Lost EXIF info

Gillies · 01-11-2010, 02:48 AM

Being new to digital, it seems that I have accidentally misplaced or lost some (but not all) of my EXIF files

. I know this has happened sometimes by simply rotating my image clockwise/counter-clockwise and other times I think it is somehow the way I am moving or copying my pictures.
Any idea how this has happened or if there is a way I can retrieve them.
I don't know if it matters, but I have been using PictureProject (Nikon) instead of Silkipix for transferring my photos from camera to computer.

Thanks...Dave

sterretje · 01-11-2010, 09:42 AM

There are no exif files; the exif is embedded in the pictures. It's well possible that some software that you use removes exif info when you rotate or otherwise process.

I always use the operating system's copy utility (think e.g. windows explorer or the equivalent in linux or mac) to copy files from the camera to the PC.

Marc Sabatella · 01-11-2010, 10:32 AM

I'd do a simple test with your software to see which operations lose the EXIF and which don't, and then stop doing the latter. No way should simply copying or moving pictures mess with it, but sure, a really poorly written program might toss the EXIF when rotating the image or otherwise saving the image. You might consider getting better software if that's the case (and see the many, many, threads recommending software for suggestions - Elements, Picasa, ACDSee, Paint Shop Pro - plenty of options out there for not a ton of money).

Gillies · 01-11-2010, 03:16 PM

Thank you.
It's not really a big deal and it hasn't happened in a while since I started doing all my stuff in photoshop elements. It's only because I was trying to load some pictures in PPG and they wouldn't load, I think, because all my Photo details were missing.
however 2 different photos of two different subjects did load that hadn't been turned or manipulated.

Oh well

Mike Cash · 01-12-2010, 04:52 AM

On some software it makes a difference whether you do a "Save" or a "Save As". I suspect this is the culprit. Of course, you really should be doing post-processing on copies of your original files.

Gillies · 01-13-2010, 03:46 AM

Luckily I didn't loose any of the original photos, only some of the exif data. One of the first things I did was create two seperate folders called 'favorites' and 'favorites master' to seperate these from the reast of the chaf. and even then I only work on copies of the ones in 'favorites. It seems I lost the data while I was rotating them before I moved them, or as I moved them to these folders.
Unfortunately I really didn't know what I was doing. Photography was pretty much my initiation into computers.

01-11-2010, 02:48 AM	#1
Gillies Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Montreal Photos: Gallery Posts: 50	Lost EXIF info Being new to digital, it seems that I have accidentally misplaced or lost some (but not all) of my EXIF files. I know this has happened sometimes by simply rotating my image clockwise/counter-clockwise and other times I think it is somehow the way I am moving or copying my pictures. Any idea how this has happened or if there is a way I can retrieve them. I don't know if it matters, but I have been using PictureProject (Nikon) instead of Silkipix for transferring my photos from camera to computer. Thanks...Dave

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01-11-2010, 09:42 AM	#2
sterretje Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Roodepoort, South Africa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,561	There are no exif files; the exif is embedded in the pictures. It's well possible that some software that you use removes exif info when you rotate or otherwise process. I always use the operating system's copy utility (think e.g. windows explorer or the equivalent in linux or mac) to copy files from the camera to the PC.

01-11-2010, 10:32 AM	#3
Marc Sabatella Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Denver, CO Photos: Gallery Posts: 10,685	I'd do a simple test with your software to see which operations lose the EXIF and which don't, and then stop doing the latter. No way should simply copying or moving pictures mess with it, but sure, a really poorly written program might toss the EXIF when rotating the image or otherwise saving the image. You might consider getting better software if that's the case (and see the many, many, threads recommending software for suggestions - Elements, Picasa, ACDSee, Paint Shop Pro - plenty of options out there for not a ton of money).

01-11-2010, 03:16 PM	#4
Gillies Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Montreal Photos: Gallery Posts: 50 Original Poster	Thank you. It's not really a big deal and it hasn't happened in a while since I started doing all my stuff in photoshop elements. It's only because I was trying to load some pictures in PPG and they wouldn't load, I think, because all my Photo details were missing. however 2 different photos of two different subjects did load that hadn't been turned or manipulated. Oh well

01-12-2010, 04:52 AM	#5
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	On some software it makes a difference whether you do a "Save" or a "Save As". I suspect this is the culprit. Of course, you really should be doing post-processing on copies of your original files.

01-13-2010, 03:46 AM	#6
Gillies Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Montreal Photos: Gallery Posts: 50 Original Poster	Luckily I didn't loose any of the original photos, only some of the exif data. One of the first things I did was create two seperate folders called 'favorites' and 'favorites master' to seperate these from the reast of the chaf. and even then I only work on copies of the ones in 'favorites. It seems I lost the data while I was rotating them before I moved them, or as I moved them to these folders. Unfortunately I really didn't know what I was doing. Photography was pretty much my initiation into computers.