You've taken a trip around the world, in the course of which you've taken hundreds, maybe thousands of pictures, but aside from the serial numbers which the camera produces, such as the file name or the date imprinted on it, and aside from an elusive memory, you have no further information regarding the exact location in which you took each picture.
Categorising of pictures in the camera and computer is done today, by default, according to the date in which they were taken – a pretty problematic issue, especially in the digital age in which everyone takes countless pictures as there is no more need for development and printout.
A technology which was recently developed is about to change the digital and cellular photography world: it allows devices with GPS or less accurate location services (like location which is based on the cellular companies' data), to categorize the pictures according to geographical location in which they were taken.
A New World
We’re talking about a program which is linked to the GPS receiver, perpetuates the camera's location at any given moment, and adds it to the picture file. As soon as the technology was launched most of the biggest picture sites in the world began to support it.
Aside from the possibility of categorizing the pictures conveniently in the computer, a new world has been opened for amateur and professional photographers, which enriches experiences due to their immediate linkage to the place where they were experienced. This way, for instance, links can be attached to pictures in various spots across Google Earth maps or get impressions from pictures that were taken in other interesting sites or along a certain road.
In the past, in order to share great trip experiences with friends, we would invite them over to watch photo files (or build presentations) accompanied with anecdotes and memories. Today, in the Web 2.0 world, where a special emphasis is given to the sharing experience, everything is done online and the extra information by Geotagging adds a new dimension to picture viewing.
Observing a map in which pictures are spread in the spots in which they were taken is also a very important tool for travelers in the planning stage of the trip: this way, more than a clue can be obtained regarding any destination and can appraise whether the effort and distance is worthwhile and save precious time. The new option turns the mapping world into a powerful tool.
Nevertheless, in the meanwhile, the technology is far from being widely available. The reason for this is simple: there still aren't enough supportive devices. In addition to the camera, which is found in almost every cellular device today, the majority of cellular producers have begun, in the past year, to add integral GPS components to the phones (in some of them the locating comes from the cellular network without need for satellites, a less accurate solution). Furthermore, many digital camera producers have decided to add a GPS component to their more sophisticated and expensive models.
How Does It Work?
In devices which support Geotagging all the user has to do is take pictures. The linkage process of the picture to the received data from the GPS is done in the background. The raw material, in which the data of each picture is kept, EXIF, usually includes a lot of information: type and model of the camera, date and hour, exposure data, shutter etc. The location is added to the Geotagging process, which is built from length and width lines. After uploading the files to the network or PC the coordinates are converted to physical locations on the map.
The problem which was revealed in the course of the first experiments of the technology is that the standard of data provided by the GPS isn't consistent and is diverse according to the producer of the specific GPS component. Therefore, a unique translation software, which operates in the background, is supposed to receive the details of the location the minute the picture is taken, translate it appropriately according to the time of photography and add it to the picture file. The entire process is carried out quickly, but is pretty complicated and includes identification, copying and placement of the data.
In the past, by the way, whoever was interested in combining between location information to the picture was forced to transfer the data from the GPS receiver to the computer along with the picture file, and it would "match" them, with the gracious help of a unique software.
This technological development will indeed provide a new aspect to photography experience, but there is no good without bad: combining GPS components in cameras and cellular phones could result in a rise in prices and lessen the operating duration of the battery.
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