Metadata question - batch change date picture taken from file name? anyone?

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum. I was wondering if anyone could suggest a program that will allow me to batch change the 'date picture taken' attribute from the file names of my photos. I would like to automate this process as I have about 3,000 photos that I will need to change in this way. Here are some more details:

I'm currently in the process of consolidating all of my personal photos to my iPhoto library. I have almost 3,000 pictures from an old cell phone where the file name of the photos is in the format mm-dd-yy_hhmm (02-04-04_2206 for February 4, 2004 10:06 PM). For whatever reason, the file name is a more accurate date and time than the attributes of the file, which are a few hours (and sometimes days) off. I would like to find a program that would be able to read the file name and change the 'date picture taken' field of the attributes accordingly. (I hope I wrote this in an understandable way.)

I use both Leopard and Vista but would prefer a Mac program first and a free and/or cheap program if possible. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, even if it's a suggestion to post this question in a different forum.

Thank you,
Eric

Far from having any idea how but google gave me this one. Not sure its what you want.

http://www.attributemagic.com/attributemagic-pro.html

Welcome to the forums.

Download the free 30 days trial of ACDSee pro (button is on the right side halfway down)
http://store.acdsee.com/store/acd/en...uctID.78701700

Just curious if anyone knows of a Mac program that will do this? I'm wanting to add EXIF date and time to my photos that is pulled from the file name. I can find plenty of programs that will create a file name from EXIF date data, but none of them specifically say they will go the other direction. I can use a Vista program if I have to, but it is much more convenient if someone knows of a Mac program that will do this.

Also, if you suggest a program, how safe is it to use? Will it damage any of the other data?

Thanks again,
Eric

Neither ACDsee nor attribute magic worked. Any other ideas?

Do you have the latest version of iLife (w/ iPhoto etc.)? It has been upgraded with many new features for sorting and managing photos from all sources, but particularly from phones. Obviously weighted toward the iPhone, but other as well.

That's the best Apple software that isn't a professionally oriented and priced product that I know at this time.

I'm not up on the entire spectrum of Apple software (working on that again) and this one is new! Short of going to an Adobe for Apple product or Aperture, this would I imagine be the most seamless set of operations, but whether it will do 'exactly' what you want I can't answer. It appears to have the features to sort the way you desire, but it may not re-write the EXIF data, only the file name. Would that work?

Let us know what you discover!

Welcome to Photography Review.

in iPhoto '08 (ver 7.1.5), you can change the date or time of individual photos by selecting the photo in the main library, and clicking on the "i" in the bottom-left-hand corner of the screen. The field are then displayed, and can be changed manually.

You can change the date of multiple photos by selecting them, then going to Photos> Batch Change. You can also change the and time of events by selecting the event, then going to Photos> Change Date and Time.

Can you automate all this in an action or droplet? Maybe, but it would require more skills than I have!

In Aperture2, you cannot change the image date directly, but you can delete it and insert a field called "Image Creation Date" that is fully editable.

Hope this helps.

- Joe U.

I checked Infraview and it doesn't seem to have a date change setting. Too bad too, because it has awesome batch capabilities.

G

Download and install Windows Live Photo Gallery. I only just started using this program, but it seems pretty good so far. One thing that you can do easily is change the date the picture was taken. Open the picture in this program, right-click it, and the menu will offer a "Change picture taken" option. If you want to do a batch, select all and the right-click any of the pictures and it will give you the same options. Choose your date and OK and it's done.

Hi,

I have the same problem, and starting to get desperate. This as I don't find a solution.

Did anyone have any idea how to solve this problem?
if yes, how? I'm using Windows, so it would be great if the solution could be windows orientated

Thanks!
Mike

Aperture 2.1.4
select photo
Top menu Metadata-> Adjust Date and Time

In fact, iPhoto 8.1.1
top menu Photos ->Adjust Date and Time
Check the box to change master file

Lightroom
Metadata > Edit Capture Time

arteye - I don't think any of these are going to be able to pick up the date from the file name, are they? - TF