Is it possible to change the date on a RAW file?

For some reason when I got my 50D I either forgot to set the date to the year 2011 or somehow I managed to change it back to 2010, so all of my photos up until last night are stored as images from "2010" because that's the data that LR3 is seeing. Is there any way I can go into the RAW file on my computer and change that info so the file reads the correct year of 2011?

Here is a free exif editor that supposedly can edit raw exif.

Thanks, I'll look into this.

LR does have an Edit Capture Time utility in the Library module Metadata menu. Check it out -- it's much better do do "stuff" in Lightroom than to resort to an external program so LR can stay synchronized.

You can edit the Capture Time via LR3's Metadata menu. There is an Edit Capture Time option, which displays a dialog box to perform the function.

If you make a mistake it can be reverted back to the original time, if needed. I'd still back up the photographs and catalog beforehand, just in case.

Thanks all. I just dumped my pictures out of the folders they were in because I had moved them which made LR lose them. I've been pulling my hair out over this. Just gonna take it in steps haha.

I do feel very comfortable in LR, it's just a matter of getting my catalog in order and getting all my folders and files in proper order as well.

Believe me, when you try to do organizational things outside of LR you create headaches for yourself. Lightroom is designed to manage your library through an internal cataloging system. Changing things around outside of LR is like going to the library and moving books around to outside their cataloging system! Not helpful!

I was able to get the change done in the metadata tab, but when I reimport the photos, LR still puts them in a "2010" folder in my Lightroom Photos folder in My Pictures. Still really frustrated about this.

Looks like the metadata reverted back to the original after the reimport, also.

StayLucky wrote in post #12146887
I was able to get the change done in the metadata tab, but when I reimport the photos, LR still puts them in a "2010" folder in my Lightroom Photos folder in My Pictures. Still really frustrated about this.

Looks like the metadata reverted back to the original after the reimport, also.

If you did it via the Metadata TAB, it wont work. You need to to go to the Metadata MENU at the top of the screen, click on the menu, then on "Edit Capture Time" menu item to display the dialog box.

As for organisation keep it simple, don't over think things. Personally I have 1 drive which contains both my Lightroom Catalogue and Previews AND my images. This has the added advantage that it is easier to back up. I just need to do a straight drive copy to another drive. As the drive fills up, just get another bigger drive and do a straight copy to the new drive. Simple.

As for folder layout ... see below:

HDD
... lightroom_catalog
... ... lightroom_catalog.lrca​t
... ... lightroom_catalog_prev​iews.lrdata
... YYYY
... ... YYYYMMDD_event
... ... ... image files (both raw and derivatives ie photoshopped, also .xmp files)
... ... yyyymmdd_another_event

where:
lightroom_catalog is the folder where the catalog and the previews live.
HDD is the name of the HDD, mine is Lightroom_Images
YYYY is the year 2011, 2010, 2009 etc.
MM is the month 01, 02, 03 ... 11, 12.
DD is the day 01, 02, 03, 04, 05 ... 28, 29, 30, 31.
event_name is, obviously the event name, ie birthday, zoo_trip etc.

As for filenames I keep them similar:

yyyymmdd_event_seqno

Where the seqno is a sequence number of the photograph taken at the event. I keep the date and event name in the file name so, if for any reason the file gets lost outside the folder, then you know which folder it belongs too.

Really not sure if I want to save my images as their file numbers or rename them to reflect the event or place I shot them.

Is there a way I can change the metadata time stamp for multiple photos at once?

Lastly, even when I change the time capture for a photo, it still sits in a folder designated as "2010" in my Lightroom Photos folder...I'll provide screen captures in a moment to illustrate...

Here in LR is a photo I changed the year on, as you can see it is now reading the correct year of "2011."

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

Crisis averted!

I exported the improperly named files as .DNG's and then re-imported them. All is well. thanks for the help guys!

Well, OK then.

As to the files showing up in the "wrong" folder, well, that's because the LR folders are "reflections" of your system folders. You just use LR to move them to the proper folder. Click on the folder you want to move, do a Select All to select the images, then you can either drag and drop the folder into the proper "parent" folder (2011) or you can right-click on the target parent and choose to Move the selected folder/files.