What is EXIF Data?

EXIF data is information automatically embedded in your photos by your camera or smartphone. It records camera settings, timestamps, and sometimes GPS location.

EXIF Data Explained

EXIF stands for Exchangeable Image File Format. It’s a standard for storing metadata inside image files — information about how, when, and where a photo was taken.

When you take a photo, your camera or smartphone automatically records technical details and embeds them in the image file. This metadata travels with the photo when you copy, email, or upload it (unless deliberately stripped).

What Information Does EXIF Data Contain?

Camera Settings

  • Aperture (f-stop) — How wide the lens opened (e.g., f/2.8, f/8)
  • Shutter speed — How long the sensor was exposed (e.g., 1/250s)
  • ISO — Sensor sensitivity to light (e.g., ISO 100, ISO 3200)
  • Focal length — Zoom level of the lens (e.g., 50mm, 200mm)
  • Exposure compensation — Manual brightness adjustment
  • Metering mode — How the camera measured light
  • Flash — Whether flash was used

Device Information

  • Camera make and model — Brand and specific camera body
  • Lens — Lens model and specifications
  • Serial numbers — Camera and lens serial numbers (on some models)
  • Firmware version — Software version running on the camera

Date and Time

  • Date taken — When the photo was captured
  • Time taken — Exact time of capture
  • Time zone — Location-based time information (on some devices)

Location (GPS)

  • Latitude and longitude — Exact coordinates where the photo was taken
  • Altitude — Elevation above sea level
  • Direction — Compass bearing the camera was facing

GPS data is commonly recorded by smartphones and drones. Most traditional cameras don’t have built-in GPS, though some higher-end models do.

Image Properties

  • Resolution — Pixel dimensions (e.g., 6000x4000)
  • Color space — sRGB, Adobe RGB, etc.
  • Orientation — Portrait or landscape
  • Thumbnail — Embedded preview image

What is XMP Data?

While EXIF stores camera-recorded information, XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) stores editing information — adjustments made in software like Adobe Lightroom.

XMP data can include:

  • Exposure and contrast adjustments
  • Color grading and white balance changes
  • Tone curve modifications
  • Crop and rotation settings
  • Presets and profiles applied

When a photo is exported from Lightroom with metadata included, both EXIF and XMP data are embedded in the file. This is what allows tools like PixelPeeper to show you the exact Lightroom edits applied to a photo.

How to View EXIF Data

Online EXIF Viewers

The easiest way to view EXIF data is with an online EXIF viewer. Simply upload or drag a photo, and you’ll see all embedded metadata — camera settings, timestamps, GPS location, and any Lightroom edits.

Built-in Operating System Tools

Windows: Right-click the image → Properties → Details tab

macOS: Open in Preview → Tools → Show Inspector → Exif tab

iPhone (iOS 15+): Open in Photos → Tap the “i” button

Android: Open in Google Photos → Tap ⋮ → Details

Professional Software

Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and Bridge all display EXIF data. In Lightroom, it’s shown in the Metadata panel in Library mode.

Why EXIF Data Matters

For Learning Photography

EXIF data lets you study how photos were taken. See the exact settings a photographer used — aperture, shutter speed, ISO — and learn from their technical choices.

For Organizing Photos

Metadata makes it easy to sort and search photos by date, camera, lens, or location. Photo management software uses EXIF data to organize your library automatically.

For Buying Used Cameras

The shutter count — stored in EXIF by Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm cameras — tells you how many photos a camera has taken. This helps assess wear when buying used gear.

For Recovering Presets

If a photo was edited in Lightroom and exported with metadata, you can extract the preset and apply it to your own photos.

Privacy Considerations

EXIF data can reveal sensitive information:

  • GPS coordinates can show your home, workplace, or travel locations
  • Timestamps show when you were somewhere
  • Device info can identify your specific camera

What Strips EXIF Data

Most social media platforms automatically remove EXIF data when you upload:

  • Instagram — Strips all metadata
  • Facebook — Strips all metadata
  • Twitter/X — Strips all metadata

However, some platforms preserve it:

  • Flickr — Keeps metadata (be careful!)
  • Your own website — Usually keeps metadata unless you strip it

If privacy is a concern, remove EXIF data before sharing photos publicly.