diff --git a/openVulkanoCpp/Image/ExifBuilder.cpp b/openVulkanoCpp/Image/ExifBuilder.cpp
index 3fe5436..1f8eebc 100644
--- a/openVulkanoCpp/Image/ExifBuilder.cpp
+++ b/openVulkanoCpp/Image/ExifBuilder.cpp
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
 
 namespace
 {
-	const int EXIF_HEADER_SIZE = 6;
-	std::array<char, EXIF_HEADER_SIZE> EXIF_HEADER_AND_PADDING = { 'E', 'x', 'i', 'f', 0, 0 };
+	constexpr int EXIF_HEADER_SIZE = 6;
+	constexpr std::array<char, EXIF_HEADER_SIZE> EXIF_HEADER_AND_PADDING = { 'E', 'x', 'i', 'f', 0, 0 };
 
-	const int TIFF_HEADER_SIZE = 4;
-	std::array<char, TIFF_HEADER_SIZE> TIFF_HEADER = { 0x4d, 0x4d, 0, 0x2a };
+	constexpr int TIFF_HEADER_SIZE = 4;
+	constexpr std::array<char, TIFF_HEADER_SIZE> TIFF_HEADER = { 0x4d, 0x4d, 0, 0x2a };
 
 	constexpr bool LITTLE_ENDIAN = std::endian::native == std::endian::little;
 
@@ -70,59 +70,46 @@ namespace
 		return result;
 	}
 
-	int AppendU8(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, uint8_t value)
+	template<typename T>
+	int Append(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, T value)
 	{
 		int offset = array.size();
-		array.push_back(value);
+		const int bytes = sizeof(T);
+		char *c = (char *) &value;
+		for (int i = 0; i < bytes; i++)
+		{
+			array.push_back(c[i]);
+		}
 		return offset;
 	}
 
+	int AppendU8(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, uint8_t value)
+	{
+		return Append<uint8_t>(array, value);
+	}
+
 	int AppendU16(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, uint16_t value)
 	{
-		int offset = array.size();
-
 		if constexpr (LITTLE_ENDIAN)
 		{
 			value = ::EndianSwap(value);
 		}
-
-		char *src = (char *) &value;
-		array.push_back(src[0]);
-		array.push_back(src[1]);
-
-		return offset;
+		return Append<uint16_t>(array, value);
 	}
 
 	// no endian swap
 	int AppendU32NES(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, uint32_t value)
 	{
-		int offset = array.size();
-
-		char *src = (char *) &value;
-		array.push_back(src[0]);
-		array.push_back(src[1]);
-		array.push_back(src[2]);
-		array.push_back(src[3]);
-
-		return offset;
+		return Append<uint32_t>(array, value);
 	}
 
 	int AppendU32(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, uint32_t value)
 	{
-		int offset = array.size();
-
 		if constexpr (LITTLE_ENDIAN)
 		{
 			value = ::EndianSwap(value);
 		}
-
-		char *src = (char *) &value;
-		array.push_back(src[0]);
-		array.push_back(src[1]);
-		array.push_back(src[2]);
-		array.push_back(src[3]);
-
-		return offset;
+		return Append<uint32_t>(array, value);
 	}
 
 	template<int COUNT>
@@ -138,7 +125,7 @@ namespace
 		return offset;
 	}
 
-	int AppendVector(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, std::vector<uint8_t> values)
+	int AppendVector(std::vector<uint8_t>& array, const std::vector<uint8_t>& values)
 	{
 		int offset = array.size();
 
@@ -233,7 +220,7 @@ namespace OpenVulkano::Image
 		std::vector<uint8_t> result;
 		std::vector<uint8_t> data; // the data that has ascii and rational values
 
-		if (dateTaken == "")
+		if (dateTaken.empty())
 		{
 			dateTaken = GetCurrentTimestamp();
 		}
@@ -263,7 +250,7 @@ namespace OpenVulkano::Image
 		int gpsInfoOffset = 0;
 
 		// Make
-		if (make != "")
+		if (!make.empty())
 		{
 			AppendTagAndValueType(result, (uint16_t) IFDTag::MAKE, (uint16_t) IFDValueType::ASCII);
 			AppendU32(result, make.size() + 1);
@@ -274,7 +261,7 @@ namespace OpenVulkano::Image
 		}
 
 		// Model
-		if (model != "")
+		if (!model.empty())
 		{
 			AppendTagAndValueType(result, (uint16_t) IFDTag::MODEL, (uint16_t) IFDValueType::ASCII);
 			AppendU32(result, model.size() + 1);
@@ -339,7 +326,7 @@ namespace OpenVulkano::Image
 		}
 
 		// Software Used
-		if (softwareUsed != "")
+		if (!softwareUsed.empty())
 		{
 			AppendTagAndValueType(result, (uint16_t) IFDTag::SOFTWARE_USED, (uint16_t) IFDValueType::ASCII);
 			AppendU32(result, softwareUsed.size() + 1);
@@ -375,12 +362,12 @@ namespace OpenVulkano::Image
 
 		{
 			const int valueToAdd = resultSize - EXIF_HEADER_SIZE;
-			if (model != "")
+			if (!model.empty())
 			{
 				AddValueToU32AndEndianSwap(result.data() + modelOffset, valueToAdd);
 			}
 
-			if (make != "")
+			if (!make.empty())
 			{
 				AddValueToU32AndEndianSwap(result.data() + makeOffset, valueToAdd);
 			}