowfield-Cooper
I think that is a good guideline Nick. When I am teaching this is a handout I give my students.
ReplyDeleteHere are a few questions to ask yourself as you caption and keyword your photographs:
Who?
Any image with people need subject identification and male female etc
Do these people play roles – soldier king, son, daughter, mother father etc
Ages and age ranges may be important for some subject matter – children (baby, toddler,Teenager etc) and Middle aged, senior citizens for example
Sometimes, but not always it may be appropriate to mention race or ethnicity (caucasian, black, hispanic)?
People of note in their field may be identified by name – Prime Minister Gordon Brown for example, or the author Bernard Cornwell. Specifically for news or documentary work.
Usually names are not useful or required.
What
What is the main subject of the image?
Concisely describe the situation ie ‘Henry VIII in the Base Courtyard of Hampton Court.’ Any individual or subject, will part of a larger group. A golden retriever will be a dog, a gun dog a retriever, a canine, a mammal, an animal etc and don’t forget with animals and plants to include the correct Latin name – check and get it right (a dog would be canis lupus familiaris)
Don’t be afraid to use a thesaurus.
What is the subject of the image doing? Talking, walking, running etc.
What is the subject like? Long, big, large, small, microscopic etc.
Can you see relevant accessories – hat, coat, tunic, book, toy, corn beef sandwich, AK47 etc The look of the subject is important so include dominant colours, but don’t just list all you see
Only on relevant images, but don’t forget to mention emotion where appropriate. If a child is ‘crying’, or the king is ‘angry’.
Where
Where is the scene or subject located?
Whilst exact location is not always relevant or even desirable, there are some subject that will be searched on by Location/City/County/country. If this is the case ensure that the appropriate fields are completed in IPTC data, and also in Comprehensive keywords. If indoors, ensure that the location is identified office, living room, warehouse etc.
To be continued
Part 2
ReplyDeleteWhen
Ensure IPTC field is completed for the date, but don’t forget other relevant timing such as spring, summer, winter, birthday, Christmas. Date is important if this is an event or has a news or documentary interest.
Don’t date images which will not benefit from it. However, some things are best dated, skylines (think of New York before and after
September 11)
Why
What is the reasoning behind the image? Is this a happening (discussion, conversation, bank robbery)
Does the image invoke a concept such as wisdom, success. teamwork, tranquillity?
How
How many people, animals, subject objects are there in the image?
How would you describe the image or scene – adjectives – old, blue, hot, silent?
Don’t forget
Not every image will need every aspect described, choose only those that are appropriate.
Be sure to include important technical details
When key wording not every agency needs this but include picture format – landscape, portrait or square
Unique composition should be noted as should digital alteration (stitch, cut-out. Photomerge)
Is there a unique perspective – close-up, ultra wide, panorama, aerial, silhouette?
Were any special techniques used ion obtaining the image such as timed exposure, streaking or blurring?
Are the lighting conditions unique or special – candle-light, moon-light, fire-light
When Writing Keywords
• Most search systems will look at several fields including the caption field. Don’t
forget to expand on roots of words in the keyword field including plurals where
appropriate. But do not add plurals where not appropriate.
• Stemming and conflation. Not all systems automatically expand word routes so
ensure that you do this where appropriate, especially for plurals. When expanding
on man running, include ‘run’ and runner
• Don’t use capitals other than for proper names and places (nouns). Whilst is is
generally safe to assume that search engines are not case sensitive, but there are
some that are.
• Always include alternative spellings where appropriate – colour/color, gray-grey,
boot/trunk, bonnet/hood, this is specifically useful for the US market.
• To assist in copy and paste from one keyword field to another use a comma and a
space between each term. Both Alamy and Photoshop will change tis punctuation to
suit its needs automatically. xxxx, xxx xxxx, xxxxx, term, word phrase, two word
phrase, etc. Whatever you do , be consistent.
Remember
Don’t let key wording run away with you. Too many stock workers keyword to excess. This just results in irritated and annoyed researchers. Don’t keyword minor and non-prominent details.
Concept words have some value for a very few images. They are useful when correctly applied, and a positive nuisance when not.
A yellow card in football does represent ‘caution’ a red flag often signifies ‘warning’.
However, few landscaped actually suggest calm, splendour, beauty or stimulation. Over used terms become meaningless – so in general don’t.
How do buyers think?
Buyers are not stupid. They know what they want. They will be experienced researchers and will use keywords that are relevant to the images they want. You must do exactly the same. Thirty relevant accurate keywords will get more sales than 800 carelessly applied nonsensical ones. Getting someone to see your image is only an advantage if your image is the one they want, otherwise you will just irritate the viewer.
Be consistent.
Don’t apply human emotions to non-human subjects. A dog does not smile, plants and pets do not signify ‘love’.
Pete J
Thanks Pete, for your comments.
ReplyDeleteYou have brought up some interesting points.
Indeed every image will have it's own special characters as you mentioned, emotions, race, relationship to one another for example, mother and daughter, or grandmother and daughter etc and yes location is a very good point especially with News related clients searching for particular geographical locations.
Pete, if you emailed me a sample image with your process of key-wording, I would be very happy to post it up here.
Nick
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteThe reality of it is that I do my key wording much as you do.
The point of my hand out was that I always get asked, "But how do you key word"
The hand out is my answer to that question as often the intuitive way that you suggest is not always that obvious to the newby.
Having a list of things to look at may help some people who do not feel comfortable with the 'off-the -cuff' approach.
I am grading papers at the moment and have three articles to write for 'Turning-Pro' magazine but I will try and do what you suggest as soon as I can.
Pete J