Exif stripped?

kds1

Hi all - I need help! JAG notified me that my exif info was 'stripped' on my entry. I have no idea why that would be. I checked, and in my software, the exif info is clearly there. I used the bulletproof uploader the first time, so I tried the simple on this time. Same thing - IF the way you know if exif into is stripped is to click on the photo info 'i' and then detailed? That is blank. On the other tab (not detailed and I can't remember off the top of my head what it is titled), it has a "Date Modified" that is filled out. Will this do? Is this the exif info translated from my software to dgrin?

If not, how do I get the exif info to tranfer? What could be happening?

Help is very appreciated!

Kara

JAG

If you are using psp and are you saving in web size or smart size...they will strip your exif. If you are copy and pasting the image as a new image...they will strip the exif. You must save the image like the original only change the name so it will keep the original.

kds1

JAG wrote:

If you are using psp and are you saving in web size or smart size...they will strip your exif. If you are copy and pasting the image as a new image...they will strip the exif. You must save the image like the original only change the name so it will keep the original.

Hi JAG, no, I'm not saving in web size or smart size. I am doing 'save as' and then saving the edited version of the original in a new file with a new name.

JAG

I am thinking that your psp is formated to strip the info when it saves it. To save with exif click on file>save as... then click on the options link at the bottom right of the dialog box. Mark the save Exif information and then ok.

To make sure this happens everytime after you have set the exif save....go to file>preferences and click on Display and caching from the list on the left. In the presentation group box mark the Reuse last type in the file save as dialog check box.

Hopefully this will resolve the issues.

kds1

JAG wrote:

To save with exif click on file>save as... then click on the options link at the bottom right of the dialog box. Mark the save Exif information and then ok.

Hi JAG, yes, I did that. And it was even checked when I went in to check that it was checked! I am opening it again just now, and the exif box is checked.

I will save it yet again (4th time) and proceed with the rest of your directions and see . . .

I appreciate your help - this is really frustrating!

Kara

kds1

JAG wrote:

To make sure this happens everytime after you have set the exif save....go to file>preferences and click on Display and caching from the list on the left. In the presentation group box mark the Reuse last type in the file save as dialog check box.

Hopefully this will resolve the issues.

Hi again,

Yes, that box was already checked.

So I will try to upload it a 4th time now, but I don't expect anything to be any different since the exif box was already checked as was the other one, and I didn't change anything. so frustrating.

richtersl

Have you checked the photo's properties to verify that the Date Taken is actually being saved along with the photo? The Date Taken is the important thing for the challenge.

To check the properties of a photo:

1. Find the folder where you saved the photo.
2. Right-click the photo and then select Properties from the pop-up menu.
3. Click the Summary tab. If you see a button labeled Advanced, click that. You should see a dialog box similar to the attachment I just uploaded.
4. Scroll down to where you see Date Picture Taken.

If your dialog box doesn't look like the attachment, then it's a software issue/setting that's stripping the exif.

sunflowerstudio

Graphic Converter seems to strip the exif info (or at least rearrange it) on my macintosh and my cursory attempts to check the preferences/etc have not resolved the situation. I don't have this problem when I use adobe photoshop.

Maybe the user can tell us what software he's using? (maybe he has -- I don't know the "psp")

kds1

sunflowerstudio wrote:

Graphic Converter seems to strip the exif info (or at least rearrange it) on my macintosh and my cursory attempts to check the preferences/etc have not resolved the situation. I don't have this problem when I use adobe photoshop.

Maybe the user can tell us what software he's using? (maybe he has -- I don't know the "psp")

Hi - I'm using Corel Paint Shop Photo Pro X3. I haven't had this problem before and am stumped. I have not had the image in any other format. JPEG in the camera, JPEG to upload to Corel, JPEG while eding, JPEG to Save As. I upgraded to X3 recently from X2. All the exif data boxes are checked in the software to show/save exif info. All the exif data is there for the image in the software. It just is not there when I upload it to the challenge gallery. All I can think to do now is transfer the image back to X2 and upload it from X2 and see if the exif data transfers.

Scott_Quier

The last time I checked, when SmugMug imports your image and creates the various sizes, it strips the EXIF off all but the original. So, if you are linking something other than the original in your post, this may be the culprit.

kds1

Scott_Quier wrote:

The last time I checked, when SmugMug imports your image and creates the various sizes, it strips the EXIF off all but the original. So, if you are linking something other than the original in your post, this may be the culprit.

Hi Scott,

But I am uploading the original original from my camera into my sofware. I then edit it to make it a better photo. I then use Save As and rename it. This beautified, edited image then becomes my original of that edited image, no? So that's the one I use to upload to smugmug. I'm not uploading the straight out of the camera image, but I am uploading the image I edited and saved as a new 'original' if that makes sense. smugmug surely can't strip off the exifs off of all edited photos or else none of these (except SOOC's) would have exif, right?

Thank you for trying to help and for your thoughts. Keep 'em coming - I still can't get it!

Scott_Quier

kds1 wrote:

Hi Scott,

But I am uploading the original original from my camera into my sofware. I then edit it to make it a better photo. I then use Save As and rename it. This beautified, edited image then becomes my original of that edited image, no? So that's the one I use to upload to smugmug. I'm not uploading the straight out of the camera image, but I am uploading the image I edited and saved as a new 'original' if that makes sense. smugmug surely can't strip off the exifs off of all edited photos or else none of these (except SOOC's) would have exif, right?

Thank you for trying to help and for your thoughts. Keep 'em coming - I still can't get it!

The file you upload to Smuggie becomes the SmugMug "original" on your SmugMug site and it is this one that contains the EXIF data (or at least should). To find out if it's there:

• Go to the gallery where the photo is hosted
• Move your mouse over the image
• There should be a drop-down menu displayed, click on the "info" icon
• This should display your EXIF data

The EXIF data, if it's there, will only be embedded in the SmugMug original image. All other sizes (created by SmugMug when you uploaded your original) will not contain any EXIF data.

kds1

Thanks,Linda. I will check that out this evening.

Kara

kds1

Scott_Quier wrote:

The file you upload to Smuggie becomes the SmugMug "original" on your SmugMug site and it is this one that contains the EXIF data (or at least should). To find out if it's there:

• Go to the gallery where the photo is hosted
• Move your mouse over the image
• There should be a drop-down menu displayed, click on the "info" icon
• This should display your EXIF data

The EXIF data, if it's there, will only be embedded in the SmugMug original image. All other sizes (created by SmugMug when you uploaded your original) will not contain any EXIF data.

Hi Scott,

I haven't before uploaded images to the challenge gallery from my smugmug site. I upload directly from my computer. Are you saying that you think I should ck to see if the exif is there on the one I have uploaded to smugmug and then try loading that one from my smugmug gallery to the challenge gallery?

I can try that.

I know the exif info is there on the image in my software on my computer. Just won't tranfer in the upload.

I don't have my smugmug gallery set to show photo info for all my galleries - don't really want people looking, don't think they need to, etc. So it may be that my smugmug gallery does NOT have the exif info since I have it checked in my galleries there to not show it. So what you are suggesting may or may not work.

Seems like the larger issue is why is it not tranfering from my software to wherever I upload it to (challenge gallery). But yeah, if I can get it to work uploading it from smugmug to the challenge gallery, that is certainly worth a try.

Thanks!

Kara

JAG

Ok now we know its not the psp that has the problem. You say you are using the drag and drop uploader...which is the one I use...that seems to work. What about the program you are acutally taking the photo from. Like do you store your photos on your computer in a windows program or some other program? Are you sure the exif is still in tact while its in that program?

For instance...when I got my new computer, the defaults was set that HP photo would handle any images coming through the computer. I had to go into my Operating system and choose a difference preference such as a windows application based program that wont add or take away anything from the images. Is it possible that whatever OP you are using is not fully saving all your exif info?

kds1

JAG wrote:

Ok now we know its not the psp that has the problem. You say you are using the drag and drop uploader...which is the one I use...that seems to work. What about the program you are acutally taking the photo from. Like do you store your photos on your computer in a windows program or some other program? Are you sure the exif is still in tact while its in that program?

For instance...when I got my new computer, the defaults was set that HP photo would handle any images coming through the computer. I had to go into my Operating system and choose a difference preference such as a windows application based program that wont add or take away anything from the images. Is it possible that whatever OP you are using is not fully saving all your exif info?

JAG,

I have my Corel photo downloader set to upload images from my camera. They are sucked straight out of the camera into the Corel program. Camera and Corel I used JPEG. So it doesn't go through any other downloader. Just straight into Corel.

And the exif data is with the image in the Corel program. So the problem is somewhere in the tranfer process, although all boxes that I can find in the Corel system are checked/on for exif data to be saved/shown, etc. This is just so nuts.:cry

Scott_Quier

kds1 wrote:

Hi Scott,

I haven't before uploaded images to the challenge gallery from my smugmug site. I upload directly from my computer. Are you saying that you think I should ck to see if the exif is there on the one I have uploaded to smugmug and then try loading that one from my smugmug gallery to the challenge gallery?

I can try that.

I know the exif info is there on the image in my software on my computer. Just won't tranfer in the upload.

I don't have my smugmug gallery set to show photo info for all my galleries - don't really want people looking, don't think they need to, etc. So it may be that my smugmug gallery does NOT have the exif info since I have it checked in my galleries there to not show it. So what you are suggesting may or may not work.

Seems like the larger issue is why is it not tranfering from my software to wherever I upload it to (challenge gallery). But yeah, if I can get it to work uploading it from smugmug to the challenge gallery, that is certainly worth a try.

Thanks!

Kara

- The light dawns. I thought you were loading to your smugmug account. I mis-understood. If I understand correctly, you are uploading directly from your computer to the gallery in question.

A couple of things that come to mind:

1. Are we sure the JPG being generated actually contains EXIF data. The test I would recommend is to generate a JPG, saving it to your computer. It appears from your description that this is already part of your workflow. Open that JPG in your editor and read the EXIF.
2. If there's EXIF data in that JPG, update that JPG to the gallery using one of the uploaders provided by SmugMug. Check to see that the EXIF is there.

If there' no data in the JPG generated by your software, you know where the problem is.

If there's EXIF in the JPG but not in the uploaded image in the gallery - well, the problem is in the uploader you are using this would need to be brought to the attention of the SmugMug Super-Heros. They may want you to e-mail them a copy of the image you are attempting to upload and the URL of the gallery to which you are uploading.

kds1

Scott_Quier wrote:

Are we sure the JPG being generated actually contains EXIF data. The test I would recommend is to generate a JPG, saving it to your computer. It appears from your description that this is already part of your workflow. Open that JPG in your editor and read the EXIF.

1. If there's EXIF data in that JPG, update that JPG to the gallery using one of the uploaders provided by SmugMug. Check to see that the EXIF is there.

If there' no data in the JPG generated by your software, you know where the problem is.

If there's EXIF in the JPG but not in the uploaded image in the gallery - well, the problem is in the uploader you are using this would need to be brought to the attention of the SmugMug Super-Heros. They may want you to e-mail them a copy of the image you are attempting to upload and the URL of the gallery to which you are uploading.

Hi Scott.

Yep. Tried that 4 times. There IS exif data in the jpegs in my software on my computer. I am sure of that. All settings in said software are set to save exif data. However, all 4 times I tried (using both the 'simple' uploader and the 'bulletproof' uploader), the exif data is not on the uploaded images when it reaches the destination gallery.

I thought it may be a smugmug uploader issue, but if I have used 2 uploaders with the same result - maybe not.

Kara

JAG

kds...I suspect its still has to do with the corel program. In the corel program you see the exif. But going through the corel photo manager could still be stripping them before adding them. I suggest that you save the image to your computer as stated above then open a windows appliction such as windows viewer through your OP (assuming here that you have a pc with windows OP installed...thus why I asked in my previous post what OP you are using.). Then try to view the exif info in properties of the windows veiwer as was suggested in the earlier post. Even though I have both psp2x and CS4 I do not use any of their programs to manage my photos when taking them off the camera or storing them on my computer. I find that most editing programs will add or take away info when you share from them directly or use them to upload pics from the camera to your computer. Windows has a good old product that doesn't add or subtract anything automatically.

kds1

JAG wrote:

kds...I suspect its still has to do with the corel program. In the corel program you see the exif. But going through the corel photo manager could still be stripping them before adding them. I suggest that you save the image to your computer as stated above then open a windows appliction such as windows viewer through your OP (assuming here that you have a pc with windows OP installed...thus why I asked in my previous post what OP you are using.). Then try to view the exif info in properties of the windows veiwer as was suggested in the earlier post. Even though I have both psp2x and CS4 I do not use any of their programs to manage my photos when taking them off the camera or storing them on my computer. I find that most editing programs will add or take away info when you share from them directly or use them to upload pics from the camera to your computer. Windows has a good old product that doesn't add or subtract anything automatically.

Sorry, JAG. I have a PC with Windows Vista. I will try what you have suggested when I get home this evening! Thank you!

kds1

JAG wrote:

kds...I suspect its still has to do with the corel program. In the corel program you see the exif. But going through the corel photo manager could still be stripping them before adding them. I suggest that you save the image to your computer as stated above then open a windows appliction such as windows viewer through your OP (assuming here that you have a pc with windows OP installed...thus why I asked in my previous post what OP you are using.). Then try to view the exif info in properties of the windows veiwer as was suggested in the earlier post. Even though I have both psp2x and CS4 I do not use any of their programs to manage my photos when taking them off the camera or storing them on my computer. I find that most editing programs will add or take away info when you share from them directly or use them to upload pics from the camera to your computer. Windows has a good old product that doesn't add or subtract anything automatically.

JAG - a question though. But then wouldn't the exif info be missing in the software after I upload it from the camera? The exif info is still there after uploading from the camera. It is still there and readable in my Corel software after uploading from the camera to my computer.

Richard

I'm not familiar with Corel, so I don't know what it might be doing. This does sound strange, though. One thought did cross my mind: was the image produced from a single exposure? In Photoshop, if you combine several shots in a pano or HDR, the EXIF data gets zapped, as the values may be different in each frame.

kds1

Richard wrote:

I'm not familiar with Corel, so I don't know what it might be doing. This does sound strange, though. One thought did cross my mind: was the image produced from a single exposure? In Photoshop, if you combine several shots in a pano or HDR, the EXIF data gets zapped, as the values may be different in each frame.

Hi Richard,

Yes, just one plain, basic shot taken with the camera set for JPEG, software using JPEG.

Kara

JerryBarton

PSP X3 has a real bug. Open opening a JPG file containing extensive EXIF data (e.g. exposure data from the camera, etc.) most EXIF data fields are not read - only the data/time and dpi and name fields are kept.

When creating a JPG file with the Export/JPEG Optimzer, existing "Creator information" (e.g. artist name, owner name, copyright, title, description) are not saved.

I've reported the bug to Corel.

kds1

JerryBarton wrote:

PSP X3 has a real bug. Open opening a JPG file containing extensive EXIF data (e.g. exposure data from the camera, etc.) most EXIF data fields are not read - only the data/time and dpi and name fields are kept.

When creating a JPG file with the Export/JPEG Optimzer, existing "Creator information" (e.g. artist name, owner name, copyright, title, description) are not saved.

I've reported the bug to Corel.

Well a bug would make sense with what I am experiencing. grrrrrr. Thank you for writing!

richtersl

Since this is a bug, here's what you can do: upload the version of the photo you want to use for the challenge into the gallery and upload the original unedited image to your smugmug site. Then edit the caption of the version of the photo that you want to submit and add a link to the original image that you uploaded to your site. Kerry can get the exif from there to determine eligibiltiy. Folks who enter HDR images have to do this because some HDR software strips exif information so I don't see why you can't do the same. There may even be a tutorial here on how to link to your photo's exif information.

kds1

richtersl wrote:

Have you checked the photo's properties to verify that the Date Taken is actually being saved along with the photo? The Date Taken is the important thing for the challenge.

To check the properties of a photo:

1. Find the folder where you saved the photo.
2. Right-click the photo and then select Properties from the pop-up menu.
3. Click the Summary tab. If you see a button labeled Advanced, click that. You should see a dialog box similar to the attachment I just uploaded.
4. Scroll down to where you see Date Picture Taken.

If your dialog box doesn't look like the attachment, then it's a software issue/setting that's stripping the exif.

Hi Linda,

I'm trying this now. Using Windows Explorer, find picture, right click, go to Properties, and then my thing looks different than yours. I wish I knew how to copy the box to show. No Summary tab. Has General, Security and Details tab. Under the Details tab, under the File section, it has Name, Type, Folder Path,
Date Created, Date Modified, Size, Attributes, Owner, Computer - those are the lines that are all filled out. In other words, it has this info in the fields for those things. Image info is also filled out - Dimensions, Height, Width, Hor Res, Vertical Res, Bit Depth, Res unit, Color Rep - those are also all filled out.

What is NOT filled out is the section on Camera Info - maker, model, fstop, ISO, etc. - None of that is filled out.

So maybe that points to what the other poster said about a bug.

kds1

richtersl wrote:

Since this is a bug, here's what you can do: upload the version of the photo you want to use for the challenge into the gallery and upload the original unedited image to your smugmug site. Then edit the caption of the version of the photo that you want to submit and add a link to the original image that you uploaded to your site. Kerry can get the exif from there to determine eligibiltiy. Folks who enter HDR images have to do this because some HDR software strips exif information so I don't see why you can't do the same. There may even be a tutorial here on how to link to your photo's exif information.

OK. Thanks, Linda. I am going to try using the X2 version first and see if that works with no bugs. That is the version I used when I entered contests before and never had this problem (that i know of - it could be that nobody ever checked my images to see if the info was there - I know I didn't! Yikes.)

Kara

kds1

Hi Linda and all - the good news is that the original DID upload to my smugmug site with exif like Linda suggested I try! yay! I was afraid it wouldn't since I thought the bug was in uploading from the camera into the corel software using corel as a photo downloader. which would mean that the original also wouldn't have the info. At any rate, it does.

So I gather I get the link through the Share, then Get a Link buttons. So let me try that.

Thanks again and I will check out NOT using Corel as my photo downloader as all of you have suggested!

What makes this even kind of more pathetic is that I really just entered the contest on a whim to get back into the swing of things after being away for many months! sheesh! Was that image really worth all this manpower you all have put into it? Ummm, probably not . . ..

I really appreciate everyone's help. Still working on it so this doesn't happen again! You all are great.

Kara

Kara

JAG

The fact that your using a pspX3 is the only variable here between our systems (although I have the updated vista, windows 7) and it looks like it might be the bug described in a previous post. I do hope that all works well with the psp x2. You might have to work with the original off the camera image in x2 since x3 might have already stripped the exif info. (or not...just guessing at this point.)

kds1

Just an interesting update for you all - especially Jerry - It's not the uploader. It's not if you use Corel to upload from the camera it strips the exif. I just used Windows explorer to upload from the camera. As when I used Corel, the original has ALL the exif, no problem.

However, then I edit. When the photo is as I want it, I use Save As and choose the new file and a new name for the newly edited photo. All 'save exif' boxes are checked. However, the newly edited photos has no exif. I tried it in Corel PSP photo x2 and x3. Same result. Orig has exif. Edited versions do not.

I then uploaded to smugmug to see if there was any way the info was there somehow and would come out in my smugmug gallery. no go. No exif.

I want my money back and am about to write Corel and tell them so. Useless piece of :bash

grrrrr.