Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/record-family-photo-edit-history/ # Record a Family Photo's Edit History Without a Complicated System Keep a readable transformation log for captures, crops, restorations and sharing exports, with a worked version-chain example. Family photo projects4 min readUpdated 11 October 2026 ## Try it on your own photo Repair a copy of your photo, then compare faces and details with the original. [Restore my photo]()1 credit per successful photo ยท Account required[See credit packs]() Quick answer ## The short version Keep the source master, give each selected derivative a version ID and record material changes with the source, editor and date. Distinguish ordinary tonal edits from generated content. A readable log can preserve context even when embedded metadata is absent or lost. ## Record the decisions someone else will need An edit history should let another person answer which file an image came from, what materially changed and why that version was selected. It need not list every mouse movement. Use one row per selected derivative, plus records for experiments that explain a rejection or disputed feature. Keep the log linked by stable photo IDs so a filename change does not break the story. IPTC's current metadata guidance includes digital source types and information fields for AI-generated content. Those standards demonstrate that source and creation context can be described separately from subject captions. They do not mean every restoration tool writes those fields automatically. A plain companion log remains useful when your editor or sharing system does not preserve relevant metadata. ## Separate source, working file and delivery copy A capture master records the selected scan or camera copy. A working file may include editable layers and adjustments. A delivery copy is exported for a screen, print or family message. Connect them without treating their roles as interchangeable. A smaller JPEG sent to relatives can be the correct delivery while being a poor substitute for the retained master. Record material operations in ordinary language: crop removed blank border; contrast adjusted; scratches reduced; left edge generated; colourization interpreted from a monochrome source. Use more detail where the edit affects identity, text or historical interpretation. Keep private prompts or sensitive notes in the private record if they should not travel publicly, while the public label still explains the nature of the transformation. ## Worked example: one source and three descendants PH-0204-master.tif is the selected capture. PH-0204-restored-v01.png reduces scratches for family viewing. PH-0204-slideshow-v01.jpg is resized and cropped from that restored version. PH-0204-color-v01.png is a separate interpretation from the master, not the source of the restored monochrome image. The log records these parent-child relationships rather than using one vague 'edited' folder. If the slideshow crop cuts off a dedication, the log points back to the master and preserved back capture. If the colourized version gives a coat an unsupported shade, the interpretation label remains visible. This fictional chain is a data-organising example, not a claim that a product supplies version tracking, layers or automatic provenance metadata. ## Create a six-field transformation log 1. Derivative ID and filename: identify the selected output precisely, including its extension. Keep stable photo IDs alongside versions. 2. Parent source: name the exact master or preceding derivative used. A bare photo ID is insufficient when several competing captures exist. 3. Material operations: describe crop, geometry, tone, repair, generated areas and resizing. Flag changes that may affect research claims. 4. Purpose: archive access, family viewing, print proof, public presentation or interpretation. State the intended destination rather than calling every output final. 5. Editor and actual date: record the person or assistant responsible, tool used when known, and only versions or settings actually observed. 6. Review outcome: accepted for the stated purpose, revise or rejected. Record source comparisons and unresolved limitations; do not invent a human approval. ## Make selected history portable Send a concise README or manifest with a family archive handoff. Embedded fields can complement it, but recipients should not need specialist software to understand which file is the evidence master. Check the package after copying so the log's filenames match the files received. A transformation history whose parent file is missing is only a partial record. Preserve earlier selected versions when they explain a correction, but distinguish them from the current delivery. Do not claim a plain log proves authenticity against tampering; it documents your account of the work. If a signed provenance system is used, its guarantees require their own documentation. The practical value here is traceability: later editors can assess whether a feature came from capture, ordinary adjustment or a generated interpretation. ## FAQs Must I log every slider movement? No. Record selected outputs and material transformations, especially those affecting crop, identity, text or historical interpretation. Does RestoreBunny automatically write this metadata? This guide makes no such claim. Keep a readable companion record for any workflow you use. Can I put the history in filenames alone? Use filenames for IDs and simple versions, then a log for source relationships, decisions and limitations that do not fit a short name. ## Sources Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article. - IPTC: [Photo Metadata User Guide]() ## Related - [Keep embedded and companion metadata together]() - [Record the actual review outcome]() - [Use the family archive manifest and README]() ## Ready to restore your photos? Upload an image, choose your settings, and preview results with a before/after slider. 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