# Mapping EXIF GPS coordinates



## Keuka Kid (Nov 30, 2011)

Thinking of getting a GPS for my Nikon D90 since Lightroom stores the GPS coordinates in the EXIF data.  Does anyone know of a program that will automatically extract the coordinates from the EXIF data fields of the image file and map the location on a map?  Running Lion on a Mac.


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## jid9p80vph (Nov 30, 2011)

Hi KK, welcome to the forums. You don't really need any program other than LR. If you click on arrow next to the GPS coordinates in LR, the location will be shown in Google Maps in your browser.




If you're looking for a good GPS photo tool (for lack of a better term...), I can recommend Geosetter (http://www.geosetter.de/en/).

Edit: scratch my recommendation, Geosetter is Windows only... I'm sure some of the Mac users on the forum will chime in with other suggestions.


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## louisk (Nov 30, 2011)

I've been using myTracks (http://www.mytracks4mac.com/myTracks/Start.html)
I load a track from the GPS, tag the pictures, then import into Lightroom.  It handles the RAW from Canon, haven't checked anything else.


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## LouieSherwin (Dec 1, 2011)

I have been using Jeffrey Friedl's  “GPS-Support” Geoencoding Plugin. It will read track files produced by external GPS devices and add GPS data into your images in your catalog. Because of restrictions in the API he uses a "shadow gps database". Also supported is lookup of coordinates in Google Earth that you can apply to images already in your catalog, writing GPS date back into original files. and a "reverse-geoencoding" lookup that will fill in your IPTC location fields based on the GPS coordinates. 

-louie


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## Keuka Kid (Dec 1, 2011)

Thanks.  I guess that since I don't have the GPS yet, there isn't a place holder in the EXIF data for the coordinates.

jerry


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## LouieSherwin (Dec 2, 2011)

Keuka Kid said:


> Thanks.  I guess that since I don't have the GPS yet, there isn't a place holder in the EXIF data for the coordinates.
> 
> jerry



Hi Jerry,

The GPS data can be added into the metadata any time. The "X" in XMP metadata stands for eXtensible and is designed to allow for this. This is one of the things that the Geoencoding Plugin does. By default it creates what Jeffery calls a shadow GPS data which you can see in the Lightroom metadata panel. And optionally you can write the GPS directly into the XMP for each image (XMP sidecars for RAW files).

With the plugin's integration with Google Earth, you can start geocoding all your existing images today. This is what I did for my recent trip to Paris. I was able to use Google Earth with street view to pinpoint all of my shots. I also used my iPhone to create a GPS track log and then used that to geocode an entire weekend trip to the Loire Valley.

-louie


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