Photos does not export adjusted date and time info into Exif data section of the exported photo file.

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Level 1

7 points

Photos does not export adjusted date and time info into Exif data section of the exported photo file.

I have scanned a large number of old photo's using a flatbed scanner. I imported these photos into Photos Version 5.0 (121.17.170), i.e. the latest known to me.

Next I added descriptions and updated the date and time of the photo's to reflect the actual date the original photo's were taken.

I exported these edited versions and hoped to change the file name to date-time format to force them to show in chronological sequence (Aperture used to be able to that in the export - how I miss Aperture ;-) ).

The file renaming tool uses the date /time of the phone taken as reflected in the Exif data in the file.

However now I find that Photos does not export the updated date/time into the Exif data in the exported photo file.

How can I get Photos to export the updated date/time into Exif?

iMac 27", macOS 10.15

Posted on Jan 23, 2020 7:05 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

léonie

Level 10

194,959 points

Jan 23, 2020 10:37 AM in response to Jan W

I would wait for an update to Photos, that fixes the problem.

It is not possible to change the originals directly in Photos. You would have to export them from Photos, delete the copy in Photos, then add exif tags to the exported file, then reimport them, a lot of work and error-prone.

While you are waiting for a bugfix, you could do the batch changing of the exif tags in Aperture, if you have Aperture still installed. You would need to patch Aperture to be able to run it on Catalina in a limited way. Videos will not work at all. But Aperture allows you to batch write the changed IPTC tags to the originals.

Try https://github.com/cormiertyshawn895/Retroactive/

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

194,959 points

Jan 23, 2020 7:39 AM in response to Jan W

This is a known, new problem in Photos 5.0 on macOS 10.15.2 Catalina.

Photos does not embed a capture date on export into the IPTC or EXIF tags, if you manually add a capture date to a scanned photos. It is currently working only for photos, that have been created by a camera or another device, that add an exif capture tag to the file. https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250002026

You may want to send a bug report: Feedback - Photos - Apple

For the time being, I am using HoudahGeo to add GPS coordinates, and this will also embed a capture date.

Additionally, I am adding an exif camera and lens tag with exiftool. This will trick Photos to treat the scans like photos taken with a camera.

Modifying EXIF tags of Originals Using exiftool - Apple Community

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Answer 3

Jan W Author

Level 1

7 points

Jan 23, 2020 9:22 AM in response to léonie

Many thanks for your comprehensive reply Leonie,

I will send Apple a bug report.

Do I understand it correctly that you add camera, lens and GPS data to the photo file béfore you import the file into Photos?

I imported my photo's already and added all additional data in Photos already.

I am not sure how I can manipulate the photo files (to add pseudo exif data) while they are within the Photoslibrary.

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Answer 4

léonie

Level 10

194,959 points

Jan 23, 2020 12:51 PM in response to Jan W

It is only one-way. You can open an Aperture Library in Photos, but not vice versa. The same goes for iPhoto.

When you scan new photos, could first import them to Aperture, batch change them, export them and move them to Photos.

Photos used to have a command in the Share menu Share > Add to Aperture" but this command is now missing in Photos 5.0. But still, tagging photos in Aperture will be much faster than in Photos.

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