⚠ Please note: Entagged is currently only available to North American customers.
Overview
Instead of using QR codes, you can use barcodes during your photoshoot if you have one of Foolography's Entagged modules. It is a small device that you connect to your Nikon, Canon, or Sony camera. You can purchase it directly through GotPhoto. Foolography also ships to the US. In this article, we'll review the workflow for using Entagged in your photo job from start to finish.
Workflow
If you are subscribed to Foolography's Name List feature, click on the Entagged with Name List Workflow tab below. Otherwise, continue reading.
A. Planning Phase:
1. Create a new job and select the method QR Tagging with List of Names
2. Upload and import the names list into the job.
3. Export the names list as a PDF with barcodes.
4. Create the QR cards and tick the box next to "show barcode" (Under Advanced Settings).
5. Generate the cards and print them if needed.
B. Picture Day Phase:
6. Before photographing a subject, scan their barcode from either your barcode list or their QR card. You can do this via the Entagged app or with an Opticon scanner. This will embed the barcode into the metadata of the next photos you take.
7. Photograph the subject.
8. Give the subject their QR card for easy photo access and registration.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 with the rest of your subjects.
→ For more information on the workflow on location, please check out Foolography's tutorial.
C. Review Phase:
10. Upload your photos using the method of your choice. If you are using the Web Upload, create a new album first.
11. All of your images will be uploaded to a single album. The system will automatically activate the access codes and sort them by filename in each subject's gallery. A note will indicate the activation process and let you know that the process will take a moment. Open the album and click Resort photos to albums under Individuals Actions and select your preferred scheme (teacher or group)
12. The system will then sort the images based on your names list: Folders for each teacher or group will be created so that each gallery goes into the correct folder. New albums will be created for each group or teacher from the name list.
Note: Group photos will have to be manually moved into the correct albums afterward.
13. You may now delete the empty folder.Please note: At this point, "Distribute photos to all albums" will not work if the access codes have been activated in earlier albums or jobs. We're working on an improvement for this.
14. If you use barcode tagging and QR tagging in your account:Entagged changes the copyright information in the camera you use, and camera will store the last scanned code in all following photos, even if you don't use the Entagged system for your next shoot. Therefore, at the end of a barcode shoot, you could scan an empty barcode, or one with your standard copyright info if you prefer, to replace that last code you scanned. You can also go into the camera menu and edit the copyright information manually to delete or overwrite the code in there before you shoot a job using QR cards.
If you don't delete or overwrite the last scanned barcode, you will notice the following in your next QR tagging job: Though all access codes are captured perfectly, not all the images of the QR cards will be tagged automatically. You can fix that by removing the access codes under "Individuals Actions" in the respective album in Photo Management. This will bring you back to the page where you see the three steps to activate the access codes. Once you've activated the access codes, the pictures will be tagged correctly.
A. Setting Up Your Subscription:
1. Subscribe to Entagged's Name List on this page. Choose the subscription option that works best for you.
2. After you have signed up, you will be asked to share your Entagged serial number via your confirmation email. Here's how to find your serial number:
a. Download the Entagged App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
b. Pair your Entagged device with your phone. Instructions can be found here.
c. Open the Settings in the Entagged App:
d. Tap the name of your Entagged device:
e. You will find your Entagged serial number to provide to Foolography on this screen:
Please follow the instructions on their end.
In addition, you can check if your Entagged app is up-to-date under Firmware. If it is not, tap the update button.B. Planning Phase:
This video shows a quick explanation of using the Entagged app during the planning phase.
Written instructions continue below.
1. Create a new job and select the method QR Tagging with List of Names
If you are using batch shipping, we recommend adding both the grade and teacher/team and coach information into the group column. Only the information that is listed in the group column will be transferred to your lab, so this will facilitate the distribution of the orders later.
3. Upload and import the names list into the job.
4. In the Entagged app, tap on the Folder with the "+" icon:
5. Tap on "Add from account..." and enter your GotPhoto account credentials:
6. You will now see a list of your jobs that are either set to planning, selling, or prepay. Tap the job you would like to import.
7. You have now the option to adjust the Project name in the Entagged name if necessary. In addition, you can adjust the grouping. Per default, the grouping is set to Group → Teacher, meaning that you will have main folders for the group (e.g. grade 9), and subfolders for the teacher (e.g. Mr. Miller).In addition, make sure to add spare subjects for subjects who aren't in your names list ahead of time.
Tap "Done" to save, and tap the back arrow when you are finished.
Your job is now listed under projects and is available to use on Picture Day, even without an internet connection.
C. Picture Day Phase:
This video shows a quick explanation of using the Entagged app during the Picture Day phase.
Written instructions continue below.
1. Open the Entagged app and make sure your device is connected (You will see a turquoise dot in the upper left corner next to your device name):
2. Tap on the project you've imported for this shoot. Names are grouped by grade and teacher, unless you have changed this before importing the names list.
3. Find the subject you would like to photograph. You can do this via the groups within the project, but you can also search for any subject using the magnifying glass.4. Tap on the name of the subject you are about to photograph. The name will be highlighted in yellow (indicating that the code has been sent to your camera) and then turquoise (indicating that the code has been saved successfully):
5. The name that is currently saved in your camera is now displayed at the top of the screen, and a checkmark appears next to the name in the list.
6. It's time to take some pictures! All photos taken at this point will have the barcode saved in their metadata. The barcode is saved in the user comment field for Nikon and Fuji cameras. For Canon cameras, it is stored in the Copyright field, for Sony cameras, it's the ImageID field (ExifTag 0x2043, ExifTool calls it Sony_0x2043). GotPhoto can capture the data in all those fields.
Important for Sony users: If you plan to edit your images via an editing software (Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.), the software will most likely not know this field, and the metadata won't be saved. Foolography has created a Windows script that will copy the metadata from the Sony field into the UserComment and Copyright field, which will ensure the metadata is stored being edited, and GotPhoto will still be able to detect the codes after you export the images from your editing software. Please get in touch with our support team, and we will be happy to provide you with that script. Foolography also created a script for Mac, but it's still being tested. In this case you would like to learn more about it, please also get in touch with our support team.
7. Repeat steps 3-6 with the rest of the subjects in the group. When you're ready to move on to the next group, tap the back arrow to select the next group.
Adding Missing Subjects on Picture Day:
We know that things don't always go as planned during a shoot, and you may find yourself with additional subjects to photograph that aren't on your names list. There are two options for adding additional subjects to the names list during a shoot, depending on your setup.A. If you have an Internet Connection: Under the appropriate group, tap the pencil icon to add a new subject to the list:
B. If you do not have an Internet connection: This is where you will utilize one of the spare subjects you've created in Step 7 of the planning phase. Make sure you make a note of the subject's information so that you can later update it within your GotPhoto account.
⚠ Important: Be careful not to tap the "+" icon next to the subject that is already selected. This will end up selecting all the following subjects and inserting their barcodes into each other's metadata.
If you did not notice that multiple barcodes have been stored for multiple subjects, you will later need to remove the wrong barcodes from the photos' metadata. This can be done in any photo editing software that allows you to edit the pictures' metadata.
D. Review Phase:
1.Clear the code that is currently saved in the camera by tapping the "X" next to the subject name on the top of your screen. Alternatively, delete the barcode from the copyright field of your camera (Canon cameras) or the user comment field (Nikon).
2. If you'd like to delete projects from the Entagged app, you can do so by tapping the pencil icon, selecting the project, and then tapping the trash icon.
3. If you are planning on extracting backgrounds externally to GotPhoto, make sure that the metadata is kept in your files as not all software types allow for this. If you are using GotPhoto's extraction service, the barcodes will remain within the metadata.
This video shows a quick explanation of how to upload photos after running a Picture Day with Entagged.
Written instructions continue below.
4. Upload your photos. Make sure to use one of the faster upload methods (i.e. not browser upload). The system will automatically activate the galleries, and the images will all be in a single album.
5. Within the album, click on the "Individuals actions" dropdown and select "Resort photos to albums" and then select your preferred sorting scheme (e.g. Group → Teacher):
Each group will then have their own album under Photo Management. The Upload album will then be empty and can be deleted.
In case you have used both QR Tagging and barcode tagging on picture day, please upload the images separately (in two different folders instead of just one) to prevent any tagging issues.
FAQs:
Q: I have already imported my names to the Entagged app, but I needed to update/adjust my names list or add additional subjects in GotPhoto. How can I update the names list afterward in the Entagged app?
A: Simply delete the existing project from the Entagged app, and import the names list again.
Q: Is the subcription fee per device? We have multiple devices.
A: Yes, it is per device. However, the same Entagged can be paired by multiple users via the Entagged app on their individual devices. E.g., photographer A uses the Entagged on Monday, photographer B uses the same device with a different smartphone or tablet on Tuesday.
Q: Can I select multiple subjects in the names list for sibling/buddy photos?
A: Yes, you can tag up to 3 subjects in a photo.
Q: When I shoot group images, or some event photos, in between photographing the individual galleries, is there an option to take a picture without adding metadata to the photos when I use the Names List feature?
A: Yes, simply delete the last name that was saved in the app by tapping the "x" next to the name on the top of the screen; this way, all following images won't be tagged.
Q: How can I verify that the barcode is stored in a photo's metadata?
A: Access the image's properties in your photo editing app. Under the User Comment field (Nikon cameras) or Copyright field (Canon cameras), you can find the stored barcode.
The Takeaway
Foolography's Entagged is an alternative to QR codes for seamless photo organization. Whether you opt for the standard Entagged workflow or incorporate the Name List feature, these step-by-step instructions ensure a smooth process, allowing you to capture, organize, and manage your photos effortlessly.