diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 11200dc1..707d6825 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1730,7 +1730,7 @@ exiftool must be installed in the path for this to work.  If exiftool cannot be
 
 `ExifTool` provides the following methods:
 
-- `asdict()`: returns all EXIF metadata found in the file as a dictionary in following form (Note: this shows just a subset of available metadata).  See [exiftool](https://exiftool.org/) documentation to understand which metadata keys are available.
+- `asdict(tag_groups=True)`: returns all EXIF metadata found in the file as a dictionary in following form (Note: this shows just a subset of available metadata).  See [exiftool](https://exiftool.org/) documentation to understand which metadata keys are available. If `tag_groups` is True (default) dict keys are in form "GROUP:TAG", e.g. "IPTC:Keywords". If `tag_groups` is False, dict keys do not have group names, e.g. "Keywords".
 
 ```python
 {'Composite:Aperture': 2.2,
diff --git a/osxphotos/exiftool.py b/osxphotos/exiftool.py
index 8f83eb4a..f0a3678c 100644
--- a/osxphotos/exiftool.py
+++ b/osxphotos/exiftool.py
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import re
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 from functools import lru_cache  # pylint: disable=syntax-error
 
-
 # exiftool -stay_open commands outputs this EOF marker after command is run
 EXIFTOOL_STAYOPEN_EOF = "{ready}"
 EXIFTOOL_STAYOPEN_EOF_LEN = len(EXIFTOOL_STAYOPEN_EOF)
@@ -300,17 +300,28 @@ class ExifTool:
         ver, _, _ = self.run_commands("-ver", no_file=True)
         return ver.decode("utf-8")
 
-    def asdict(self):
+    def asdict(self, tag_groups=True):
         """return dictionary of all EXIF tags and values from exiftool
         returns empty dict if no tags
+
+        Args:
+            tag_groups: if True (default), dict keys have tag groups, e.g. "IPTC:Keywords"; if False, drops groups from keys, e.g. "Keywords"
         """
         json_str, _, _ = self.run_commands("-json")
-        if json_str:
-            exifdict = json.loads(json_str)
-            return exifdict[0]
-        else:
+        if not json_str:
             return dict()
 
+        exifdict = json.loads(json_str)
+        exifdict = exifdict[0]
+        if not tag_groups:
+            # strip tag groups
+            exif_new = {}
+            for k, v in exifdict.items():
+                k = re.sub(r".*:", "", k)
+                exif_new[k] = v
+            exifdict = exif_new
+        return exifdict
+
     def json(self):
         """ returns JSON string containing all EXIF tags and values from exiftool """
         json, _, _ = self.run_commands("-json")
diff --git a/tests/test_exiftool.py b/tests/test_exiftool.py
index 241c86c7..2897f5cf 100644
--- a/tests/test_exiftool.py
+++ b/tests/test_exiftool.py
@@ -57,6 +57,36 @@ EXIF_UUID = {
         "IPTC:DateCreated": "2019:04:15",
     },
 }
+EXIF_UUID_NO_GROUPS = {
+    "6191423D-8DB8-4D4C-92BE-9BBBA308AAC4": {
+        "DateTimeOriginal": "2019:07:04 16:24:01",
+        "LensModel": "XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS",
+        "Keywords": [
+            "Digital Nomad",
+            "Indoor",
+            "Reiseblogger",
+            "Stock Photography",
+            "Top Shot",
+            "close up",
+            "colorful",
+            "design",
+            "display",
+            "fake",
+            "flower",
+            "outdoor",
+            "photography",
+            "plastic",
+            "stock photo",
+            "vibrant",
+        ],
+        "DocumentNotes": "https://flickr.com/e/l7FkSm4f2lQkSV3CG6xlv8Sde5uF3gVu4Hf0Qk11AnU%3D",
+    },
+    "E9BC5C36-7CD1-40A1-A72B-8B8FAC227D51": {
+        "Make": "NIKON CORPORATION",
+        "Model": "NIKON D810",
+        "DateCreated": "2019:04:15",
+    },
+}
 EXIF_UUID_NONE = ["A1DD1F98-2ECD-431F-9AC9-5AFEFE2D3A5C"]
 
 try:
@@ -319,6 +349,14 @@ def test_as_dict():
     assert exifdata["XMP:TagsList"] == "wedding"
 
 
+def test_as_dict_no_tag_groups():
+    import osxphotos.exiftool
+
+    exif1 = osxphotos.exiftool.ExifTool(TEST_FILE_ONE_KEYWORD)
+    exifdata = exif1.asdict(tag_groups=False)
+    assert exifdata["TagsList"] == "wedding"
+
+
 def test_json():
     import osxphotos.exiftool
     import json
@@ -349,6 +387,19 @@ def test_photoinfo_exiftool():
             assert exif_dict[key] == val
 
 
+def test_photoinfo_exiftool_no_groups():
+    """ test PhotoInfo.exiftool which returns ExifTool object for photo without tag group names"""
+    import osxphotos
+
+    photosdb = osxphotos.PhotosDB(dbfile=PHOTOS_DB)
+    for uuid in EXIF_UUID_NO_GROUPS:
+        photo = photosdb.photos(uuid=[uuid])[0]
+        exiftool = photo.exiftool
+        exif_dict = exiftool.asdict(tag_groups=False)
+        for key, val in EXIF_UUID_NO_GROUPS[uuid].items():
+            assert exif_dict[key] == val
+
+
 def test_photoinfo_exiftool_none():
     import osxphotos