How do you authenticate a digital photo: Hi all....does anyone know how to authenticate the meta data for a digital photo. I need to prove photos were taken on a specific day and time...

rrg6481 Loc: USA

Hi all....does anyone know how to authenticate the meta data for a digital photo. I need to prove photos were taken on a specific day and time to ensure the authenticity. Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Doyle Thomas Loc: Vancouver Washington ~ USA

you really can't. aside from the programs that can edit metadata you can print the image, set the date/time on your camera and re-photograph. about all you can do is have some other people there at the time to testify.

maybe someone else knows another way.

SX2002 Loc: Adelaide, South Australia

The Exif date is imprinted within the file and gives the date and time amongst all the other info...to the best of my knowledge, it can't be changed...
You could take a screen shot and PP the Exif info out and type in your own but every time you opened the original pic the correct info would be there...
With my D7100, I can also include my name as the artist and the copyright holder (ViewNX 2) this appears in the Exif data as well

Faststone

(Download)

Nikon ViewNX 2

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DOOK Loc: Maclean, Australia

If I wanted to manufacture a false alibi, I could simply set a false time & date on my camera & photograph myself with an identifiable background. This is the reason why courts usually won't admit digital images as evidence. So, it is not possible to 100% guarantee the data on a digital image.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

SX2002 wrote:

The Exif date is imprinted within the file and gives the date and time amongst all the other info...to the best of my knowledge, it can't be changed...

Actually, any and all EXIF data can be deleted, changed or even added to with simple software. No digital file is secure in our world today.

SX2002 Loc: Adelaide, South Australia

MT Shooter wrote:

Actually, any and all EXIF data can be deleted, changed or even added to with simple software. No digital file is secure in our world today.

But can it be deleted from the original image...if it can, please tell me how...?
It's digitally imprinted into the file data...?
I can alter it by doing a screen capture and then adding my own info but I cannot see how it can be removed from the original...?
Just tried it with one of my pics and using Faststone it won't allow me to delete the info...?

amehta Loc: Boston

SX2002 wrote:

But can it be deleted from the original image...if it can, please tell me how...?
It's digitally imprinted into the file data...?
I can alter it by doing a screen capture and then adding my own info but I cannot see how it can be removed from the original...?
Just tried it with one of my pics and using Faststone it won't allow me to delete the info...?

All our photo editing applications "agree" to not edit the original raw files, but someone who knew the file structure could open the file and edit things.

Don L G

rrg6481 wrote:

Hi all....does anyone know how to authenticate the meta data for a digital photo. I need to prove photos were taken on a specific day and time to ensure the authenticity. Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Nikon has Image Authentication when on embed in to the image when taken but will not move to copies.

That from the manual I have never tried it so ???

amehta Loc: Boston

Don L G wrote:

Nikon has Image Authentication when on embed in to the image when taken but will not move to copies.

That from the manual I have never tried it so ???

It was available in the D300 and D700, but it's gone in the D7100 or D800. The Image Authentication Software (link) is an "Archived Product" on the Nikon web site

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

SX2002 wrote:

But can it be deleted from the original image...if it can, please tell me how...?
It's digitally imprinted into the file data...?
I can alter it by doing a screen capture and then adding my own info but I cannot see how it can be removed from the original...?
Just tried it with one of my pics and using Faststone it won't allow me to delete the info...?

It can easily be deleted. In fact, many of the free and cheaper software strips the image of the EXIF data automatically any time that image has been altered in any way. I use P.I.E. from Picmeta and it allows me to change the EXIF data on a line by line basis if needed, add any information I feel may be pertinent, or delete it line by line or altogether.

SpeedyWilson Loc: Upstate South Carolina

Take a Notary Public with you to the shooting site. He/she can take a picture of you taking your pictures, and then he/she can notarize that all the pictures are true as to date/time/place, etc.

Not very practical, but it might work in a pinch. Maybe you could even become a Notary yourself, or a spouse, or someone else who is readily available. I'm sure each state has rules that have to be followed to be sure everything is legal.

rrg6481 Loc: USA

Thank you every one. I had a feeling this was not going to be easy. Sounds like old fashion trustworthiness is the best solution.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

rrg6481 wrote:

Hi all....does anyone know how to authenticate the meta data for a digital photo. I need to prove photos were taken on a specific day and time to ensure the authenticity. Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

For photos used as evidence, the procedure is to take the photo straight from the camera and burn it to a CD. This is also a procedure which is witnessed by another technician, for testimony purposes.
--Bob

Billbobboy42 Loc: Center of Delmarva

[quote=SpeedyWilson]. Maybe you could even become a Notary yourself,

I'm curious, can a notary "notorize" his/her self?

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

MT Shooter wrote:

Actually, any and all EXIF data can be deleted, changed or even added to with simple software. No digital file is secure in our world today.

I don't believe this to be accurate MT. All of my Canon bodies have an option that you can set so that when the image is taken and saved to media such as a hard drive, thumb drive or CD/DVD, a program that Canon provides can verify that the image has not been altered in any way. Not one pixel can be changed or the program will know and flag the image as not being an original. This is used all the time forensically and courts of law to verify that images that have been taken are forensically true and accurate.

Blog from: http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/education/infobank/image_verification/canon_data_verification_system.do

"One advantage of the Canon system is that it costs the photographer nothing. There are no accessories to buy and no software to install. Everything you need is already available in the camera providing you have one of the compatible models. All you have to do is switch on the data verification system. It is the end user of the image the news agency or police department which needs to buy the Canon Data Verification Kit to check the integrity of your image."