For backward compatibility with earlier versions of Directory Server, binary data can be represented by using the ldapmodify -b command. However, when possible, use the standard LDIF notation to represent binary data.
Directory Server accepts the ldapmodify command with the -b parameter and the following LDIF notation:
jpegphoto: /path/to/photo
This notation indicates that the ldapmodify command should read the referenced file for binary values if the attribute value begins with a slash.