I want to keep the create date and location when using airdrop to send photos from iPhone to mac

The date created, date modified, and date last opened are attributes of any file, not just photos. When a file is created (such as by placing a newly downloaded photo into it or saving a text document in it), there is only one meaningful date/time: the creation date and time.

For a text document or a spreadsheet, it can be useful to know that the file was created in January, updated in August, and opened just last week.

For photos, additional metadata can be stored inside the data content of the file. such as date/time the photo was captured. In the Preview application, that metadata can be viewed in the Inspector window.

Menu path: Tools > Show Inspector (or command-i)

Select the "Exif" sub-tab of the i-in-a-circle tab.

You are likely to find "Date Time Digitized" and "Date Time Original" fields for an iPhone picture, but the set of Exif fields depends on what device took the picture.

A proper photo-management application can hide this file/content distinction. Alternatively, there are utility programs that can dig out the capture date/time and forge the file creating date/time to match it.

That would make a great user tip, Mark. There are so many questions about the difference between file dates and image dates.

On macOS 10.14.2 Mojave, I am seeing the capture date in addition to the three file dates in the Finder, when I browse a folder in column view: There is the "Content Created" date shown right below the file dates.

I like it, that the Finder is now showing the photo specific metadata as well.

The photo above has been Air Dropped from my iPhone. The capture date has been preserved, but the Created and Modified dates have been changed to the date the files have been transferred.