title: EXIF metadata removal in python
body: <p>I am using Django-media-tree to import images into a site image library.  I am hitting a bug in PIL where some unknown EXIF data on the image is causing a non-handled exception in the generation of the thumbnail images.  Rather than hacking around in PIL I am looking to simply remove all EXIF data from the image before it is handled by PIL.</p>
  
  <p>Using chilkat.CkXmp() I am attempting to rewrite the image to a new directory in clean form, however the RemoveAllEmbedded() method returns None, and the image is rewritten with the EXIF data intact.</p>
  
  <pre><code>import os
  import sys
  import chilkat
  
  ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS = ['.jpg', 'jpeg', '.png', '.gif', 'tiff']
  
  def listdir_fullpath(d):
      list = []
      for f in os.listdir(d):
          if len(f) &gt; 3:
              if f[-4:] in ALLOWED_EXTENSIONS:
                  list.append(os.path.join(d, f))
      return list
  
  def trim_xmp_data(file, dir):
      xmp = chilkat.CkXmp()
      success = xmp.UnlockComponent("Anything for 30-day trial.")
      if (success != True):
          print xmp.lastErrorText()
          sys.exit()
  
      success = xmp.LoadAppFile(file)
      if (success != True):
          print xmp.lastErrorText()
          sys.exit()
      print "Num embedded XMP docs: %d" % xmp.get_NumEmbedded()
  
      xmp.RemoveAllEmbedded()
  
      #  Save the JPG.
      fn = "%s/amended/%s" % (dir, file.rsplit('/')[-1])
      success = xmp.SaveAppFile(fn)
      if (success != True):
          print xmp.lastErrorText()
          sys.exit()
  
  
  for item in listdir_fullpath('/Users/harrin2/Desktop/tmp/'):
      trim_xmp_data(item, '/Users/harrin2/Desktop/tmp')
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Can anyone tell me where I am going wrong, or if there is a better method of cleaning the images I am open to suggestions.....</p>
  
  <p>TIA</p>