How to Export Image Metadata from PhotoShelter for Photographers

PhotoShelter API v4 — Full Library Export

import requests
import csv
import time

API_KEY = "your_api_key"
BASE = "https://www.photoshelter.com/psapi/v4"

session = requests.Session()
session.headers.update({
    "X-PS-Api-Key": API_KEY,
    "Accept": "application/json",
})

# Authenticate
auth = session.post(f"{BASE}/mem/authenticate", json={
    "email": "your_email@example.com",
    "password": "your_password",
})
token = auth.json()["data"]["attributes"]["token"]
session.headers.update({"X-PS-Auth-Token": token})

def list_all_images():
    """List all images with IPTC/EXIF metadata."""
    all_images = []
    page = 1
    per_page = 100
    while True:
        resp = session.get(f"{BASE}/mem/images", params={
            "page": page,
            "per_page": per_page,
        })
        data = resp.json()
        images = data.get("data", [])
        if not images:
            break
        all_images.extend(images)
        page += 1
        if len(images) < per_page:
            break
        time.sleep(0.5)  # respect rate limits
    return all_images

images = list_all_images()

with open("photoshelter_metadata.csv", "w", newline="") as f:
    writer = csv.writer(f)
    writer.writerow([
        "Image ID", "Filename", "Title", "Caption",
        "Keywords", "Copyright", "Creator",
        "City", "State", "Country",
        "File Type", "File Size", "Width", "Height",
        "Camera Make", "Camera Model", "Lens",
        "Date Created", "Date Uploaded",
    ])
    for img in images:
        attrs = img.get("attributes", {})
        iptc = attrs.get("iptc", {})
        exif = attrs.get("exif", {})
        writer.writerow([
            img.get("id", ""),
            attrs.get("file_name", ""),
            iptc.get("title", ""),
            iptc.get("caption", ""),
            "; ".join(iptc.get("keywords", [])),
            iptc.get("copyright", ""),
            iptc.get("creator", ""),
            iptc.get("city", ""),
            iptc.get("state", ""),
            iptc.get("country", ""),
            attrs.get("file_type", ""),
            attrs.get("file_size", ""),
            attrs.get("width", ""),
            attrs.get("height", ""),
            exif.get("make", ""),
            exif.get("model", ""),
            exif.get("lens", ""),
            iptc.get("date_created", ""),
            attrs.get("uploaded_at", ""),
        ])

print(f"Exported {len(images)} images to photoshelter_metadata.csv")

Gallery-Scoped API Export

import requests
import csv

API_KEY = "your_api_key"
BASE = "https://www.photoshelter.com/psapi/v4"

session = requests.Session()
session.headers.update({
    "X-PS-Api-Key": API_KEY,
    "Accept": "application/json",
})

# Authenticate (same as Method 1)
auth = session.post(f"{BASE}/mem/authenticate", json={
    "email": "your_email@example.com",
    "password": "your_password",
})
token = auth.json()["data"]["attributes"]["token"]
session.headers.update({"X-PS-Auth-Token": token})

# Step 1: List galleries to find the one you want
galleries = session.get(f"{BASE}/mem/galleries", params={
    "per_page": 50,
}).json()

print("Your galleries:")
for g in galleries.get("data", []):
    attrs = g.get("attributes", {})
    print(f"  {g['id']}  {attrs.get('name', 'Untitled')}")

# Step 2: Export metadata from a specific gallery
GALLERY_ID = "your_gallery_id"  # paste from list above

def list_gallery_images(gallery_id):
    """List all images in a gallery with metadata."""
    all_images = []
    page = 1
    per_page = 100
    while True:
        resp = session.get(
            f"{BASE}/mem/galleries/{gallery_id}/images",
            params={"page": page, "per_page": per_page},
        )
        data = resp.json()
        images = data.get("data", [])
        if not images:
            break
        all_images.extend(images)
        page += 1
        if len(images) < per_page:
            break
    return all_images

images = list_gallery_images(GALLERY_ID)

with open("gallery_metadata.csv", "w", newline="") as f:
    writer = csv.writer(f)
    writer.writerow([
        "Image ID", "Filename", "Title", "Caption",
        "Keywords", "Copyright", "Creator",
        "File Type", "File Size", "Width", "Height",
        "Date Created", "Date Uploaded",
    ])
    for img in images:
        attrs = img.get("attributes", {})
        iptc = attrs.get("iptc", {})
        writer.writerow([
            img.get("id", ""),
            attrs.get("file_name", ""),
            iptc.get("title", ""),
            iptc.get("caption", ""),
            "; ".join(iptc.get("keywords", [])),
            iptc.get("copyright", ""),
            iptc.get("creator", ""),
            attrs.get("file_type", ""),
            attrs.get("file_size", ""),
            attrs.get("width", ""),
            attrs.get("height", ""),
            iptc.get("date_created", ""),
            attrs.get("uploaded_at", ""),
        ])

print(f"Exported {len(images)} images to gallery_metadata.csv")