Incorrect "capture date" on imported photos received onto mobile phone via "WhatsApp"

[Birdbrain186]

Lightroom Version Number

Lightroom v 6.14 (Perpetual licence)

Operating System

1. Windows 10

I know this problem has been raised before but as far as I recall there wasn't any clear resolution nor much subsequent correspondence, which really surprises me as I would have thought that many people would be incorporating photos into their Lightroom catalogue – for example from family sharing groups - which they have received onto their mobile phones via WhatsApp groups, and therefore would have experienced the same problems that I have. (*) - see P.ostscript at end

The issue as I understand it is that photos received via WhatsApp have had their EXIF data "stripped out" and that where Lightroom identifies this to be the case, it will write a creation date into EXIF. But from my experience it doesn't however do this automatically upon importing the photo into one's catalogue.

In my recent experience upon importing photos received via WhatsApp Lightroom will show as "capture date" the date the photo was received onto my mobile phone – which in many cases will be fine for my purposes. But if I know any photo was actually taken on any earlier date, I then correct the "capture date" using the "edit capture date" function, which is not really a problem.

• The problem however is, that when I have imported a batch of such photos and then add keywords to them, (or indeed am retrospectively keywording photos added to the catalogue on previous occasions) Lightroom changes the "capture date" for all of them to incorrectly show the current date and time – ie when the keywording was added !!

This obviously causes an issue when wanting to order any photos into chronological order and I don't see any logic in Lightroom changing the date it has originally "chosen" to show as "capture date" just because keywords are being entered.

The changes made also similarly change the created / modified dates shown within Windows Explorer "file properties" (i.e. as accessed by right clicking the file) as both dates are changed to the current "accessed" date & time.

Furthermore I've found that if any additional keywording is subsequently added, Lightroom again changes the "capture date" to the date and time of the additional keywording being added. (Which makes even less sense to me!)

The only way I have found to avoid this issue is after importing a batch of such pictures to use the "edit capture date" for every photo, which is a very time consuming and tedious task to have to incorporate into my workflow!!

I would therefore be grateful to hear from anyone who has experienced similar problems, and particularly from anyone who has found any better workarounds to ensure "correct" capture dates are shown for any photos received via WhatsApp.​

Many thanks in anticipation,

(*) Postscript:-. ​

A further problem I've found is that upon importing some photos received via WhatsApp no thumbnails appear in my Lightroom catalogue. I have however found that if I open and then re-save these photos (I use the useful programme Faststone Imageviewer) that the thumbnails do then appear on subsequently importing the photos into Lightroom. (N.B. There is an "update file timestamp" checkbox which needs to be left unchecked to avoid this process similarly changing the "capture time" incorrectly to the current date & time) ​

 

[Birdbrain186]

I'm not a frequent user of this forum and am wondering if I'm doing something wrongly as I have had no response whatsoever to this posting, despite a number of viewings.

I've noticed there is a "tags" section but am unclear how to access this to add any relevant tags (I just tried to insert the tag "WhatsApp" but the text just disappeared and doesn't seem to have been added to my posting as a tag.

So am wondering if the absence of any tags might be a factor for there being no response?

I also see in the thread listings that both earlier & subsequent postings are shown as "New" whereas mine is not - which I do not understand either.

I'd be grateful for any advice please on anything further I could or should be doing when posting on this forum.​

Many thanks in anticipation.

Mike Box

P.S. Is this forum being only for "non -subscription" Lightroom perhaps no longer monitored by "moderators" ?

 

[Hal P Anderson]

You aren't doing anything wrong. Sometimes posts just don't catch the interest of any of the Gurus. We're human, after all.

If an image doesn't have a valid value in the capture date field, I think that LR will use the creation date from the entry in the Windows file structure. If WhatsApp doesn't put (or leave) a valid value in the capture date field, you'll see what you're seeing.

 

[Birdbrain186]

Thanks for your prompt response Hal.

What you've said is pretty much what I previously understood to be the case, that because the EXIF data is apparently "stripped out" by WhatsApp, LR therefore needs to enter a creation date, which logically would be the "created" date as per Windows Explorer / right clicking the file for file properties (if I'm correctly understanding you're referring to)

But what I still don't understand is, once it's done that (i.e. on importing a file) why does it also change said date subsequently whenever keywording is added?​

I can only conclude from what I've found that the only way to "lock" any creation date (i.e. prior to the import date) is to go through the "edit capture date" process for every file imported (which is a pain!)

- As if I don't, I've found any subsequent adding of keywording changes the creation date (wrongly) to the current date.

Perhaps you would confirm whether or not I'm correctly understanding this.​

​

Many thanks for your further consideration!


Regards

Mike

​

P.S. I'm still surprised if others haven't experienced the same problem!
- If not, perhaps there's just some glitch on my installation then?

 

[Hal P Anderson]

You may have "Automatically write changes into XMP" set in your Catalog Settings. With that set, the image file will get a new Modified Date when you change any of its metadata or edit the file. You don't need to have that set. Keeping all the edits and metadata in Lightroom is just fine.

 

[Birdbrain186]

Thanks for your further post Hal.

You have correctly identified what was causing my problem.

Now, after unchecking that box and importing a further batch of photos, the metadata of those received via WhatsApp no longer is no longer altered when I make changes within LR.

I'm very grateful for your knowledgeable insight which will save me much future "wasted time" within my Lightroom workflow!

Cheers Mike