The Problem With Protecting Photos
Images are easily copied, stripped of metadata, and reposted without credit. Instagram alone strips EXIF data on upload, making it impossible to prove original ownership from a posted copy.
Once you share a file, you lose control. A timestamp taken before sharing gives you permanent leverage.
For photographers, designers, content creators, this is not a theoretical risk — it is a daily reality. A photographer shares a portfolio preview. The prospective client downloads the image and uses it without paying. Without a timestamp, the photographer has no way to prove they took the photo first.
How TimeProof Solves This
When you timestamp photos with TimeProof, TimeProof uses client-side file hashing (SHA-256). That 64-character value is the unique fingerprint for the exact version you selected, and if even one byte changes, the hash changes too. Your file never leaves your device.
TimeProof proves file existence by anchoring file hashes to the Polygon blockchain. The blockchain records the hash, timestamp, and transaction ID permanently, so anyone can verify the record independently on Polygonscan without relying on editable metadata or a vendor-controlled database.
For photographers, designers, content creators, that means creates a pre-sharing evidence trail so you can prove what was yours before anyone else had access. a blockchain timestamp on your original RAW or high-resolution export proves you had the unaltered image before you shared it anywhere.
Specific to Photos
A blockchain timestamp on your original RAW or high-resolution export proves you had the unaltered image before you shared it anywhere. Common file formats include JPEG, PNG, RAW, TIFF, HEIC, WebP, and TimeProof handles all of them. Whether you are using Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One, the workflow is the same.
The Metadata Problem
Many people assume file metadata is sufficient proof. It is not.
EXIF metadata can be stripped by social media platforms, edited with free tools, or lost during format conversion. It is not reliable as primary ownership proof.
A blockchain timestamp is independent of your file’s metadata. It is stored on the public Polygon blockchain, which no one controls. Even if every byte of metadata is stripped, your timestamp remains permanent and verifiable.
Step-by-Step: Protecting Your Photos
Anchor the exact file before a client, collaborator, reviewer, or platform sees it so later misuse arguments cannot erase who had the work first. Best used before first external access, review, disclosure, or handoff. Common files in this workflow include pitch decks, drafts, and review copies. Typical reviewers or counterparties include clients, collaborators, and reviewers.
- Finalize the version you are about to expose outside your control.
- Timestamp that exact file before sending, uploading, or presenting it.
- Keep the certificate and Polygonscan link with the pitch email, portal upload, or sharing log.
- Timestamp materially revised versions separately before later sharing rounds.
Step 1: Select your file. Open TimeProof and drag your file onto the upload area. TimeProof accepts JPEG, PNG, RAW, TIFF, HEIC, WebP and every other file format. The SHA-256 hash is computed entirely in your browser — your file never leaves your computer.
Step 2: Choose your timestamp type. Use scheduled timestamps for 1 credit per file, or use verified instant timestamps for 2 credits per file when immediate anchoring matters. Both produce permanent, identical proof.
Step 3: Confirm and anchor. Click the timestamp button. TimeProof computes the SHA-256 hash locally, sends it to the Polygon blockchain smart contract, and returns your proof. You pay zero gas fees — TimeProof covers all blockchain costs.
Step 4: Download your proof. You receive a PDF certificate and a direct link to the blockchain transaction on Polygonscan. Verified instant timestamps add a verified identity badge, and Legal-Grade adds the Courtroom-Ready PDF, JSON metadata, JWS identity attestation, and Complete Evidence ZIP.
Step 5: Add Legal-Grade if needed. Legal-Grade is a verified per-batch upgrade. Starter and Pro charge 50 credits for up to 25 files, then +2 credits per file after 25. Business charges 25 credits for up to 25 files, then +1 credit per file after 25. Enterprise includes Legal-Grade. It adds the Courtroom-Ready PDF, JSON metadata, JWS identity attestation, and Complete Evidence ZIP.
What You Receive
Every TimeProof timestamp for photos includes:
- PDF certificate - a readable proof document for the exact photos you timestamped, ready to keep with the project or share when timing becomes disputed.
- Polygonscan link - direct public verification of the on-chain hash, timestamp, and transaction.
Verified instant timestamps also include: 3. Verified identity badge - the certificate shows the timestamp was created by a verified account, which is useful when delivery timing, authorship, or submitter identity may later matter.
With the Legal-Grade upgrade, you also receive the core evidence-package components documented by TimeProof: PDF, JSON, JWS identity attestation, and a ZIP bundle.
- Courtroom-Ready PDF - a presentation-ready evidence certificate for disputes around protect it before sharing with others, payment, originality, or formal review.
- JSON Metadata - machine-readable timestamp data for technical teams, audit trails, or structured evidence review.
- Identity Attestation (JWS) - a signed proof that ties the timestamp to a verified identity and can be verified through /.well-known/jwks.json.
- Complete Evidence ZIP - one bundle containing the Courtroom-Ready PDF, JSON Metadata, Identity Attestation (JWS), and supporting proof materials so counsel, clients, or reviewers can inspect the complete record in one place.
Why Blockchain vs Other Methods
TimeProof uses Polygon because photographers, designers, content creators need proof that is fast to create, inexpensive to repeat, and easy for third parties to verify.
TimeProof proves file existence by anchoring file hashes to the Polygon blockchain. This gives reviewers a public record they can inspect independently on Polygonscan.
- Speed: about 2-second block times when verified instant proof matters.
- Cost: users do not buy crypto or manage gas fees because TimeProof covers blockchain costs.
- Public verification: counterparties, clients, auditors, or counsel can inspect the record independently on Polygonscan.
- Security: the record sits on a public, tamper-resistant network aligned with Ethereum.
- Permanence: the timestamp remains verifiable long after the photos have been shared, reposted, or challenged.
Real-World Scenario
A creator or team shares a file before a deal, approval, or relationship is finalized, then later needs proof that the work was already theirs before anyone else got access. The files at issue are often pitch decks, drafts, and review copies. Typical reviewers or counterparties include clients, collaborators, and reviewers.
A photographer shares a portfolio preview. The prospective client downloads the image and uses it without paying. Without a timestamp, the photographer has no way to prove they took the photo first.
A prospect reuses the work, a collaborator blurs ownership, or a reviewer later treats the shared file as if it originated with them. A pre-sharing timestamp anchors the file before outside access began, which makes later ownership or misuse disputes harder to reframe.
Related Comparisons
These comparisons help you measure this proof path against common alternatives that solve part of the problem but not the full timing-and-integrity chain.
- TimeProof vs NDA: Compare contractual deterrence with file-native proof for cases where outside access begins before trust is fully established.
- TimeProof vs Watermarking: See why visible deterrence does not replace evidence that the exact original file existed before exposure.
- TimeProof vs Email to Self: Compare informal self-send habits with independent timing proof before early sharing or review rounds.
Related Guides
Use these related pages to go deeper on the legal, verification, or pricing context behind this workflow.
- Prove Ownership for Design Files: Pair pre-sharing proof with a stronger ownership workflow when the dispute later becomes about authorship, not only timing.
- Prove a File Existed for Source Code: Use a cleaner existence-proof route when the main goal is anchoring first possession before disclosure.
- Pricing: Review the current credit model for repeated pre-disclosure workflows across pitches, drafts, and client review cycles.
Pricing
TimeProof uses one unified credit balance, so you can protect photos as part of normal work instead of waiting for a dispute.
- Scheduled timestamps: 1 credit per file - available to everyone, with proof available within 6 hours.
- Instant timestamps: 2 credits per file - available to verified subscribers, anchored in about 2 seconds.
- Legal-Grade: Starter and Pro: 50 credits up to 25 files, then +2/file. Business: 25 credits up to 25 files, then +1/file. Enterprise: included.
One-time packs start at $15 for 100 credits. Verified monthly plans start at $19/month and include identity verification for instant timestamps and Legal-Grade.
A wedding shoot of 200 photos uses 200 scheduled credits from the unified balance. Use scheduled timestamps for routine protection, verified instant timestamps when timing must be immediate, and Legal-Grade when the record may be challenged formally.
For photos, the cost is based on the number of files you anchor, not the file size. Scheduled timestamps use 1 credit per file, while verified instant timestamps use 2 credits per file.
Privacy
Your photos never leaves your computer. TimeProof uses client-side file hashing (SHA-256). Only the 64-character hash string is sent for anchoring. Because SHA-256 is one-way, it is not possible to reconstruct the original file from the hash. That lets photographers, designers, content creators protect client work, unpublished material, and high-value source files without exposing the underlying content.