How to find the date of creation of uploaded images?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding the date of creation for images that have been uploaded to a website, particularly when the original image is no longer available on the user's PC. The focus includes aspects of image metadata, specifically EXIF data, and the implications of image manipulation on this information.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that downloading the image to a PC may reveal the creation date through image properties, which can be accessed via file properties or image manipulation software.
  • It is noted that original camera images typically contain EXIF data, which includes the creation date, but this data may be unreliable if the camera's date was not set correctly.
  • One participant highlights that metadata can contain additional information, such as exposure settings and GPS coordinates, but also warns about the potential for embarrassing content to be embedded in the metadata.
  • There is a reiteration that if the camera's date was not set correctly, it may be impossible to determine the exact creation date of the image.
  • Another participant humorously adds that without personal notes made at the time of taking the photo, determining the exact date is unlikely.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that while EXIF data can provide creation dates, its reliability is contingent on the camera settings at the time of the photo. There is no consensus on a definitive method to ascertain the creation date if the metadata is missing or incorrect.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the potential for missing or altered metadata due to image manipulation, as well as the dependency on the original camera settings for accurate date information.

Monsterboy
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If i had uploaded an image in a website (and if i don't have the image right now in my PC), is there a way to find the date of creation of the uploaded image?
 
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Download the image to your PC.

If it is an original pic from a camera it will have image properties that tell you TONS about the image including the creation date, but some image manipulation programs trash some or all of this info. The image properties can be read by windows itself (just right click on the file and select "properties") or by any image manipulation software.

The server MAY have software installed that would allow it to get at the properties of an image file directly on the server, but I think you'd have to know what that software is on your particular server and how to access it and it's possible that permissions would be required that you do not have unless it is YOUR server or a VPN.
 
The buzzword for what phinds is talking about is EXIF data. The original camera image will probably contain everything you could possibly want to know, but of course there is no way to tell if the original time and date were correct (some people never figure out how to set the clocks on their digital cameras!) and the data might have been edited or deleted later.
 
phinds said:
... it will have image properties that tell you TONS about the image ...

The metadata in the image file can even contain an embarrassing thumbnail of the entire image from which it was cropped :blushing: ...

lifehacker.com said:
... TechTV host Cat Schwartz, who in 2003 received a rather embarrassing lesson in the power of metadata. In short, a cropped headshot posted on her blog contained an embedded, full-pic thumbnail with, well, a lot more than just a head and shoulders. Even if you're not cropping your mug out of a nude composition, there are others reasons you'd want to remove the metadata from an image. All sorts of information—like exposure time, aperture settings, camera used, and GPS coordinates—can potentially be embedded into an image.
lifehacker.com/5149327/jpeg--png-stripper-removes-the-metadata-from-your-images
 
Last edited:
Ok ,so there is no way to know the exact date if the date in the digital camera was not set at the time when the photo was taken.
 
Monsterboy said:
Ok ,so there is no way to know the exact date if the date in the digital camera was not set at the time when the photo was taken.
Not unless you made a note of it yourself when you took the pic :p
 

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