testimony of an image
by Jan Maher, 2026
Česká verze zdeThe work „testimony of an image“ presents the process of image archeology. The entire project is based on various methods of image analysis, which are outlined in individual sections of the work.

At the heart of the project is a live feed from a camera that initially captures an unknown street in its field of view. The live feed was found on a website that openly provides visitors with a vast archive of various cameras.

While some of these are public live streams, the site primarily features cameras that are privately owned and often stream their content publicly without the owner’s knowledge. Some are displayed on the website due to poor security or other errors (such as outdated software). This makes the devices vulnerable, and their private streams appear publicly on the aforementioned site.

„testimony of an image“ focuses on one such camera, which, according to the GPS data provided by the website, is located in Plzeň. However, the site warns that the given location is only approximate and may differ by hundreds of kilometers.

The aim of the project was to localize this camera using various methods and to document and present the entire process of image archeology. The research involves collecting digital data hidden within the live feed, using it to gather a wealth of information that aids in the geolocation of the scene. It also employs additional Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) methods.

The work consists of two parts: a physical installation that serves as proof of the final discovery of the location, and a website that presents the entire process and all the methods of image archaeology used to find the scene.

>testimony of an image
>Part_01
#1 – Image analysisshow more...
>Part_02
#2 – Geolocationshow more...
>Part_03
#3 – Orientationshow more...
>Part_04
#4 – Finding the sceneshow more...
>Part_05#5 – Installationshow more...
testimony of an image#1 – Image analysisjanmaher.
>screenshot - author's archive

 testimony of an image
 part_01

#1 – Image analysis
In the first phase of the work, I focus on analyzing the scene. 

Here, I break down the image into four essential parts:

>1.1 – A row of garages with blue doors – key reference point
>1.2 – Type of public lighting base – helps with localization (within city districts)
>1.3 – Municipal waste bins – the logo on the bin can be deciphered
>1.4 – Type of curb and sidewalk – helps with localization (within city districts)

These four points serve as the main elements of the scene throughout the development of the entire project. They act as anchor points that guide my search. Some of them, in combination with additional clues, gradually reveal new information helpful for the final localization of the scene.


>1.1 - A row of garages with blue doors, screenshot - author's archive
>1.2 - Type of public lighting base, screenshot - author's archive
>1.3 - Municipal waste bins, screenshot - author's archive
>1.4 - Type of curb and sidewalk, screenshot - author's archive
testimony of an image#2 - Geolocationjanmaher.
>a vehicle with bolt company sticker, screenshot - author's archive



Testimony of an image
part_02

#2 – Geolocation
The second part of my research focuses on narrowing down the search area. In this section, I examine individual details in the scene that evolve over time, which allows me to gather a significant amount of information about the specific area or city where the camera is located.

The website where I discovered the camera provides a GPS location, which is listed as being in the center of the city of Plzeň. However, the site itself warns that these data are approximate and may be inaccurate by up to hundreds of kilometers from the stated location.

>2.1 – Vehicles in the scene
>2.2 – Construction
>2.3 – Field research
At this point, I am addressing several aspects that I have obtained through various methods—field research, online research, and analysis of archived footage from the live stream.


>vehicle with a readable license plate, screenshot - author's archive



>2.1 – Vehicles in the scene
Vehicles present in the scene often play a crucial role in geolocating it. They frequently carry a big number of key information that can dramatically narrow down the search area.

One of the main points of interest is, of course, the license plates, which always include a letter indicating the corresponding region (of Czech Republic). However, in most cases, the license plates are completely unreadable due to their distance and the camera’s poor resolution. But there was one moment when a car appeared parked at the edge of the sidewalk, bringing it close enough for the camera’s resolution to allow me to identify the letter P—indicating the Plzeň Region.

Additionally, vehicle branding and wraps can also provide valuable information. In my case, I observed a Bolt company car (most commonly found near larger cities) and a Škoda Karoq with a Plzeň Municipal Police decal (though I was unable to capture it clearly), which passed by while I was collecting footage. Both of these vehicles strongly suggest that the scene is likely located within the city of Plzeň.

>Škoda with a bolt branding, screenshot - author's archive
>Vehicle owned by Plzeň Municipal Police, technikaizs.cz

>2.2 – Construction
About halfway through my work, the scene underwent a major transformation. Overnight, traffic signs and mobile fencing appeared in the background, suggesting that some kind of construction had likely started here.

I decided to monitor this development. Over time, I managed to obtain two additional clues useful for geolocating the scene. The first was a concrete mixer truck bearing the logo of Beton Union, a company with several concrete plants in Western Bohemia—two of which are located directly in Plzeň. The second was the text “UNI DEVELO” on a safety vest worn by one of the workers, referring to a company which is also based in Plzeň.


>construction, screenshot - author's archive
>safety vest with a company name, screenshot - author's archive
>Beton Union's concrete mixer truck, screenshot - author's archive

>2.3 – Field research
.The final step in this phase was deciphering the label on a municipal waste container. The previous clue had already suggested that the scene was likely located in Plzeň. I therefore went out into the streets of Plzeň and located a container of a similar type. 

My field research confirmed that these containers are provided by the company Čistá Plzeň. With this information, I had gathered enough evidence to confidently determine that the scene is situated within the city of Plzeň.
>the bin on live feed, screenshot - author's archive
>the bin owned by Čistá Plzeň, author's archive
testimony of an image #3 – Orientationjanmaher.
>screenshot - author's archive


 Testimony of an image
 part_03

#3 – Orientation
The scene is therefore located somewhere within the territory of Plzeň. In the third part of my investigation, I focus on methods that will serve as the basis for the final selection within the city area.

>3.1 - Prediction of the ground plan (sketch)
>3.2 - Position of the sun and cast shadows
The goal of this phase is to use various parameters to eliminate as much of Plzeň’s area as possible, and drastically narrow down the territory that needs to be later searched using Google Maps.


>prediction of the ground plan, author's archive
>3.1 – Prediction of the ground plan (sketch)
A sketch of the ground plan also became part of the project, which I drew during the investigation. It records all the points and objects I already know and where they are located in the scene. At the same time, the sketch serves as my prediction of the street’s layout (satellite view). Based on information from archived footage, I predict how the part of the street invisible to me is likely arranged.

This sketch also plays a direct role in geolocating the scene. When browsing Plzeň’s streets using Google Maps satellite images, it helps visualize what the street might look like from above, thus making the search in maps easier.

>prediction of the ground plan, author's archive

>3.2 – Position of the sun and cast shadows
At this point, the main tool for me has become the position of the sun and the cast shadows that appear in the scene. Over the course of a single day, I recorded several shadow positions cast by an adjacent building onto the walls of the garages.

By combining several images, my sketch, and the software from the website suncalc.org, I evaluate which cardinal direction the street in the scene faces. Determining this orientation later becomes a useful element, allowing me to eliminate a large portion of non-matching city districts.


>12:23, suncalc.org
>12:23, screenshot - author's archive
>14:03, suncalc.org
>14:03, screenshot - author's archive
>15:45, suncalc.org
>15:45, screenshot - author's archive
>position of the sun, author's archive
>final cardinal direction of the street, author's archive

testimony of an image#4 – Finding the scenejanmaher.
>satellite image of the scene on Google Maps, screenshot - author's archive


 Testimony of an image
 part_04
#4 – Finding the scene
After filtering the entire city area using the aforementioned methods, only a few city districts remained to be searched. The final clue was a municipal decree banning the placement of trash bins in public spaces in certain parts of the city. After obtaining information about the waste management decree and combining it with the previously mentioned points, only one city district remained.

>4.1 - Final discovery - Self-portrait
>4.2 - Photodocumentation of the scene

 At this point, I just combined the sketch with the determined street orientation and used Google Maps satellite images to find the corresponding location. After a short time i successfully found the scene.


>4.1 – Final discovery - Self-portrait
After locating the scene, I traveled to the site. The self-portrait, captured as a screenshot using the camera interface, becomes the focal point of the entire final installation of the project. Here, the self-portrait serves as direct proof of the scene’s discovery.




>self-portrait using the camera interface, screenshot - author's archive

>4.2 – Photodocumentation of the scene
The final part of the project is the photo documentation – pictures taken directly from the discovered location. The photographs capture individual points of the scene that served as key reference points for geolocating the place during the creation of the work. In this sense, the photographs function as proof of the scene’s existence and its discovery.


>photographs of the individual points I used as reference points, author's archive

testimony of an image#5 – Installationjanmaher.
>Inkubátor Gallery, 2026 – The Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in Plzeň, Czech Republic – author's archive
 Testimony of an image
 part_05
#5 – Installation
The result of the work "testimony of an image" is an installation composed of two parts. The first part is a self-portrait printed on a PVC mesh banner, mounted on a mobile metal fence—referencing the mobile fencing that is part of the ongoing construction in the scene. The second part is a website that guides the viewer through the complete process of image archeology and geolocation of the scene using information from openly available sources (OSINT).

>5.1 - Installation - Self-portrait
>5.2 - Photodocumentation of the Installation


>5.1 – Installation - Self-portrait




>installation – self-portrait printed on a PVC mesh banner and attached to mobile fencing, author's archive

>5.2 – Photodocumentation of the Installation


>photodocumentation of the installation, author's archive

testimony of an image by janmaher