Chronolocation: Determining When a Photo was Taken Using Facebook, Google Street …

How can open source investigators determine when a photograph or video was taken? Observing the length of shadows visible in an image or clip and employing tools like Suncalc offers one useful method. But this process of “chronolocation” – determining when a picture was taken rather than just where (which is known as geolocation) –  isn’t always feasible. For a start, it has to be daytime and there must be a shadow cast somewhere in the video or image of interest. If these options aren’t available, looking for other clues in a “source” image that can be cross-referenced with contextual “reference” images or other related information can also help narrow down a date range. Bellingcat has used such chronolocation techniques to determine when undated photos in a museum archive were taken and to find out when a Czech politician’s son (who claimed to be kidnapped) had been photographed.  Clues to look for in a source image may include: Buildings (especially their façades) Construction sites Storefronts (similar to buildings but might be even more useful as this changes more frequently). Seasonal indicators such as weather, foliage etc. Natural landmarks Clock towers Public transport stops, bus lines etc. Graffiti and murals Banners
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