diff --git a/content/_schemas.ts b/content/_schemas.ts
index eb15c5d8..889db699 100644
--- a/content/_schemas.ts
+++ b/content/_schemas.ts
@@ -52,10 +52,11 @@ export const schemaPhotos = (image: ImageFunction) =>
   z
     .object({
       ...schemaShared,
-      image: image()
+      image: image(),
       // .refine((img) => img.width >= 1040, {
       //   message: 'Cover image must be at least 1040 pixels wide!'
       // })
+      exif: z.object({}).optional()
     })
     .strict()
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5e2100d6..afed1f2b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
-    "prebuild": "npm run create:icons && npm run create:redirects && npm run move:downloads && npm run create:exif",
+    "prebuild": "npm run create:icons && npm run create:redirects && npm run move:downloads",
     "start": "npm run prebuild && astro dev --config .config/astro.config.mjs",
     "build": "npm run prebuild && astro build --config .config/astro.config.mjs",
     "preview": "astro preview",
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
     "new": "ts-node --esm scripts/new/index.ts",
     "create:icons": "ts-node --esm scripts/create-icons/index.ts",
     "create:redirects": "ts-node --esm scripts/redirect-from.ts",
-    "create:exif": "ts-node --esm scripts/create-exif/index.ts",
     "move:downloads": "ts-node --esm scripts/move-downloads.ts"
   },
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/scripts/create-exif/index.ts b/scripts/create-exif/index.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 0b4e134b..00000000
--- a/scripts/create-exif/index.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,80 +0,0 @@
-import fs from 'node:fs/promises'
-import path from 'node:path'
-import { read } from 'fast-exif'
-import iptc from 'node-iptc'
-import ora from 'ora'
-import type { Exif, ExifFormatted } from './types.ts'
-import { formatExif } from './format.ts'
-
-const imageFolder = path.join(process.cwd(), 'content', 'photos')
-const outputFilePath = '.config/exif.json'
-
-const spinner = ora('Extracting EXIF metadata from all photos').start()
-
-async function readOutExif(filePath: string): Promise<Exif | undefined> {
-  if (!filePath) return
-
-  try {
-    // exif
-    const exifData = await read(filePath, true)
-    if (!exifData) return
-
-    // iptc
-    const file = await fs.readFile(filePath)
-    const iptcData = iptc(file)
-
-    // format before output
-    const exifDataFormatted = formatExif(exifData)
-    const imageId = path.basename(filePath, path.extname(filePath))
-
-    const exif = {
-      image: imageId,
-      exif: { ...exifDataFormatted } as ExifFormatted,
-      iptc: { ...iptcData }
-    }
-
-    return exif
-  } catch (error: any) {
-    console.error(`${filePath}: ${error.message}`)
-  }
-}
-
-async function processImages(folderPath: string): Promise<Exif[]> {
-  const allExif: Exif[] = []
-
-  try {
-    const files = await fs.readdir(folderPath, { recursive: true })
-
-    for (const file of files) {
-      const filePath = path.join(folderPath, file)
-      const stats = await fs.stat(filePath)
-
-      if (stats.isFile()) {
-        // Check if it's an image file based on its file extension
-        const fileExtension = path.extname(filePath).toLowerCase()
-
-        if (fileExtension === '.jpg' || fileExtension === '.jpeg') {
-          const exif = await readOutExif(filePath)
-          if (!exif) continue
-          allExif.push(exif)
-        }
-      }
-    }
-  } catch (err) {
-    console.error('Error:', (err as Error).message)
-  }
-
-  return allExif
-}
-
-try {
-  const allExif = await processImages(imageFolder)
-  const allExifJSON = JSON.stringify(allExif, null, 2)
-
-  // Write the redirects object to the output file
-  fs.writeFile(outputFilePath, allExifJSON, 'utf-8')
-
-  spinner.succeed(`Extracted EXIF data from ${allExif.length} photos`)
-} catch (error: any) {
-  spinner.fail((error as Error).message)
-}
diff --git a/src/lib/astro.ts b/src/lib/astro.ts
index f8a6f8f0..de63b868 100644
--- a/src/lib/astro.ts
+++ b/src/lib/astro.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { getCollection, type CollectionEntry } from 'astro:content'
 import { slugifyAll } from './slugify'
+import { readOutExif } from './exif'
 
 export function getSortedPosts(
   posts: CollectionEntry<'articles' | 'links' | 'photos'>[]
@@ -8,8 +9,8 @@ export function getSortedPosts(
     .filter(({ data }) => !data.draft)
     .sort(
       (a, b) =>
-        Math.floor((b.data.date as Date).getTime() / 1000) -
-        Math.floor((a.data.date as Date).getTime() / 1000)
+        Math.floor((b.data.date as Date)?.getTime() / 1000) -
+        Math.floor((a.data.date as Date)?.getTime() / 1000)
     )
 }
 
@@ -27,22 +28,27 @@ export async function loadAndFormatCollection(
 ) {
   const postsCollection = await getCollection(name)
 
-  postsCollection.forEach(
-    (post: CollectionEntry<'articles' | 'links' | 'photos'>) => {
-      // remove date from slug
-      const slug = post.slug.substring(11) as CollectionEntry<
-        'articles' | 'links' | 'photos'
-      >['slug']
+  for await (const post of postsCollection) {
+    // remove date from slug
+    const slug = post.slug.substring(11) as CollectionEntry<
+      'articles' | 'links' | 'photos'
+    >['slug']
 
-      // use date from frontmatter, or grab from file path
-      const date = post.data.date ? post.data.date : slug.substring(1, 11)
-      const githubLink = `https://github.com/kremalicious/blog/blob/main/content/${post.collection}/${post.id}`
+    // use date from frontmatter, or grab from file path
+    const date = post.data.date ? post.data.date : slug.substring(1, 11)
+    const githubLink = `https://github.com/kremalicious/blog/blob/main/content/${post.collection}/${post.id}`
 
-      post.slug = slug
-      post.data.date = new Date(date)
-      post.data.githubLink = githubLink
+    // extract exif & iptc data from photos
+    if (post.collection === 'photos') {
+      const imagePath = post.data.image.src.split('?')[0].split('/@fs')[1]
+      const exif = await readOutExif(imagePath)
+      post.data.exif = exif
     }
-  )
+
+    post.slug = slug
+    post.data.date = new Date(date)
+    post.data.githubLink = githubLink
+  }
 
   const posts = getSortedPosts(postsCollection)
   return posts
diff --git a/scripts/create-exif/format.ts b/src/lib/exif/format.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/create-exif/format.ts
rename to src/lib/exif/format.ts
diff --git a/src/lib/exif/index.ts b/src/lib/exif/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1aa03bd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/exif/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+import fs from 'node:fs'
+import path from 'node:path'
+import { read } from 'fast-exif'
+import iptc from 'node-iptc'
+import type { Exif, ExifFormatted } from './types.ts'
+import { formatExif } from './format.ts'
+
+export async function readOutExif(filePath: string): Promise<Exif | undefined> {
+  if (!filePath) return
+
+  const imageId = path.basename(filePath, path.extname(filePath))
+
+  try {
+    // exif
+    const exifData = await read(filePath, true)
+    if (!exifData) return
+
+    // iptc
+    const file = fs.readFileSync(filePath)
+    const iptcData = iptc(file)
+
+    // format before output
+    const exifDataFormatted = formatExif(exifData)
+
+    const exif = {
+      image: imageId,
+      exif: { ...exifDataFormatted } as ExifFormatted,
+      iptc: { ...iptcData }
+    }
+
+    return exif
+  } catch (error: any) {
+    console.error(`${imageId}: ${error.message}`)
+  }
+}
diff --git a/scripts/create-exif/types.ts b/src/lib/exif/types.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from scripts/create-exif/types.ts
rename to src/lib/exif/types.ts