geotagging workflow for mac users

It’s not always easy using a Mac. Being in the minority means you don’t have access to many of the tools others take for granted. GPS is a good example. I love my little Garmin eTrex, but Garmin don’t love my mac. They have promised software this year, but details are very sketchy. So, I live hope, but in the meantime, I’ve got things I want to do, like geocoding the 2,000 odd photos I took on a recent holiday to Thailand and Myanmar!

Getting track data from the unit is a snap. I have my GPS set to automatically archive a daily track log, so I’ve got loads of data in gpx format on the mini SD card. Just put it in the adaptor, plug it into the card reader and copy it. Easy. I should also mention “LoadMyTracks” if you want to get more from the GPS, it just works!

Next, I geotag the photos using GPSPhotoLinker, in this first stage, just the batch method works fine, assuming you’ve got your camera and GPS set to the same time. You can do this before importing to iPhoto, or drag and drop from iPhoto after importing. If you haven’t altered the pics in iPhoto it will still geocode the originals. If you have made changes, it will geocode the modified copies of the photo. This may be an issue for some – not really for me.

Perform any alterations in iPhoto, titles, descriptions, keywords etc. I know iPhoto is not for everyone, but on balance, I find it easiest to use, and there are a couple of plug-ins that make it sweet. Keyword Assistant, just brilliant! I also keep my large photo libraries separate using iPhoto Buddy. These tools go some way to patching the functionality holes Apple have left in iPhoto.

Export to flickr using Picturesync, another great piece of software. Preserves all the data in iPhoto and uploads smoothly. An added bonus is its ability to export the files from iPhoto for archive with all the iPhoto data embedded as IPTC. Another major failing of iPhoto plugged!

You can view an example of the tagged photos on my flickr map.

Now, I’m just about ready to hand over my shareware/donations to the wonderful writers of these invaluable tools. Thanks to all of you!

One reply on “geotagging workflow for mac users”

  1. Thanks! I’m looking at getting a GPS unit to geotag my photos; knowing what works before I get it is definitely a plus. It does suck a little to be in the minority, doesn’t it?

Comments are closed.