Camera Bits, Inc.

Camera Bits Introduces its Solution for Protecting Provenance of
C2PA Signed Photos in Effort to Help Combat Fake Imagery

New technology allows Photo Mechanic® to preserve digital signatures
from ingest to export

(Ed. note: Dennis Walker will be speaking at the IPTC’s Photo Metadata Conference 2024 on 7 May 2024 to offer a brief demo. Attendance is free with registration)

HILLSBORO, OREGON – May 6, 2024 – Today, Camera Bits is pleased to announce its solution for Image Authenticity and Provenance. This innovative technology will be made available as an option in the company’s Photo Mechanic® software for those who require a photo editing workflow that is compliant with the C2PA standard (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity). The C2PA standard provides a framework for applying digital signature technology to media such as digital photos with the goal of certifying the source and provenance (or edit history) of the media. With the recent introduction of cameras creating C2PA signed photos, organizations such as newspapers using Image Authenticity and Provenance technology in Photo Mechanic now have a clear path to publish authentic imagery with provenance going back to the moment of capture.

By virtue of creative handling of C2PA digitally signed photos, Photo Mechanic preserves the digital signature and provenance of these photos throughout the entire Photo Mechanic application workflow. Many photos begin their journey with Photo Mechanic as it is used not only for copying photos from the camera card, but also used for culling to choose the selects and for adding required metadata. Therefore, it is essential that Photo Mechanic preserves the digital signature and provenance of photos taken by C2PA-compliant cameras. Without provenance protections, any modification made to a signed photo, even changing a single bit, will break the digital signature that secures the photo’s provenance.

This goal of provenance protection is achieved by creating a Provenance Locker™ that is stored within the photo itself, not on a separate blockchain or other storage. With a Provenance Locker, Photo Mechanic can make multiple metadata edits, even by multiple editors, while still maintaining the integrity of the Provenance Locker. Then, before handing off a photo to other C2PA-compliant software such as Adobe Photoshop, Photo Mechanic can digitally sign the photo with the C2PA standard and assess metadata changes that were made since the Provenance Locker was created. This provides a clear before-and-after view of the metadata and allows for detailed assertions to be included in the new manifest that is created when the photo is digitally signed, according to the C2PA standard.

“I like to think of a digital signature as an Olympic flame,” says Dennis Walker, President and Founder of Camera Bits. “The camera ignites the flame, and the photo is the torch. Since Photo Mechanic is often the first runner to carry that torch, so to speak, and likely many of the runners until the torch reaches its destination, we have a huge burden to keep that flame alive. I believe we have created a robust solution to carry that torch and preserve photo metadata provenance.” Although not a panacea for proving authenticity, a trusted C2PA workflow starting from the camera is often considered the holy grail of provenance best practices. As an industry leader in photo and metadata editing workflow since the dawn of digital photojournalism, Camera Bits is committed to providing an authentic workflow solution.

Currently in beta testing, Photo Mechanic with its patent pending Image Authenticity and Provenance technology is expected to be released this spring for select markets.

About Camera Bits, Inc.
Camera Bits has been making software relied upon by professional photographers for over twenty-five years. Photo Mechanic is the industry standard workflow and metadata tool for photographers with serious deadlines and a need for absolute accuracy.

About C2PA and CAI
Please visit the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity website (c2pa.org) for information regarding the C2PA standard and its mission to unify multiple efforts from organizations such as the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) (contentauthenticity.org) led by Adobe, of which Camera Bits is a member. Photo Mechanic uses the open source C2PA SDK provided by CAI.

Media Contact:
Mick Orlosky, Director of Marketing
pr@camerabits.com
+1 503-547-2888
camerabits.com