how to do a batch change (shift) of file creation date

Here is a condensed and modified version of the script info in the link I gave you in the comments. You can save it as a plain text file, without an extension, and make it executable per info in the link, e.g. chmod +x filename. Place the script in a folder that's in your $PATH e.g.: /usr/local/bin/

This script sets both the created and modified date/time stamp on each DSC_*.* file +5 hours on the DSC_*.* files in the working directory.

In a Terminal then cd to the directory containing the DSC_*.* files and then type the name you gave to the script and press enter.

#!/bin/bash
for f in DSC_*.*; do
    ts="$(GetFileInfo -d "$f")"
    e="$(date -j -f "%m/%d/%Y %H:%M:%S" "$ts" +%s)"
    ((o=60*60*5))
    ((e+=o))
    nd="$(date -r $e "+%m/%d/%Y %H:%M:%S")"
    SetFile -m "$nd" "$f"
    SetFile -d "$nd" "$f"
done

In case the comment to the OP gets deleted the code above is based on the answer to Updating File Created Date by x number of days Mac OSX and modified to the +5 hours requested. If you only want to change the created time then comment out, placing a # in front of, or removing the SetFile -m "$nd" "$f" line.


There is a great little application called shootShifter on the App Store (and maybe directly) which is designed for exactly this. It lets you graphically select photos and set up/modify both file system and EXIF dates. It worked well for me.

(I have no connection except as a user of the app.)