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Published photo record checklistbefore you publish a photograph, and if one is questioned
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Review the camera original, the exact file you published, and the notes you can still show, before a shot goes public and if it is later questioned.
Nothing you tick is sent anywhere. This page cannot tell whether a photograph is generated, and it cannot decide a watermark or detector result.
Check the records you can still show
Tick what is true of the camera original, the file you published, and the notes you still hold. You get a shareable result and clear next steps. Nothing you tick is sent to TimeBinder.
Your choices stay on this page. Nothing you tick is sent anywhere or tied to your name.
Tick everything that is true before you publish a photograph, or if one is questioned
This looks at the camera original, the exact file you published, and the notes you can still show. It cannot tell whether a photograph is generated, and it cannot decide a watermark or detector result.
What to do now
What should I keep if a published photograph is questioned as AI? The short answer
Keep the camera or drone original (RAW, or the unprocessed camera file) separate from the version you publish, plus a dated copy of the exact published file and a short note of the date, place, kit and any processing. If you watermark or edit the file, keep a copy from before that step.
This checklist is not a detector. A TimeBind of a file you already hold can show that exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not show that a photograph is genuine, and it does not overturn a watermark result.
Why this came up in late October and early November 2026
In late October 2026, a photograph of the Whitehaven lighthouse in a storm was presented as a genuine drone shot, said to have been captured on a DJI Air 3S. Dave Wilson, a Cumbrian photographer and certified commercial drone pilot, questioned whether a drone could reasonably have been flown in reported gusts of 77 miles per hour. He later ran images through OpenAI's Verify tool, which looks for Content Credentials / C2PA metadata or a SynthID watermark. Wilson reported that the disputed images, and virtually all other images he checked from the Aerial Perspectives portfolio, carried a SynthID mark.
PetaPixel (Matt Growcoot, 3 November 2026) reported the case and said it had checked the Verify result too. In a statement to PetaPixel, Jake from Aerial Perspectives said an individual who was previously part of the team had created the stormy harbour image: "We acknowledge that the image should not have been presented as genuine photography." He denied that the entire portfolio was generated, said original files and supporting metadata were available, and said he added the company watermark with ChatGPT, which, in his view, could explain the SynthID flags on other images. PetaPixel asked to see the RAW files and said it would update the article if and when it saw them. Those RAW files are not reviewed on this page, and this checklist does not decide the rest of that portfolio.
Wilson also published YouTube videos under the DW_Cumbria channel. Checked with yt-dlp on 12 November 2026, about 6:57 PM Australia/Brisbane: "Whitehaven AI Photo Controversy – Their Response Raises More Questions!" (uploaded 30 October 2026) had 49,784 views and 1,000 likes (watch it on YouTube); "They Admitted the Photos Were AI… But There Are Still Questions" (uploaded 2 November 2026) had 24,637 views and 820 likes (watch it on YouTube). Counts will keep moving. PetaPixel's own X post on 3 November 2026, read via the X API on 12 November, had 22 likes, 5 reposts and 4,698 impressions (@petapixel). Individual posts were otherwise modest, so the PetaPixel report and the two measured videos are the primary record cited here.
The checks are written so they also help a photographer, a drone pilot or a small studio the next time a photograph is about to be published, or is later questioned. This page does not identify generated media.
Sources: PetaPixel, 3 November 2026, the 30 October DW_Cumbria video, the 2 November DW_Cumbria video, and PetaPixel's 3 November post.
What this checklist does and does not do
The honest job of this page is to slow down a publication until the original and the published file are in hand, not to judge the image for you. See also the glossary entries for EXIF, metadata, SynthID and provenance.
| Part | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| The camera or drone original | Gives you a reason to keep the RAW or unprocessed camera file, separate from the version you publish. | Prove that the published image is a genuine photograph. |
| A file from before watermarking or editing | Reminds you to keep the photograph as it stood before a tool that may add a generated-media watermark. | Strip a watermark, or explain a SynthID or C2PA result on its own. |
| The exact published file and a page capture | Reminds you to keep the file you actually posted, and a capture of the post or page as it appeared. | Stand in for the original, or show how the file was processed. |
| A TimeBind of a file you already hold | Records that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches, using a SHA-256 fingerprint made in your browser. | Show that a photograph is genuine, or overturn a watermark or detector result. |
If a photograph is one you may need to stand behind later
Before you publish a photograph:
- Keep the camera or drone original, and a dated copy of the exact file you will publish, plus a short note of the date, place, kit and any processing.
- If you add a watermark or run the file through an editor, keep a dated copy from before that step.
- Make a TimeBind of each exact file you already hold. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file stays on your device.
A TimeBind shows the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It is not a finding that the photograph is genuine, and it is not a detector.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not. It shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, that its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Published photo record checklist: FAQ
Can this tool tell me whether a photograph is AI-generated?
No. It is not a detector, and it cannot decide a watermark or Content Credentials result. It only helps you review the camera original, the exact file you published, and the notes you still hold.
What should I keep before I publish a photograph?
The camera or drone original (RAW, or the unprocessed camera file), stored separately from the version you publish; a dated copy of the exact file you publish; and flight logs or a short note of the date, place and kit. If you watermark or edit the file, keep a dated copy from before that step.
Why keep the file from before a watermark is added?
Some editors and watermarking tools can add a generated-media watermark, such as SynthID, to a photograph that was captured with a camera. In the Whitehaven case discussed on this page, a business told PetaPixel it had added a company watermark with ChatGPT, which, in its view, could explain why other portfolio images were flagged. Keep the earlier file so a later flag can be compared with what you held.
If a published photo is questioned, what should I gather?
The camera original, the exact published file, a capture of the post or page as it appeared, and any watermark or detector result, all with dates. A TimeBind of an exact file you already hold can show that file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It does not prove the photo is genuine, and it does not overturn a watermark result.
Is anything I tick sent to TimeBinder?
No. The checklist runs in your browser. Your ticks stay on the page.
Is this legal advice?
No. If you need advice about a specific publication or a dispute, speak to a lawyer. This page cannot replace that answer.
Related guides and tools
- Timestamp photos and videosThe TimeBinder hub for dated photo and video records
- Photo contest entry checklistWhat to keep before you submit a contest or agency entry
- Photo contest or stock submissionEvidence of when a photograph existed before you submit
- Content Credentials checkerRead a C2PA manifest in your browser; it does not verify signatures
- AI watermark and label decoderWhat a SynthID, C2PA or platform label does and does not prove
- Content Credentials field guideHow Content Credentials sit beside a dated file record
- GlossaryPlain definitions of EXIF, C2PA, SynthID, fingerprint and SHA-256
- All free toolsPrivate, in-browser tools
Date the original you already hold
Add a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes: a dated, checkable record of the camera original, kept beside the exact file you published.
- Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
- Add your files. They stay on your computer.
- Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. See pricing.