Metadata changes and batch editing

Has anyone figured out how to batch edit the photos in your library or change the metadata? Everything is very organized by date and location and if this information is wrong from older photos it REALLY throws everything off. Any suggestions?


Thanks guys for your help!

Posted on Apr 8, 2015 3:40 PM

Reply
8 replies

Apr 8, 2015 3:42 PM in response to rewind3487

See this post by léonie:

léonieApr 8, 2015 3:06 PM
Re: can I no longer batch edit photo meta data?!in response to Nickholl

You can select several photos at once and add keywords, but not the same title to several photos at once.


You can copy the adjustments from one photo to all selected photos.


You can adjust the time of several selected photos at once.


But that's it 😟


It is one more reason to keep iPhoto ready to prepare photos before importing to photos.

User uploaded file

Apr 10, 2015 8:34 PM in response to rewind3487

I have 200-300 35mm slides that I am scanning into my Mac. I wanted the metadata dates to reflect the approximate time when the photo was taken. So I put the scanned images in a folder and use Exif Editor to change the dates. As an example, I might have 11 images for Christmas of 1980 so I select them all and load into the editor. I then change the dates to 12-25-1980 and process the files. The dates are changed so that I can then import to iPhoto and now Photos.


I purchased the editor at the App Store. It works OK. I had trouble changing the years at first, mostly due to me typing too slow.


Fred

Apr 11, 2015 6:55 AM in response to rewind3487

I really miss the Batch Change facility in Photos, especially because the Collections format is great for cataloguing most photos, but some are not date related and many of mine had the wrong dates (e.g. scanned oldies of my ancestors).


Editing Time/Date in Photos is problematic. As mentioned elsewhere, the dates change within groups but not outside them. The dates only add time to each, so grouping does not work well. Also, giving several photos the same date works fine in Collections, but only the last one will appear in iOS devices. You need to add a minute or so onto each photo, which you can do in iPhoto.


Would you believe me if I told you there is a 16 minute discrepancy between times on the two apps, so avoid making the first one 00.00.00 as it will then go into the previous day. Start at 12.01.00. and add a minute to each.


What I've done for non-date related photos, is to poodlefake the year into groups for "samples", "odd ones", "portraits", "art" etc as 100, 200, 300... This puts the groups at the start of the Collections view and out of the way of my chronological photos.


But you must do all this in iPhoto, before you migrate, as Photos does not have these Batch change options.


Maybe there is a better way!

Nov 18, 2016 3:10 PM in response to LuckeyLimey

Depending on the type of edit you can copy and past them between photos. Edit photo #1 and Control (right) - click on it and select Copy Adjustments from the contextual menu.

User uploaded file

Use the right arrow key on the keyboard to advance to the next photo. Control (right) - click on it and select Paste Adjustments from the menu;

User uploaded file

This does not work for all typed of edits.

User uploaded file

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Metadata changes and batch editing

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.