diff --git a/osxphotos/_version.py b/osxphotos/_version.py
index 030fd92d..c6009562 100644
--- a/osxphotos/_version.py
+++ b/osxphotos/_version.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """ version info """
 
-__version__ = "0.28.15"
+__version__ = "0.28.16"
diff --git a/osxphotos/exiftool.py b/osxphotos/exiftool.py
index b1928a52..3fad1e5d 100644
--- a/osxphotos/exiftool.py
+++ b/osxphotos/exiftool.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import logging
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
-from functools import lru_cache # pylint: disable=syntax-error
+from functools import lru_cache  # pylint: disable=syntax-error
 
 from .utils import _debug
 
@@ -232,20 +232,27 @@ class ExifTool:
         ver = self.run_commands("-ver", no_file=True)
         return ver.decode("utf-8")
 
-    def json(self):
-        """ return JSON dictionary from exiftool as dict """
+    def as_dict(self):
+        """ return dictionary of all EXIF tags and values from exiftool 
+            returns empty dict if no tags
+        """
         json_str = self.run_commands("-json")
         if json_str:
-            return json.loads(json_str)
+            exifdict = json.loads(json_str)
+            return exifdict[0]
         else:
-            return None
+            return dict()
+
+    def json(self):
+        """ returns JSON string containing all EXIF tags and values from exiftool """
+        json_str = self.run_commands("-json")
+        return json_str
 
     def _read_exif(self):
         """ read exif data from file """
-        json = self.json()
-        self.data = {k: v for k, v in json[0].items()}
+        data = self.as_dict()
+        self.data = {k: v for k, v in data.items()}
 
     def __str__(self):
         str_ = f"file: {self.file}\nexiftool: {self._exiftoolproc._exiftool}"
         return str_
-
diff --git a/tests/test_exiftool.py b/tests/test_exiftool.py
index f5073064..878e7db0 100644
--- a/tests/test_exiftool.py
+++ b/tests/test_exiftool.py
@@ -161,13 +161,21 @@ def test_exiftoolproc_exiftool():
     assert exif1._exiftoolproc.exiftool == osxphotos.exiftool.get_exiftool_path()
 
 
+def test_as_dict():
+    import osxphotos.exiftool
+
+    exif1 = osxphotos.exiftool.ExifTool(TEST_FILE_ONE_KEYWORD)
+    exifdata = exif1.as_dict()
+    assert exifdata["XMP:TagsList"] == "wedding"
+
+
 def test_json():
     import osxphotos.exiftool
     import json
 
     exif1 = osxphotos.exiftool.ExifTool(TEST_FILE_ONE_KEYWORD)
-    json1 = exif1.json()
-    assert json1[0]["XMP:TagsList"] == "wedding"
+    exifdata = json.loads(exif1.json())
+    assert exifdata[0]["XMP:TagsList"] == "wedding"
 
 
 def test_str():