Date metadata in photos exported from Mac Catalina Photos

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Date metadata in photos exported from Mac Catalina Photos

Since updating to Catalina, I have noticed that with images I have imported into the photo library from file (jpeg, tiff), rather than directly from a camera or phone, if I export to jpeg, the resulting file does not retain the date created metadata assigned in Photos, but instead exports the current date and time. Prior to Catalina, Photos would properly export the created date as a part of the EXIF metadata. I have left a bug/feedback report with Apple, but this wasn't addressed in the 10.15.2 update.

Posted on Dec 12, 2019 6:38 PM

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Answer 1

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léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Dec 23, 2019 8:20 AM in response to Old Toad

I just described this bug as a User Tip: Problem in Photos 5.0: The adjusted date is not correctly embedded in the EXIF when importing from Photos - Apple Community

Comments and follow up posts with bug fixes are welcome. It seems to help, when I add camera tags and lens tags with exiftool , before I import the photos to Photos.

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Answer 2

Old Toad

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207,751 points

Dec 13, 2019 10:34 AM in response to Gjerdery

if I am exporting a photo that was acquired through other means, such as from a scanner, the "Date Time Digitized" and "Date Time Original" exif fields aren't embedded in the export JPEG

Scanners do not create EXIF fields in jpeg files. So you will have to use the Image ➙ Adjust Date & Time menu option to add the date you want for that picture.

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Answer 3

Old Toad

Level 10

207,751 points

Dec 26, 2019 11:13 AM in response to Gjerdery

Check your System/Language & Region/General/Advanced/Dates and make sure the day, month and year are in the right order for you in the various versions.

It could have changed in the upgrade or one of the updates to Catalina.

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Answer 4

Yer_Man

Level 10

162,408 points

Dec 12, 2019 10:51 PM in response to Gjerdery

Are you referring to the File date or the Exif date?

There are two kinds of metadata involved when you consider jpeg or other image file.

One is the file data. This is what the Finder shows. This tells you nothing about the contents of the file, just the File itself.

The problem with File metadata is that it can easily change as the file is moved from place to place or exported, e-mailed, uploaded etc.

Photographs have also got both Exif and IPTC metadata. The date and time that your camera snapped the Photograph is recorded in the Exif metadata. Regardless if what the file date says, this is the actual time recorded by the camera.

Photo applications like iPhoto, Aperture, Lightroom, Picasa, Photoshop etc get their date and time from the Exif metadata.

When you export from Photos to the Finder new file is created containing your Photo (and its Exif). The File date is - quite accurately - reported as the date of Export.

However, the Photo Date doesn't change.

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Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Dec 13, 2019 4:51 AM in response to Gjerdery

Are you exporting with "File > Export > Export unmodified original" or with "File > Export > Export ... Photos"?

I just checked again - when I export a photo with "File > Export > Export ... Photos" and the photo has a capture date, it will be embedded as an exif tag in the JPEG, bit not, when I export with "File > Export > Export ... Photos"; I need to add a sidecar file to preserve the metadata.

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Answer 6

Gjerdery Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 13, 2019 6:21 AM in response to léonie

I am using the "File > Export > Export X Photos" option.

To clarify, if I am exporting a photo that was captured via a camera (for example, my iPhone), using the above process, the resulting JPEG's exif metadata includes fields labeled "Date Time Digitized" and "Date Time Original" which correctly display the date metadata as listed in the Photos app. In addition, the correct date and time are listed in the IPTC metadata under fields "Date Created," "Digital Creation Date," and "Digital Creation Time."

Since updating to Catalina, if I am exporting a photo that was acquired through other means, such as from a scanner, the "Date Time Digitized" and "Date Time Original" exif fields aren't embedded in the export JPEG, nor are "Date Created," "Digital Creation Date" or "Digital Creation Time" IPTC fields.

Prior to Catalina, ALL exported photos included these fields, based on the time and date as modified within the Photos library, whether they were acquired directly from a phone, or from an indirect source like a scanner or file.

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Answer 7

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Dec 13, 2019 8:40 AM in response to Gjerdery

I just noticed, that my test images have not been representative. I had embedded the céxif capture time already with HoudahGeo after scanning them.

When I test by taking a screenshot and and then add capture date in Photos, the "File > Export > Export X Photos" will not include the capture date as an exif tag.

But exporting with "File > Export > Export unmodified original" and selecting to add a sidecar file, will save the added capture date in the sidecar file. You Ould use the sidecar with the exported JPEG version.

But this highly inconvenient. I have used Photos to adjust the date and time of my scanned photos a lot.

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Answer 8

léonie

Level 10

195,113 points

Dec 13, 2019 11:09 AM in response to Old Toad

OT, could you also test this, please too?

The problem seems to be, that Photos 5.0 does no longer add the exif tag to exported photo, if we added a Date&Time in Photos with "Adjust Date&Time". In Photos 4.0 on Mojave it worked well. Photos created EXIF tags, when I exported scans, where I had added capture date with "Adjust Date&Time" or with an Apple Script. Photos 5.0 does no longer seem to add the capture tag on export, if we created the date & time in Photos.

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Answer 9

Gjerdery Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 25, 2019 11:17 AM in response to léonie

In response to your user tip, in my case even older scans do not export with correct date in Photos 5.0. Also, if I edit date/time on a photo that was imported from a camera using "Adjust Date & Time," that modification is also not appearing for me in exported images (instead, the original metadata Date/Time value is displayed).

I plan to experiment with modifying date/time in separate metadata editor prior to import into Photos.

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Answer 10

Gjerdery Author

Level 1

14 points

Dec 26, 2019 10:30 AM in response to léonie

I've been able to generate XMP files from images exported under Photos 4.0 and Photos 5.0. There are a handful of differences.

An image exported under Photos 4.0 includes the following fields, which do not appear when exported under Photos 5.0:

<xmp:CreateDate>1981-06-01T21:14:55</xmp:CreateDate>
<xmp:ModifyDate>1981-06-01T21:14:55</xmp:ModifyDate>
<xmp:CreatorTool>Photos 4.0</xmp:CreatorTool>
<exif:DateTimeOriginal>1981-06-01T21:14:55</exif:DateTimeOriginal>

Also, I have noticed that Photos 5.0 adds the date and time incorrectly to the IPTC fields. In 4.0 the correct date is entered:

<photoshop:DateCreated>1981-06-01T21:14:55</photoshop:DateCreated>

However, in 5.0 the month appears in the "day" position, with the "month" value zeroed out:

<photoshop:DateCreated>1981-00-06T21:14:55</photoshop:DateCreated>

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Answer 11

Gjerdery Author

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Dec 13, 2019 4:34 AM in response to Yer_Man

I am referring to Exif metadata

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Answer 12

Old Toad

Level 10

207,751 points

Dec 13, 2019 11:36 AM in response to léonie

Yep. Exporting as original or edited with the metadata checkboxes checked does not include the changed date created. All the other metadata does get included with both methods.

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