EXIF tag · ExifIFD

DateTimeOriginal

When the photo was taken (local camera time, without time zone unless OffsetTimeOriginal is set).

0x9003
Tag ID (36867 decimal)
ExifIFD
IFD / group
string
Data type
EXIF
Table

What DateTimeOriginal means#

When the photo was taken (local camera time, without time zone unless OffsetTimeOriginal is set).

Read, write and remove it#

# read
exiftool -DateTimeOriginal photo.jpg
# write
exiftool -DateTimeOriginal="…" photo.jpg
# remove
exiftool -DateTimeOriginal= photo.jpg
# all files in a folder, as CSV
exiftool -csv -DateTimeOriginal -r ./photos > date-time-original.csv

In Python with Pillow:

from PIL import Image
exif = Image.open("photo.jpg").getexif()
value = exif.get_ifd(0x8769).get(0x9003)  # DateTimeOriginal
print(value)

Other ExifIFD tags#

Frequently asked questions#

What is the EXIF tag ID of DateTimeOriginal?

0x9003 (36867 decimal), in the ExifIFD directory.

How do I see DateTimeOriginal in a photo?

Run exiftool -DateTimeOriginal photo.jpg, or open the file's info panel in Lightroom, Photoshop, Windows (Properties → Details) or macOS Preview (Tools → Show Inspector).

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources

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