accessing UIImage properties without loading the image in memory

As you know the iPhone guidelines discourage loading UIImages that are greater than 1024x1024.

The size of the images that I would have to load varies, and I would like to check the size of the image I am about to load; however using the .size property of UIImage requires the image to be loaded... which is exactly what I am trying to avoid.

Is there something wrong in my reasoning or is there a solution?