The Death of Dates On Pictures

[DaVibe]

With digital cameras, most people opt to take away the date from their pictures and if anything, their camera may not even offer it!

Other than a filename and folder it lies in, there is no real DATE on the photos we all have today. The problem with this is that 20 years from now, when we have printed pictures (or files even) and we're reviewing them, we'll have no idea whether it was 2005 or 2008.

That's a HUGE thing. Anyone use or familiar with some sort of program or software to fix this? Something that you can nicely assign dates to pictures?
That would be my invention at this point.

I think a lot of people are losing the point of photos (especially of family and vacations) by eliminating the date of the event.

[NuggyBuggy]

This is the second post in a few days on this topic. Is this a joke, or do you guys seriously not know that the date/time information and a whole bunch of extra meta-information is embedded in your pictures ? If someone really wanted to superimpose that stuff ON the pictures, it wouldn't take long to write a script to extract that information and superimpose it on top of your pictures. The reason that cameras aren't putting that information ON your pictures is that the information is now IN your pictures.

[DaVibe]

For a regular user to access? I'd like to see this, because I can't see nor do I know how to see this information.

Yes, I would like someone to write that script. Everyone has a digital cameras, no one has dates ... there's a HUGE program sitting that should be made for all to purchase. Seriously, grandma doesn't know when she took that anymore.

[JimG]

Which cameras don't have a date/time stamp option? I haven't seen one. Eitherway, you can access all date/time details and more in the picture properties. Right Click>>Properties. Not exactly difficult.

[DaVibe]

The last 3 Fuji digital cameras I purchased (Z3, Z10, F30) do not have this option.
The 6MP Sony's I've handled do not have this option either. Only my old KODAK had it available and at the time, I took it off.

[DaVibe]

Which cameras don't have a date/time stamp option? I haven't seen one. Eitherway, you can access all date/time details and more in the picture properties. Right Click>>Properties. Not exactly difficult.

But if you transfer the photos around from computer to computer, load them on the net, print them out in hard copy ... there's no date ON the photos.

I think your right clicking will only show the date the picture arrived in a photo transfer onto another computer, not the date it was actually TAKEN or even the day it was created on your computer. Again, those are different dates even ... taken vs. loaded on your computer.

[JimG]

But if you transfer the photos around from computer to computer, load them on the net, print them out in hard copy ... there's no date ON the photos.

I think your right clicking will only show the date the picture arrived in a photo transfer onto another computer, not the date it was actually TAKEN or even the day it was created on your computer. Again, those are different dates even ... taken vs. loaded on your computer.

The data is embedded in the picture itself, you don't lose it by moving to between computers or uploading it. It's written the instant the photo is taken and reflects the actual time the photo was captured. Only way you might lose EXIF data is if you modify the image with a program that doesn't preserve the EXIF data.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif

[shybutsly]

Below is an example of the EXIF data that is embedded in the picture file for a picture I took late last year. As you can see, it has a lot of information:

Camera: Canon PowerShot SD700 IS
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 5.8 mm
Exposure Bias: 0/3 EV
Flash: Flash did not fire

Orientation: Horizontal (normal)
X-Resolution: 180 dpi
Y-Resolution: 180 dpi
Date and Time: 2007:12:06 19:33:22
YCbCr Positioning: Centered
Date and Time (Original): 2007:12:06 19:33:22
Date and Time (Digitized): 2007:12:06 19:33:22
Compressed Bits per Pixel: 5 bits
Shutter Speed: 96/32
Maximum Lens Aperture: 95/32
Metering Mode: Pattern
Color Space: sRGB
Focal Plane X-Resolution: 12515.556 dpi
Focal Plane Y-Resolution: 12497.041 dpi
Sensing Method: One-chip colour area sensor
Digital Zoom Ratio: 2816/2816
Compression: JPEG
Image Type: IMG:PowerShot SD700 IS JPEG
Image Number: 1011214
Model ID: 26476544
Tag::Canon::0x0013: 0, 0, 0, 0
Tag::Canon::0x0018: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
Tag::Canon::0x001D: 32, 1, 0, 2, 2, 2, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 38, 0, 0, 0, 0
Tag::Canon::0x001E: 16843264
Tag::Canon::0x001F: 138, 1, 0, 4, 8, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
Tag::Canon::0x0022: 416, 0, 0, 16, 8, 24, 16, 640, 480, 65232, 65306, 304, 230, 0, 8, 384, 0, 0, 0, 2569, 3083, 3340, 3085, 2828, 2314, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2569, 3083, 3597, 3855, 3855, 3342, 2828, 2314, 0, 0, 0, 2304, 2826, 3853, 4624, 4883, 4883, 4114, 3343, 2571, 9, 0, 0, 2560, 3339, 4367, 5651, 6680, 6170, 4886, 3857, 2829, 10, 0, 0, 0, 3852, 5137, 7192, 8736, 8226, 6172, 4372, 3087, 2315, 7, 0, 0, 4110, 6163, 9246, 10535, 10025, 7716, 4888, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 4366, 6933, 10275, 11564, 11309, 9000, 5403, 3601, 2572, 0, 0, 3072, 4623, 7702, 10789, 12078, 11823, 9514, 5662, 3858, 2572, 0, 0, 3072, 4623, 7702, 10789, 12078, 11823, 9514, 5662, 3858, 2572, 0, 0, 0, 4366, 6933, 10275, 11564, 11309, 9000, 5403, 3601, 2572, 0, 0, 2826, 4110, 6163, 9246, 10535, 10025, 7716, 4888, 3600, 0, 0, 0, 2825, 3852, 5137, 7192, 8736, 8226, 6172, 4372, 3087, 0, 0, 0, 2560, 3339, 4367, 5651, 6680, 6170, 4886, 3857, 2829, 2058, 0, 0, 2304, 2826, 3853, 4624, 4883, 4883, 4114, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1280, 0, 2569, 3083, 3597, 3855, 3855, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2569, 3083, 3340, 3085, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
Image Width: 2816 pixels
Image Height: 2112 pixels
Macro Mode: Normal
Image Quality: Superfine
Continuous Drive: Single
Focus Mode: Single
Canon Image Size: Large
Easy Mode: Full auto
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Camera ISO: Auto
Metering Mode: Evaluative
Focus Range: Auto
AF Point: Auto AF point selection
Canon Exposure Mode: Easy
Lens: 6 - 23mm
Max Aperture: 95
Min Aperture: 159
AE Setting: Normal AE
Zoom Source Width: 2816
Zoom Target Width: 2816
Focal Type: Zoom
Scaled Focal Length: 5800
Focal Plane Size: 230 x 173
ISO: 100
Measured LV: 65529
Target Aperture: 5.6568542494924
Target Exposure Time: 0.125
Focus Distance Upper: 1.4
F Number: 2.8
Camera Type: Compact
Auto Rotate: None
Exposure Time: 4294967272
Scaled Focal Length: 49
AF Points Used: Center
Image Width: 2816
Image Height: 2112
Image Width (As shot): 1408
Image Height (As shot): 264

[JimG]

I don't like having ugly time stamps on the front of my pictures, so what I do when I print my pictures is run a Photoshop script that extracts a photos EXIF data, puts it into a new document and saves it as FILENAMEexif.JPG back to the same folder. I set that up as a batch action for all files in a folder. Then I set my printer to borderless, auto duplex printing and select the folder of photos and their EXIF images for printing. Photos get printed on the photo side, then the printer sucks it back in, flips it over, and prints all the EXIF data on the back of the photo. Pretty quick and easy. Don't know if there's a program that will do all of that, but thats the best solution I've got.

[NuggyBuggy]

For a regular user to access? I'd like to see this, because I can't see nor do I know how to see this information.

Yes, I would like someone to write that script. Everyone has a digital cameras, no one has dates ... there's a HUGE program sitting that should be made for all to purchase. Seriously, grandma doesn't know when she took that anymore.

Do you use Linux or Mac OS X ? It's fairly trivial to extract EXIF info from Perl with the right library, and I think almost as trivial to superimpose strings on JPEGs using e.g. the GD library. .. but I don't know if resulting images retain the EXIF tags or not.

But honestly, I bet you there's some simple tools out there now that do it.

[sfu_engineer]

The data is embedded in the picture itself, you don't lose it by moving to between computers or uploading it. It's written the instant the photo is taken and reflects the actual time the photo was captured. Only way you might lose EXIF data is if you modify the image with a program that doesn't preserve the EXIF data.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif

I believe that what DaVibe is saying that digital media can get wiped easily. Hard drive failure, scratched DVD, etc. But a lot of prints last forever (or until fading). The prints themselves are what will last longer than the digital files. These prints have no date on them as the digital file may be long gone and the EXIF that it had stored is useless if the whole file is missing/corrupt.

[DaVibe]

There should be some customization available ... different labels, designs, size texts and fonts ... that's what would make the addition interesting and appealing again ...

Everyone took it off because they hated the huge bold yellow characters on all their pictures thanks to Kodak ...
That's what I'm saying ... that there should be something so that you can personalize the dates for yourself, make them how you want them.

[JimG]

I believe that what DaVibe is saying that digital media can get wiped easily. Hard drive failure, scratched DVD, etc. But a lot of prints last forever (or until fading). The prints themselves are what will last longer than the digital files. These prints have no date on them as the digital file may be long gone and the EXIF that it had stored is useless if the whole file is missing/corrupt.

Well thats what backups are for.

[Spidey]

The new Canon I bought from the RFD deal from Christmas doesnt have that feature excpet on oen setting, postcard. But the resolution is so bad I dont want to make pictures at that setting.

My older cameras had it, and i sure miss it. Yes its in the file, etc. But for people like that me that print pics still and put them in albums, its nice to have the date on them, or least on the back.

My parents in the old days would never put dates on their pics way back when. Now you look at them and you dont know what year they are. Phots from the 70's and 80's

The Canon software says somehwre you can add it after you download them, so Ill have to look into that.

IU agree they should have the option to have it imprinted, either on or off.

[Nordicwolf]

Whenever I have copies printed I write a short description and date on the back and arrange them chronologically in albums with a seperate album for each year, clearly marked.
But I'm kinda anal when it comes to photos