[Solved] Mac Photo Exporting with Library EXIF Data

kaleidoscope on 30/01/2022 - 09:19
Last edited 06/02/2022 - 11:09 by 1 other user

G'day all,
I have an Apple photos referenced library (on mac) with about 8k photos. The source photos were from my son's childcare so the originals did not contain any exif data such as creation date, location info, etc. These were carefully added as I built this library over the last 2 years one day/week at a time. I want to export all these photos to a different photo library with the new exif data such as dates and location. But sadly apple photos do not write these when exporting.

What's the best way to achieve this?

I do have capture one 12, but it doesn't let you import the new mac photos library format unfortunately.

Thanks in advance.

• 

  fiveferrari on 30/01/2022 - 19:16

  +1

  Download the iCloud Photos library on a Mac and those files should have the EXIF data.

  Once you have the files, you can copy them to external SSD and import them in a new library.

  Does this not work?

  • 

    kaleidoscope on 31/01/2022 - 01:32

    Thanks for your reply. The added exif data is sadly on the db of the photo library and not saved onto the library’s photos or the exported photos from it.
    My iCloud photos library is separate from this photos library if that was not clear (my bad if that confused you)

    —-

    I’ve found a paid application called Photo Exifer since the time of posting. The app lets you import a local photo lib and shows exif data comparison between library data and original and they claim the full paid version lets you write back to exporting assets. If other method does not work, I will give this one a go and see.

    https://www.fireebok.com/photo-exif-for-ios.html

    ✌️

    • 

      fiveferrari on 31/01/2022 - 09:31

      +1

      If your iCloud Photos Library and DB are the same then I would advise the below :-

      1. Copy all the files from iCloud Library into external HDD.
      2. Delete those files form Library so you have no files left.
      3. Upload your files to the library.

      This approach only works if you have the same files.

      If this is not the case, then the only way I can see is to remove the files without the correct metadata and reupload to the library.

• 

  jv on 31/01/2022 - 01:36

  +1

  Apple seriously sucks with how they handle photos.

  Downloading them onto my windows PC, I lose all the photos with special effects, such as portrait mode. Results in a corrupt HEIC file.
  If you turn off HEIC, then the download keeps failing.

  • 

    kaleidoscope on 31/01/2022 - 02:40

    I know :-( On one hand they make things simpler but on other hand makes things impossible or incredibly frustrating for power users.

• 

  kaleidoscope on 06/02/2022 - 00:33

  Update.

  There is a checkbox in photo library settings called "include location information" under sharing. It was for whatever reason off in my local photo library, once I switched on, it was writing back the meta data with exported photos. How that's related to a setting under sharing I'll never know, but it seems to work after that change.

  Thanks for the responses