Metadata ExpressHow to ingest photos from an SD card with an automatic backup
5 minutes to set up, then automatic.
"Ingesting" means copying photos off the memory card onto your computer, ideally with sensible folder names, a backup copy and your copyright already written in. Doing it right on game day saves you from lost photos and from renaming files at midnight.
What a good ingest does
- Copies only photos (RAW and JPEG, and video if you want it), from every folder on the card.
- Checks every copy before counting it, and never overwrites a file that's already there.
- Makes a second copy on another drive, so one failed drive never costs you a game.
- Names folders and files consistently, e.g.
2026/2026-10-14 Hawks vs Tigers/2026-10-14_Hawks vs Tigers_001.ARW. - Only copies what's new when you plug the same card in again at halftime.
Step by step in Metadata Express
- Open Ingest / Cull from the home screen.
- Plug in your SD card. A window asks what to do: choose Ingest… (or Open in Cull to look through the card first and ingest just the shots you pick).
- Under From, your card is ticked. Tick several cards to ingest them together.
- Under To, pick your photo folder (for example Pictures), and set Folders inside it to something like
{year}/{date} {event}. Type the event name in the Event box. - Tick Rename the files if you want, e.g.
{date}_{event}_{seq}. A RAW and its JPEG always keep the same name. - Tick Also copy to a backup folder and choose a folder on a second drive.
- Pick your IPTC template so your byline, credit and copyright are written into every photo as it copies.
- Click Ingest. When it's done, the photos open in Cull, ready to pick.
The variables
| Variable | Becomes |
|---|---|
{date} | Capture date, e.g. 2026-10-14 |
{year} {month} {day} | Parts of the capture date |
{time} | Capture time, e.g. 201033 |
{event} | The event name you type, e.g. Hawks vs Tigers |
{photographer} | Your name |
{camera} | The camera model |
{original} | The camera's file name, e.g. DSC06437 |
{seq} | A running number, e.g. 001, 002… |
A / in the folder pattern makes a subfolder, so {year}/{date} {event} files each game under its year.
Quick selects during a break
Most cameras let you lock (protect) a photo with a button while reviewing it on the back screen. Tick Only photos locked on the camera and the ingest copies just those, so your best few shots are on the computer in seconds instead of waiting for 2,000 files. Turn on Auto Ingest and it starts the moment the card goes in.
Tip: pair it with After ingesting, send to your editors' Dropbox or FTP and the selects are delivered with no clicks at all. See sending photos to editors during a game.
Try it
Metadata Express runs on Mac and Windows, with a 5-day free trial. Download it here. Questions? Send us a message.
More guides: IPTC metadata explained · Tag photos by jersey number · Send photos to editors during a game · Make a roster file