Move will retain the folder date. Copy will create a new folder date. Robocopy and similar tools can copy with the original date.
Since you suggest you may be taking large numbers of photos, I wonder why you don't use the date in the exif metadata? That and other metadata is easily added to the Explorer view.
As srobarts suggests, you may want to alter the way your camera names the folders and files anyway.
I don't rely on file or folder dates or timestamps for my own photos, I use the embedded metadata. It doesn't matter where the photo comes from or what happens to it as long as the metadata remains intact.