I recently collected a series of photos in a smart folder and then used the Export function to put them on a USB stick. When I opened them on a PC they all had the date of copying as the "date Created" and "date modified" which means they could not be recovered in date order (unfortunate as they were child photos). Is there a way of copying them to resolve this problem
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7), 4GB RAM, 750GB HD, 1TB Time Capsule
Thanks Leonie, I should advise that I'm actually using OSX 10.7.4 and iPhoto 11 (9.3). As I stated each image under Inspector in Preview shows me the correct dates (as per your screenshot).
What I'm trying to achieve is to give my daughter a copy of all the photos we've taken of her son. When I last used the Export command from iPhoto to copy them onto the USB and she tried to open them on her PC so as to import them, they all show up with a creation date the same as when I copied. This does not help as she would like to import them sorted into the correct date order.
Are you saying that if I use drag n drop to the USB it will carry over the correct EXIF data (as shown by Inspector under Preview)?
Gavin,
You can inspect the EXIF data simply with Preview. Open one of the images that you imported from iPhoto in Preview and press ⌘I (or from the main menu bar: Tools > Show Inspector). This will brin up the Information Panel and you can inspect most of the Metadata tags.
For example, I just exported this image, the file created date is today, but the EXIF info I see shows the correct capture date in 2009:
I did this test with iPhoto 9.3 on MacOS X 10.7.4, but earlier versions of iPhoto also retained important EXIF data. BTW, what is your iPhoto version?
Regards
Léonie
Sorry, just noticed your signature; on Snowleopard Preview is more basic and does not show these tags; you could use the free exiftool or Photoshop or GraphicConverter to show them - or simply reimport your exported images to iPhoto and look at the date. It should still be the original capture 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 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.
Thanks Terence but I'm unsure what you mean by a "photo app". Could you clarify please?
Secondly, as a test I drag n droppped some photos ontpo the desktop (confirming their date data with Command I), then dragged them onto a USB stick. When I checked their date data on the USB stick (again with Command I) the same data was apparent. Does this mean if I copy it onto another computer this data will transfer across?
Cheers Gavin
The problem is on her end.
she tried to open them on her PC so as to import them, they all show up with a creation date the same as when I copied.
That souns very like she's using something that doesn't understand exif on her machine.
To make life easier for her you can use an app like this
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/25698/shootshifter
to redate the files to the same date as the Photos.
Regards
TD
By Photo app I mean any application that understands the Exif data.
What date are you seeing - and where - when you command - i?
Have you tried copying to another computer to see?
how to copy photos to usb with creation date retained
