Rename a whole photo library

If your photos are spread across folders, like one per year or per trip, Kettlemark can rename them all in one go. Each file stays in its own folder; only the name changes.

1. Preview everything

Add --recursive to include every folder inside:

kettlemark preview ~/Pictures --recursive

For a large library, save the preview to a file and read it at your own pace:

kettlemark preview ~/Pictures --recursive > preview.txt

2. Check the summary

The last lines tell you how many files would change and how many were skipped:

1,842 files will be renamed in 37 folders.
96 skipped: no date taken.
3 skipped: name already in use.

"Name already in use" means two photos were taken in the same second. See duplicates for how Kettlemark handles them.

3. Rename

kettlemark rename ~/Pictures --recursive

Kettlemark writes one .kettlemark-log.json in each folder it changes, so you can undo one folder without touching the others.

Tips

• Make a backup first if this is the only copy of your photos. Kettlemark only renames files, but a backup is always a good idea.
• Leave out folders you don't want renamed with --exclude, for example --exclude "Scans/**".