Editing the date and time of a photograph is a valuable skill for photographers and digital content creators alike. Whether you need to adjust the timestamp to match the actual moment captured or correct an incorrect setting, modifying the photo properties is a straightforward process. By following these steps, you can easily change the date and time in photo properties, giving you greater control over the metadata associated with your images. To begin, you’ll need to access the photo’s properties. This process varies depending on the operating system and software you’re using, but generally involves right-clicking on the file and selecting “Properties” or “Get Info.” Once you have accessed the properties window, you should be able to locate the date and time fields. These fields may be labeled as “Date Taken” or “Creation Date,” and they typically display the date and time when the photo was captured or imported. Next, simply click on the date and time fields to edit them. You can either type in the new date and time directly or use the calendar and time picker to select the desired values. Once you have made your changes, click on the “OK” or “Save” button to apply them. The photo’s properties will now be updated with the new date and time, giving you more accurate and consistent metadata for your digital images.
Accessing the Properties Menu
Accessing the Properties menu allows you to modify various attributes of an image file, including its date and time. The exact steps for accessing the Properties menu may slightly differ depending on the operating system and software you are using.
Windows
| Operating System | Instructions for Accessing Properties Menu |
|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 | 1. Right-click on the image file and select “Properties”.2. Navigate to the “Details” tab.3. Locate the “Date Taken” or “Date Modified” field, depending on the attribute you want to change. |
| Windows 7/8 | 1. Right-click on the image file and select “Properties”.2. Click on the “Summary” tab.3. Locate the “Date Taken” field.### MacOS ### |
| Operating System | Instructions for Accessing Properties Menu |
| macOS Monterey/Ventura | 1. Control-click on the image file and select “Get Info”.2. Navigate to the “More Info” section.3. Locate the “Date Created” or “Date Modified” field, depending on the attribute you want to change. |
| macOS Catalina/Big Sur | 1. Control-click on the image file and select “Get Info”.2. Navigate to the “General” section.3. Locate the “Date Taken” field. |
| macOS Mojave/High Sierra | 1. Select the image file and press Command + I.2. Navigate to the “General” section.3. Locate the “Date Taken” field.Utilizing Third-Party Software———-If the built-in methods don’t meet your needs, consider utilizing third-party software specifically designed for manipulating photo metadata, including date and time. These specialized applications offer a wide range of features and advanced options that may cater to your specific requirements.Here are some popular third-party software options for changing date and time in photo properties:To effectively use third-party software, follow these general steps: |
| Step | Action |
| 1 | Download and install the desired third-party software. |
| 2 | Open the photo you want to modify in the software. |
| 3 | Locate the section or tool that allows you to modify the date and time metadata. |
| 4 | Make the necessary changes and save the modified photo. |
| Parameter | Description |
| -DateTimeDigitized | Date and time the photo was taken |
| -ModifyDate | Date and time the photo was last modified |
| -CreateDate | Date and time the photo was created (not supported by all file formats) |
| Python Code | # Description |
from PIL import Image <br/> im = Image.open("image.jpg") <br/> exif = im.getexif() <br/> exif['DateTimeOriginal'] = '2023:05:18 12:30:00' <br/> exif['DateTimeDigitized'] = '2023:05:18 12:30:00' <br/> im.setexif(exif) <br/> im.save("image.jpg") |
This code snippet demonstrates the entire process of modifying the date and time attributes of an image using the Pillow library. |
| Option | Description |
| -set creation-date | Sets the photo’s creation date |
| -set modify-date | Sets the photo’s modification date |
| -DateTimeOriginal | Specifies the EXIF “Date/Time Original” field |
| -ModifyDate | Specifies the EXIF “Modify Date” field |
| Option | Description |
| File Properties | Right-click on the image file, select “Properties,” and then navigate to the “Details” tab to edit the date and time. |
| Exif Metadata Editor | Download and install an Exif metadata editor software and use it to manually edit the timestamps in your photos. |
| Command Line Tools (Windows) | Use command line tools such as “exiftool” or “nk” to modify the date and time information in your photos through the command prompt. |
| Option | Description |
| Date Created | Displays the date and time when the photo was originally created. |
| Date Modified | Displays the date and time when the photo was last modified or edited. |
| Date Captured | Displays the date and time when the photo was taken, if available from the camera’s metadata. |
| Time Zone | Specifies the time zone of the date and time being displayed. |
| Offset | Adjusts the time by a specified number of hours or minutes. |
| Field | Description |
| Capture Date | The date the photo was taken. |
| Capture Time | The time the photo was taken. |
| Date/Time Original | The original date and time the photo was taken. |
| Date/Time Digitized | The date and time the photo was scanned or otherwise digitized. |
| Date/Time Modified | The date and time the photo was last modified. |
| GPS Date | The date the GPS information was recorded. |
| GPS Time | The time the GPS information was recorded. |