Keeping original date of the photos when exporting

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Keeping original date of the photos when exporting

Hello. I've read all the q's and a's on this forum concerning how to keep the original date of a photo when exporting from either iphone/icloud or photos app.

I've "export unmodified original" from the photos app, and it does not work (does not keep the original dates).

I've downloaded the photos from the icloud, it does not keep the original dates.

I've exported via airdrop option directly from my iphone, and doesn't keep the date.

I must say I'd never experienced this until having turned on the "icloud photos" option on my iphone.

Before that, I was always able to export photos via airdrop and the photos kept its original date.

I must express my distress on this technical matter, and disappointment in not getting a straightforward solution.

All because using the syncing option of icloud photos.

Hopefully still, perhaps, there's a solution you'd be able to share?.

Thank you

Posted on Sep 28, 2021 1:26 AM

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Answer 1

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Yer_Man

Level 10

163,728 points

Sep 28, 2021 2:59 AM in response to vivanco.sylvia

If you've read all the q's and a's on the forum then you'll have seen this before, and it remains true:

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 of what the file date says, this is the actual time recorded by the camera.

Photo applications like Photos, CaptureOne, Lightroom, Mylio, Photoshop etc get their date and time from the Exif metadata.

When you export from iPhoto 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.

The problem is that the Finder doesn't work with Exif.

So, your photo has the correct date, and so does the file, but they are different things. To sort on the Photo date you'll need to use a photo app.

There are apps that will edit the file data to match the Exif. This is one:

https://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderAttributes/index.html

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