Prevent iPhoto updating timestamp metadata

I am migrating photos from my macbook pro onto a mac mini relying on an externally attached storage drive. I've setup a one-step automator action to import photos added to a specific folder into the new iPhoto library. Nearly all of my photos were taken when I was living in California. At the moment, I am doing all of this photo migration while living abroad. The time zone of both machines is now set to the new location. After moving a small test batch of files over from the old iPhoto library and into the automator folder, the import appeared to work as it should except the time stamp metadata was updated to reflect the date and time in the new time zone at which they were taken. So, for example, the original file shows June 15, 1998 at 1:26:56 PM and the newly imported file shows June 16 1998 at 4:26:56 AM - the new time zone. While technically this is the correct time it was taken, it is not the correct time at the place it was taken. The EXIF metadata of the file itself (within the iPhoto masters directory buried inside the iPhoto package) now also shows this information (right click, info, etc.) and not just in iPhoto only.

So, my question... is there a workaround for this? Did I miss something? Or, is there a discussion thread that already addresses this issue that I overlooked?

UPDATE: Problem solved.