EXIF Orientation
A one-byte flag telling viewers how to rotate the image. Mostly useful, occasionally a headache, and never a privacy concern.
Quick facts
| Tag ID | 0x0112 Orientation |
|---|---|
| Stored in | IFD0 |
| Example value | 1 (normal), 6 (rotated 90° clockwise), 8 (rotated 270°) |
| Also known as | Orientation, rotation, EXIF orientation, 0x0112 |
| Privacy risk | No privacy risk whatsoever. |
What the Orientation tag actually means
The Orientation tag has eight defined values describing the relationship between the stored pixel data and the intended viewing orientation. Value 1 means the image is stored upright; 6 and 8 mean the file is stored sideways and must be rotated for display.
Why it matters
It has no privacy dimension at all. It matters technically: if you strip or rewrite EXIF without preserving the orientation byte, photos can display rotated 90 degrees in some viewers while looking correct in others.
What to do about it
Keep it. If you strip EXIF entirely, physically rotate the pixels instead of relying on the flag.
Who writes this tag
Cameras and phones; usually set to 1 for landscape shots.
Sources and how this was verified
Tag IDs and encodings are taken from the CIPA DC-007-Translation (Exif 3.0) and ISO/IEC 21222-1 specifications. The privacy rating is our own editorial judgement, based on what each field can uniquely identify. Every entry in this reference is checked against real files produced by the cameras, phones and editors we test with.
- CIPA DC-007-Translation 2019 (Exif 3.0) — tag identifiers and IFD structure
- ISO/IEC 21222-1:2015 — data element registration
- Adobe XMP Specification (2024) — XMP packet properties
- IPTC IIM 4.2 — news/photo metadata field numbers
See our editorial and review policyfor how we test, rate and correct these entries. Found an error? Tell us.
Related EXIF tags
The pixel width and height of the stored image, plus the original capture dimensions. Technical, not private — but it is a reliable fingerprint for grouping photos.
The application that last wrote the file — a camera firmware, a phone, or an editor such as Lightroom or Photoshop. It can reveal your editing workflow.
Orientation FAQ
Common questions about the EXIF orientation tag, its values and its privacy implications.
What does EXIF Orientation 6 mean?
It means the image data is stored rotated 90° counter-clockwise from the intended display orientation, so viewers should rotate it 90° clockwise to display it correctly.
Why did my photos turn sideways after I removed EXIF data?
Because the physical pixels are still sideways and the Orientation flag that told viewers to rotate them was deleted. The correct fix is to rotate the pixel data itself during removal, not merely to drop the metadata.
Cite this reference
If you are writing about the EXIF orientation tag, you are welcome to link to this entry. It is maintained, versioned and reviewed on a published schedule.
“EXIF Orientation (0x0112 Orientation), freexifdata.com EXIF Tag Reference, reviewed October 20, 2026.”