Photos on Mac running Sonoma 14.4

I think that you are talking about the Mac Finder and the dates you see in the Finder, is that right? This is different from the Photos app, and you're not using that app, is that correct?

If that's right, then maybe this will make sense: The Finder is a "file management system," and it shows the date the file was created. But the date the file was created may not be the date the picture was created in the camera. This makes sense, really, even if it's not what we always want.

A "photo management system," like the Photos app, shows the date that the picture was created, since it's about pictures rather than about files. The picture creation date is usually carried with the picture file in its metadata, and apps like Photos and Preview and others can read and use that metadata. So, if you have an app that shows or edits pictures, it should show the correct camera creation date. You can check by loading some pictures into Preview and using the "inspection" tool to view the Exif metadata.

There are apps that will copy the picture creation date from the metadata and use it to replace the file creation date, so it looks "right" in the Finder. I use the app GraphicConverter ($40), because it does lots of other useful stuff for me, even though that makes it a little complicated. I think if you check the app store, or use Google, you may find an app that suits our needs. Or, you can use the built-n app Photos to view and organize your pictures.

Let us know how it goes...