Make a Read-Only Photo Metadata Report with ExifTool

Start with a representative working folder

Use a small copy containing an untouched scan, its edited version, and any sidecar that belongs with it. Install ExifTool from its official distribution if you choose this workflow. Record which folder you examined. A batch report is easier to interpret when filenames already identify the source item and version, especially if several images share the same camera-generated name.

Inspect one file first. The command below requests selected fields and their group names. It contains no tag assignments and does not write metadata to the photograph. Replace the sample filename with your own. A field absent from the output is not evidence that a tool deliberately removed it; the source may never have contained it.

exiftool -G1 -s -ImageWidth -ImageHeight -DateTimeOriginal -CreateDate -ModifyDate -Description -Caption-Abstract "PH-0001-front.jpg"

Export a focused CSV report

When the single-file result makes sense, use a narrow report for a folder. The example targets JPEGs inside a folder called review-photos and sends CSV to the console. Capture that output using your shell's documented UTF-8 text-output method, saving outside the photo folder. Shell redirection encoding differs across environments, so inspect accented captions in the saved report before relying on it.

ExifTool supplies a SourceFile column in CSV output. Retain that path when comparing records. This command reads metadata; the different option -csv=filename imports values for writing and is not needed here. Keep report generation separate from any future correction procedure so an audit does not accidentally become a metadata update.

exiftool -csv -G1 -r -ext jpg -ImageWidth -ImageHeight -DateTimeOriginal -CreateDate -Description -Caption-Abstract "review-photos"

Turn differences into questions

Compare the source row with its restored derivative. Smaller dimensions may justify checking the export; an absent caption may require a linked caption file. A date can describe capture, digitization, or later processing depending on its field and history. Record the discrepancy and examine the actual file before correcting anything. Do not copy one date into every field to make the report look consistent.

The selected fields are a practical review subset. They are not an exhaustive metadata or privacy audit. Location, faces, comments, and application-specific information may exist elsewhere. Keep a report containing personal captions in the private archive unless you have reviewed it for sharing.

Use the report alongside a visual comparison

After trying ImgHeal, compare the downloaded viewing copy with the untouched scan as well as reviewing the report. Metadata cannot reveal whether a generated face or small object is faithful. Keep a note tying the accepted output to its source, and preserve the report as a dated observation of those files rather than a permanent description of every future version.