Author Topic: Missing captions  (Read 4482 times)

Offline sportingwales

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Missing captions
« on: September 12, 2008, 03:11:07 PM »
I've been using PM successfully for many years on a Powerbook OSX 10.5.4 but lately have been having problems with my captions disappearing when I e-mail images from PM via apple mail.
After transferring a photo from my camera to computer via a wireless connection I save the image and apply the iptc stationary pad. Once saved I then use code replacement to add names to the caption and then either FTP or e-mail the photo's on. However just lately I am getting calls from picture desks telling me that they are receiving the images but they have no captions. I have tried e-mailing the photo's to myself and when they arrive they have lost all IPTC data, but if I upload them to my website the IPTC info is still there!
Any help would be much appreciated.

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2008, 03:55:44 PM »
I've been using PM successfully for many years on a Powerbook OSX 10.5.4 but lately have been having problems with my captions disappearing when I e-mail images from PM via apple mail.
After transferring a photo from my camera to computer via a wireless connection I save the image and apply the iptc stationary pad. Once saved I then use code replacement to add names to the caption and then either FTP or e-mail the photo's on. However just lately I am getting calls from picture desks telling me that they are receiving the images but they have no captions. I have tried e-mailing the photo's to myself and when they arrive they have lost all IPTC data, but if I upload them to my website the IPTC info is still there!
Any help would be much appreciated.

It would be really helpful to know what version of Photo Mechanic you're running.

-Kirk

Offline sportingwales

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2008, 04:35:19 PM »
4.5.3
I've tried installing the latest version but keep getting a message telling me that I don't have sufficient permissions despite trying to install on my own Powerbook!

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #3 on: September 12, 2008, 04:52:01 PM »
4.5.3
I've tried installing the latest version but keep getting a message telling me that I don't have sufficient permissions despite trying to install on my own Powerbook!

Where is the message coming from?  The Finder?  Photo Mechanic?

-Kirk

Offline sportingwales

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2008, 04:56:56 PM »
I get the message from my computer/finder.

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2008, 08:51:42 PM »
I get the message from my computer/finder.

OK, well then you'll just have to correct the problem on your end.  I would recommend just renaming the old version of Photo Mechanic and just leave it there if you can't correct the permissions problem.  Then you should be able to drop the new one in your Applications folder.

As for the primary issue, I am guessing that you're applying an IPTC Stationery Pad during your email operation that has the Caption field cleared out.

HTH,

-Kirk

Offline sportingwales

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2008, 03:40:00 AM »
I am applying the IPTC stationary pad (event, date, venue etc) when I save the images in PM. I then add the players names on the saved images using code replacement. Once the images are fully captioned I then e-mail them from PM via Mail. It's when the images are in Mail that the IPTC data has disappeared?

Offline Kirk Baker

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2008, 06:12:32 AM »
I am applying the IPTC stationary pad (event, date, venue etc) when I save the images in PM. I then add the players names on the saved images using code replacement. Once the images are fully captioned I then e-mail them from PM via Mail. It's when the images are in Mail that the IPTC data has disappeared?

Maybe something that the Mail application in Leopard is doing when encoding the email is causing the problem.  There are other issues in Leopard's version of Mail that we have tried to workaround so this could be just another issue that Apple needs to fix.

If you want to investigate this further, Photo Mechanic creates the email versions of the images in its cache folder.  These images stick around until the next time you start up Photo Mechanic.  You could copy them to a different folder and then browse them with Photo Mechanic to see if they have their IPTC data intact.  If they don't have their IPTC data then the problem is in Photo Mechanic.  If they do have their data intact then it is either a problem with Mail in Leopard, or it is a problem on the receiving end of the email attachments.  If you BCC: yourself when sending photos, you should always receive the exact email that your regular recipient is receiving and you can investigate those images.  If you find one that is missing its IPTC data then investigate the attachments cache.

On Mac OS X, Photo Mechanic's cache folder is located in the following path by default:

/Users/<your user name>/Library/Caches/Photo Mechanic/cache/

Inside the 'attachments' folder should be a numbered folder for each send photos session.  Your photos will be in those folders.  Copy them off to a different location and browse them with Photo Mechanic to see if they still retain your caption information.  This will then let us know whether the problem originates withing Photo Mechanic or somewhere else.

HTH,

-Kirk

Offline sportingwales

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Re: Missing captions
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2008, 02:29:58 PM »
I have got around the problem by using Powermail as a mail application to send images. It works fine with this so it must be a problem with Apple mail. Thanks for your help.