Some of my image processing workflow is because I am very old and set in my ways. So, it might not be good for others. For example, I still use ksh as my login shell on macOS because I have been using it on Unix and Linux since 1987.
I usually use Canon DPP on my iMac, but sometimes rawtherapee on my Debian Linux machine.
After processing the raw file, if I plan to edit the image in another program, I will save it as a 16 bit TIFF, else I will save it from Canon DPP as a JPG at quality 10 and sometimes also at quality 8 or 9 to get a smaller file. I save a dr4 recipe file from Canon DPP and can use exiftool to read the dr4 file later and see what edits I have done.
Then I will use exiftool to add a description and some other metadata to any JPG, TIF, or HIF files I have created. I also add copyright and location information. I copy the makernotes from the CR3 file because Canon DPP does not copy all of the makernotes.
exiftool -imagesize -datetimeoriginal -description IMG_0404c*.[JTH]??
exiftool -"description=Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) in Norman, Oklahoma, United States on June 15, 2024" IMG_0404c*.[JTH]??
exiftool -sep ", " -"keywords=bird, cardinal, Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinalis, wildlife, wildlife photography, Oklahoma, photography" IMG_0404c*.[JTH]??
exiftool -Xmp:LicensorURL='https://www.rsok.com/copyright.html' -Xmp:LocationShownProvinceState='Oklahoma' -Xmp:LocationShownCountryName='United States' -State='Oklahoma' -Xmp:LocationShownCity='Norman' -Country='United States' -City='Norman' -copyrightnotice='Copyright John Moyer, all rights reserved.' -copyright='Copyright John Moyer, all rights reserved.' IMG_0404c*.[JTH]??
exiftool -tagsfromfile /Volumes/EOS_DIGITAL/DCIM/100CANON/IMG_0404.CR3 -makernotes IMG_0404c*.[JTH]??
Then on my Debian machine I use a graphicsmagick command line to resize the image smaller and add a frame with a caption and then put it on my web server https://www.rsok.com/~jrm/2024Jun17_birds_and_cats/2024jun15_cardinal_IMG_0404c.html
On your mac, "exiftool -description -datetimeoriginal *.jpg" will print to the terminal for each jpg file the description and the time the photo was made if the camera recorded the time correctly.
