Resize image in Python without losing EXIF data

Question

I need to resize jpg images with Python without losing the original image\'s EXIF data (metadata about date taken, camera model etc.). All google searches about python and i

Answer 1

There is actually a really simple way of copying EXIF data from a picture to another with only PIL. Though it doesn't permit to modify the exif tags.

image = Image.open('test.jpg')
exif = image.info['exif']
# Your picture process here
image = image.rotate(90)
image.save('test_rotated.jpg', 'JPEG', exif=exif)

As you can see, the save function can take the exif argument which permits to copy the raw exif data in the new image when saving. You don't actually need any other lib if that's all you want to do. I can't seem to find any documentation on the save options and I don't even know if that's specific to Pillow or working with PIL too. (If someone has some kind of link, I would enjoy if they posted it in the comments)

Answer 2

You can use pyexiv2 to copy EXIF data from source image. In the following example image is resized using PIL library, EXIF data copied with pyexiv2 and image size EXIF fields are set with new size.

def resize_image(source_path, dest_path, size):
    # resize image
    image = Image.open(source_path)
    image.thumbnail(size, Image.ANTIALIAS)
    image.save(dest_path, "JPEG")

    # copy EXIF data
    source_image = pyexiv2.Image(source_path)
    source_image.readMetadata()
    dest_image = pyexiv2.Image(dest_path)
    dest_image.readMetadata()
    source_image.copyMetadataTo(dest_image)

    # set EXIF image size info to resized size
    dest_image["Exif.Photo.PixelXDimension"] = image.size[0]
    dest_image["Exif.Photo.PixelYDimension"] = image.size[1]
    dest_image.writeMetadata()

# resizing local file
resize_image("41965749.jpg", "resized.jpg", (600,400))

Answer 3

Why not using ImageMagick?
It is quite a standard tool (for instance, it is the standard tool used by Gallery 2); I have never used it, however it has a python interface as well (or, you can also simply spawn the command) and most of all, should maintain EXIF information between all transformation.

Answer 4

For pyexiv2 v0.3.2, the API documentation refers to the copy method to carry over EXIF data from one image to another. In this case it would be the EXIF data of the original image over to the resized image.

Going off @Maksym Kozlenko, the updated code for copying EXIF data is:

    source_image = pyexiv2.ImageMetadata(source_path)
    source_image.read()

    dest_image = pyexiv2.ImageMetadata(dest_path)
    dest_image.read()

    source_image.copy(dest_image,exif=True)
    dest_image.write()

Answer 5

You can use pyexiv2 to modify the file after saving it.

Answer 6

from PIL import Image
img_path = "/tmp/img.jpg"
img = Image.open(img_path)
exif = img.info['exif']
img.save("output_"+img_path, exif=exif)

Tested in Pillow 2.5.3