Run
: EXIF may contain exact GPS coordinates, a
timestamp, and the camera/phone model. If present, you may be done — but treat
metadata as a claim to verify, since it is easily stripped or faked.
Done
when EXIF is extracted or confirmed absent.
Run
(Google Lens, Yandex — strongest for places — Bing,
TinEye) to find earlier appearances, the original source, and the true date.
Run
to check for manipulation and confirm it isn't a
recycled or AI-generated image.
Done when the earliest known appearance and
authenticity are established.
When there's no metadata, geolocate from the image itself. Run
:
read signs, languages, license plates, architecture, flora, power/utility
styles, road markings, and business names; match to satellite/street imagery
(Google Earth, Yandex Maps, Mapillary); use sun position and shadows to bound
the time of day and season.
Done when you have a candidate location, ideally
narrowed to a specific site.
Corroborate the candidate against a second source: Street View match of the same
building, a geotagged photo of the same spot, or terrain overlap. Location is
confirmed only when independent imagery matches. Done when the location
is confirmed or listed as best-estimate with confidence.
Run
. Give coordinates, a confidence level, and the specific visual
clues that pin the location, with reference imagery links.