Backing up iphoto library to external drive but the info (date

So are you saying that the Exif data will not change upon export? If that is the case is there a way to access the Exif data and copy it to the Date created date to correct the date created changes?

Thanks very much!

Yes, the Exif is untouched.

There are various utilities that will do what you want, such as Shootshifter:

http://maczentrisch.de/shootShifter/

But it's a bit of a mug's game imo, as the problem can recur any time you move the images across volumes. Better to use an app that understands Exif.

Thanks very much. I will try Shootshifter. We have Lightbox on another computer which I might opt in to using as I had problems with iPhoto from the get go. Not impressed with the app, nor the explanations by Apple about how it works, trouble-shooting or details the community discussions have provided (key to the explanations as to why the program behaves the way it does). The problem occurred in different circumstances and I still get the repair the disk prompt from time to time so assume that whatever prompts the notification hasn't been removed, resolved or fixed even after running the repair.

I really appreciate you and others taking the time to record solutions and explain these in a way that is easy for non-techies to grasp.

iPhoto has been discontinued for more than 2 years now, and I'm not sure what issues you're referring to.

Two things: Lightbox? Last updated in 2003? Or Adobe's Lightroom, which does - on a Pro level, the same job iPhoto did?

and I still get the repair the disk prompt from time to time

That's got nothing to do with iPhoto and if it's a recurring problem don't trust that disk. Dump it and get another one.

How are you backing up to your external drive? Are you exporting the image,files?

If you want a backup of your library copy the entire iPhoto library to te external volume. That will preserve the image file dates and all other metadata tags.

Regards

Léonie

No exporting -

Moving the iPhoto library is safe and simple - quit iPhoto and drag the iPhoto library intact as a single entity to the external drive - depress the option key and launch iPhoto using the "select library" option to point to the new location on the external drive - fully test it and then trash the old library on the internal drive (test one more time prior to emptying the trash)

And be sure that the External drive is formatted Mac OS extended (journaled) (iPhoto does not work with drives with other formats) and that it is always available prior to launching iPhoto

And backup soon and often - having your iPhoto library on an external drive is not a backup and if you are using Time Machine you need to check and be sure that TM is backing up your external drive

LN

But when photos get exported, the info changes too. The time & date for the photos becomes the the time that the back-up was created. How do I keep the info the same as the ones on iphoto?

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.