Adding position information to digital photos (geotagging)

1. What is that supposed to be ?
2. When was it taken ?
3. Where was it taken ?

Q1 may be solved by audio titling - built into later Kodak cameras, I hear. Or one could use a timestamping digital voice recorder to keep notes and correlate the times as below; voice recognition software will give a text version.

We can solve Q3 using a GPS. The JPEG2000 standard actually allows position data to be embedded directly in the image file, and future cameras may have GPS built in, but for now we can add it later based on the timestamp.

The concept is fairly simple - the GPS saves its position continuously in a track file, which can be later downloaded to a computer. If a photograph was taken within a few minutes of a trackpoint, then the trackpoint documents where it was taken.

Here are some scripts used to make the photo index below:

• mk-trackdb.pl - extract positions from Garmin text file
• gpx2trackdb.pl - extract positions from Garmin XML file (GPX format)
• mk-photo-index5.pl - make a clickable photo index with links to Google maps (Google's API is documented at www.google.com/apis/maps/; it requires registration to use but is free for non-commercial purposes)

Photo Index

Hold mouse over thumbnail for date/size; click for fullsize (opens in second window).

In Berkeley Sound (Pacific Rim National Park)

Snake on Helby Island

On Howe Sound Crest Trail

View of the Lions

Mount Baker over Point Roberts

Sail Training Ship "Concordia" docked at Steveston

Concordia'x figurehead