When a photo is stolen, entered in a contest by someone else, or questioned as fake, photographers reach for the RAW file. It is strong evidence that you were behind the camera. It is weaker on when. Here is what RAW files record about time, where that breaks down, and how to freeze originals so the date can be checked.
Short answer: EXIF dates in a RAW file come from the camera’s clock, which anyone can set. To show a photo existed before it was stolen, entered or questioned, timestamp the original RAW files with TimeBinder as soon as you import them. A TimeBind shows that the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches its fingerprint. It doesn’t show who made it or what a court will make of it.
Disclosure: I’m Inna Hall, co-founder of TimeBinder, the file timestamping tool this guide uses. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Table of Contents
What a RAW file records
- Capture date and time (EXIF DateTimeOriginal), with sub-seconds and, on newer cameras, a time-zone offset.
- Camera body serial number and lens details, and in many cameras a shutter or image count in the maker notes.
- File numbering such as DSC_4821, which shows sequence within a card or camera.
- Content Credentials on some newer cameras, which sign the image at capture. See Content Credentials vs a timestamp.
Why EXIF dates are easy to challenge
The camera clock is set by the owner. It is often wrong anyway (never set, wrong time zone, not changed for daylight saving), and metadata can be edited after the fact. Serial numbers and file numbering help show the file came from your camera, but not when. To settle timing you need a record that someone else holds.
What to freeze, and when
- Originals exactly as they come off the card, before import, renaming or conversion. Converting to DNG creates a new file with a different fingerprint.
- The exported image you publish or submit, because that is the version others will have.
- Sidecar or catalogue edits if your editing choices matter, for example in a contest that checks processing.
- A set of neighbouring frames. The shots before and after a key image are hard to fake and show the scene was really photographed.
A simple routine
- Copy the card to a folder of originals and leave those files untouched. Edit from another copy or a catalogue that does not write into the originals.
- For a small set, TimeBind the key RAWs and their neighbours directly. For a whole shoot, zip the originals folder once, or make a SHA-256 manifest with the free hash checker.
- TimeBind in TimeBinder the same day, before you post anything. A Pooled TimeBind covers up to 10 files.
- When you export finals, TimeBind them too, and keep certificates with the originals.
Which plan fits
The free plan gives you 1 Token a month, which is one Pooled TimeBind of up to 10 files. No credit card is required for the free plan. A Pooled TimeBind is usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity; an ASAP TimeBind costs 3 Tokens and gets its own Bitcoin transaction straight away.
For more milestones, Essential is US$20 a month for 5 Tokens (5 Pooled, or 1 ASAP plus 2 Pooled). Expert is US$50 a month for 15 Tokens (15 Pooled or 5 ASAP), and unused Tokens roll over. Verification is free. See pricing.
What a timestamp does and doesn’t do
TimeBinder anchors each file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to Bitcoin and gives you a Proof of Time Certificate. That is verifiable evidence of when a file existed: it shows the file existed no later than the anchor date, and any later change to the file is detectable. An ASAP TimeBind can be checked directly on the Bitcoin blockchain without relying on TimeBinder; a Pooled TimeBind is verified through TimeBinder. Your file is hashed in your browser and never uploaded.
It doesn’t show who made the work or who owns it, it doesn’t stop copying, and it doesn’t cover a version you didn’t timestamp. Who owns a commissioned photo depends on your contract and local law. See how to timestamp a photo series before publishing and photos and videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does EXIF prove when a photo was taken?
No. The capture date in EXIF comes from the camera’s clock, which can be set to any date before shooting, and metadata can be edited afterwards. It is useful context, especially with the camera’s serial number and file numbering, but it is not independent.
Will editing in Lightroom change my RAW file?
For proprietary RAW files (CR3, NEF, ARW, RAF and others), edits are stored in the catalogue or a sidecar file, so the RAW stays the same. DNG files are different: Lightroom can write metadata into the DNG itself, which changes its bytes. Converting to DNG on import also creates a new file.
A shoot has hundreds of files. How do I timestamp them all?
Zip the folder of originals once and TimeBind the zip, or create a SHA-256 manifest of every file and TimeBind it with your key frames.
Do photo contests accept a timestamp instead of RAW files?
No. Contests that verify entries usually ask for the original files. A timestamp helps by showing your originals existed no later than a date, for example before a similar image appeared.
Plan details were checked against timebinder.io/pricing on 29 October 2026.
