The term ‘geotagging’ often comes up in photography discussions but still mystifies many of us. Geotagging allows you to know exactly where and when an image was taken because the location’s latitude and longitude are recorded with the image’s EXIF data. The EXIF data includes information about HOW the photo was taken and includes details such as shutter speed and aperture. Most digital cameras automatically record EXIF information with every picture taken but only a few models include built-in geotagging at this time.
If you’re someone who loves travel photography or enjoys the technological aspects of picture-taking, geotagging can add an entirely new dimension to each experience.
Damon Webster, founder of Photoinduced.com and a world-renowned professional photographer who has shot numerous assignments for the Los Angeles Times Sunday and other publications, tells us that geotagging has been very useful in both his personal and professional photography endeavors.
Webster says, “I actually used geotagging when I was in Paris and was sent to a gallery. It took asking five people in broken French to find it. Once there, I used a geotagger while shooting the front of the gallery. When I posted notes about the exhibit, readers were able to click the photo and get taken right to Google maps. Perfect!”
He adds, “In a business setting for film production, a location scout can geotag the photos, and with all of the different views available from the GPS info, you know where to park the trucks and where the sun will be for the shots.”
You’ll need a GPS device in order to geotag your images. There are a variety of choices here, including a few models that are specifically designed for geotagging digital pictures. Some attach to the hot shoe on your camera while others require no direct camera connection. You simply read the coordinates and then attach the information to your digital images. Once this information has been embedded, you can use the images with Google Maps, Flickr or other online imaging programs. If you’re planning a vacation, geotagged images can help you find landmarks and other points of interest. This technique is also valuable in helping others who would love to visit the same places you’ve documented. For you gadget-geeks, the process of geotagging and seeing the results can be a fun adventure in itself.
