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Known Participant
April 27, 2021
Question

Workflow for importing scanned images and changing capture date ?

  • April 27, 2021
  • 4 replies
  • 1900 views

I normally import my images using File Renaming. My files are renamed as a function of the capture date.

For scanned files, this doesn't work well, since the capture time is the scanning time, not the time of the original capture by the analog camera.

I tried applying a Metadata preset during import to change the capture date to the actual one.

However, the metadata preset is applied after the file renaming, and thus my files still end up being renamed based on the scanning date.

Is there any way to apply the metadata preset before the file renaming ?

Or maybe to apply it before the file import step ?

 

Right now, without the ability to do that, my workflow is very painful.

1) run import, which gives the wrong name and imports to the wrong folder

2) save metadata to those files

3) move those files out of the folder they were imported to using windows explorer, to another temporary location

4) synchronize that folder to remove the missing files

5) reimport from the location the files were moved to in 3)

 

I'm curious how other photo scanners deal with this.

I know I could use Exiftool GUI to fix the date myself before import, but that defeats the point of using Lightroom Metadata presets.

 

This topic has been closed for replies.

4 replies

Inspiring
April 27, 2021

I've created several EXIFTOOL Batch command files to apply metadata prior to import. My filenaming convention is set in the Export control of the scanning software.

 

REM Apply Basic Metadata for Slides and Negatives

REM ---------------- Change the Following for each run --------------------

REM Use 'description' for a general compent on the group being processed and 'title' when it is common across all.

REM fname is the name to save the metadata to for future use. Use first part of prefix
set fname="C:\Users\paul\Documents\ExifTool_BAT\_temp.BAT"


set title="Some Cottage 1982"
set description="Some Cottage 1982, Gull River"

REM Original mediaInfo FILM:Kodacolor II (5075),ISO:??,SIZE:?? [either negative or print],COLOR/B&W, Confidence in original date.
REM Need place to record develop date
set "m1=FILM:Kodacolor II (5075),ISO:?,SIZE:35mm,Colour,Date:1982"
set mediaInfo="%m1%,Scan(Epson,2400dpi,Auto Exp,Color Restore,ICE=Quality)"

REM Keyword SLIDE,NEGATIVE,PRINT. 
REM Add LOW RES to 'T' Thumbnail pictrues. HIGH RES for HI 'F' 
set keywords="HI RES,FILM,NEGATIVE"

REM This will replace the Make and Model of the scanner used
set make="Pentax"
set model="??"

REM Location should be within the city if possible
set location="Street Name"
set country="Canada"
set prov="Ontario"
set city="Smith Falls"

REM Date/Time format YYYY:MM:DD HH:MM:SS
REM Date of scan
set createDate="2021:03:22 11:30:00"

REM DateTimeOriginal is many times a guess reflected in mediaInfo/UserComment
REM For unknown dates, set to '1977:07:07 07:07:07' or year and 7's

set DateTimeOriginal="1982:07:07 07:07:07"

REM Special handling for FileSource https://exiftool.org/forum/index.php?topic=1939.0
REM 1 = Film Scanner; 2 = Reflection Print Scanner

set FileSource=1 


REM -------------------------------------------------------------------------

REM Add Basic tags for a set of images

set creator="Paul Lastname"
set copyright="(C) Copyright 2021 by Paul Lastname"
set email="paul@email.net"
set terms="All rights reserved. Any use of the original and derivative works of this image must be licensed."

echo exiftool -overwrite_original ^
-mwg:Creator=%creator% ^
-ImageCreatorName=%creator% ^
-Contact=%creator% ^
-OwnerName=%creator% ^
 ^
-CreatorWorkEmail=%email% ^
 ^
-mwg:Copyright=%copyright% ^
-xmp:usageterms=%terms% ^
-n -xmp:copyrightstatus='CS-PRO' -xmp-xmprights:marked=true ^
 ^
-mwg:Location=%location% ^
-event=%location% ^
 ^
-mwg:Country=%country% ^
-mwg:City=%city% ^
-mwg:State=%prov% ^
 ^
-title=%title% ^
-mwg:Description=%description% ^
-ObjectName=%description% ^
 ^
-DateTimeOriginal=%DateTimeOriginal% ^
-createdate=%createDate% ^
-DateTimeDigitized=%createDate% ^
 ^
-Make=%make% ^
-Model=%model% ^
-UserComment=%mediaInfo% ^
 ^
-sep "," -keywords=%keywords% ^
-XPkeywords=%keywords% ^
-n -xmp:filesource=%FileSource% ^
  . > %fname%
 
 call %fname%
Known Participant
April 27, 2021

Thanks. I really would like to preserve my folder / naming scheme.

Currently I use YYYY/MM/YYYY-MM-DD_sequence as the locating/naming scheme.

I believe everything would be fine if LRC applied the Metadata preset before renaming.

If there was "Reimport" function, I could run my files through it again to have them renamed/relocated. But that option doesn't seem to exist in Lightroom.

I guess using Exiftool prior to import is the only way to do go without going crazy with the workflow. Wish LRc itself could do this instead.

 

Pentax K-1 II . Panasonic Lumix GX85.i7-5820k OC 4.3 GHz32GB DDR4-26668x1 TB striped SSDnVidia GTX 9602 x 32UHD59-B 32" 4K displays1 x Asus PB238Q HD display10Gbe Ethernet112TB NAS
john beardsworth
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 27, 2021
quote

I guess using Exiftool prior to import is the only way to do go without going crazy with the workflow. Wish LRc itself could do this instead.

 


By @madbrain76

 

Prior is good, but you can also do so after import.

 

In this case in LR you need the command Metadata > Read Metadata from File, but this would normally overwrite any metadata you have already entered after import.

 

So first you need to do Metadata > Save Metadata to File, saving IPTC metadata and adjustments, and then after processing with Exiftool you do a Metadata > Read Metadata from File which reads in those IPTC entries and adjustments, as well as your modified EXIF.

 

My Capture Time to Exif plugin provides a UI within LR for Exiftool, and you may find it convenient with this workflow.

Community Expert
April 27, 2021

Yes renaming can be done after import, in respect of updated capture time metadata, but that does not alter what folders the images are held inside. So if you also want a capture date based folder filing scheme, the only ways LrC can help implement that is :

 

  • an adjusted date set within scanning application as part of creating files
  • a separate tool used on files before LrC import, to update the capture metadata
  • Adobe adds a date-adjust function into the Import screen and applies that onto the images before any import actions happen
  • Adobe adds a tool within Library to select some images that are already imported, and already altered for capture date as desired, that then RE-FILES those physically according to a chosen specification, equivalent to the Organize and Destination options available for a "Move" Import.

 

This is not just about scanning: one can get timezone-shift instances whereby the camera's internal "midnight" has clicked over midway through the local daytime, when travelling. Thus a proportion of the photos arising will have self-filed themselves into an unsuitable "day folder". 

johnrellis
Legend
April 27, 2021

I think your options are:

 

- Use an external tool to set the date before importing.

- Use a different foldering scheme. 

 

For my tens of thousands of scans, I put them in folders named with the number of the slide trays in which they resided or with the codes on the negative sleeve.  That way, I can easily get from the scan in LR to the film original.  At the time of import, I often don't know the capture dates.  Much later after import I set the capture date within LR using a plugin similar to the Capture Time To Exif plugin that lets me set a batch of photos to have the same date with times sequentially increasing by 1 second.  

KR Seals
Community Expert
Community Expert
April 27, 2021

I handle that issue by creating a folder with the date and event name of the scanned set of images i.e.:  1985-04-04-boyssoccergame. Then I name all of the file the very same name plus a sequence number. That way the folders automatically sort in date order in Lightroom Classic and the images sort in date order when the contents of a folder are viewed in the library module.  When viewing the folders outside of LrC in the OS file management, the same applies when sorting the folders by name.

Ken Seals - Nikon Z 9, Z 8, 14mm-800mm. Computer Win 11 Pro, I7-14700K, 64GB, RTX3070TI. Travel machine: 2021 MacBook Pro M1 MAX 64GB. All Adobe apps.