49. USING THE MAP MODULE
A MODULE THAT proves to have great promise in Lightroom is the Map module. If you take a picture with a camera that has the ability to capture GPS information, that GPS information is stored in the EXIF file for the picture (Figure 49.1).
When you enter the Map module, you will see that all of the images that have GPS information are tagged on a world map (Figure 49.2). It’s important to note that you have to have an internet connection in order for this map to refresh. The images are attached to pins on the map, and the number on each pin reflects how many images you have from that specific location.
When you click on a pin, all of the images attached to that location will be highlighted in the filmstrip (Figure 49.3). If you double-click on a pin, a box will pop up with previews of the pictures from that location (Figure 49.4).
If you have images without GPS information, you can add location data manually from within the map. Type in the geographical area in the search field of the Location Filter at the top of the center workspace (Figure 49.5). Hit Enter and the map will refresh to the new location. You can zoom in further by using the +/- slider at the bottom of the screen. You can also move the map around by clicking on it and dragging in any direction.
Once you’ve zoomed in to a level you feel comfortable with, simply select the images you want from the filmstrip and drag them onto that area. The GPS coordinates of that location will now be attached to the pictures.
Whenever I want to make sure I collect GPS information from a shoot so I can add it to a set of pictures that I’ve taken with my DSLR, I’ll take a picture with my iPhone at the location of the shoot. After importing the pictures from my shoot into Lightroom, I import the picture I took with my phone during the same shoot and add it to the collection that contains the other pictures I took with my DSLR.
When I go into the Map module, the iPhone picture will be tagged on the map because it has GPS information. I can now drag all of the pictures from the DSLR onto that location, embedding the GPS coordinates into those pictures in one shot (Figure 49.6).
I really like the opportunity to sort pictures according location, but the truth of the matter is that very few cameras to date have the ability to collect GPS data, and even if this feature is available, very few users have turned it on. As GPS capability in cameras becomes more common, the Map module will become much more useful.
If you are using Lightroom to manage and organize your phone workflow, the Map module could be a really big deal for you.
Figure 49.1 Some of these pictures have GPS information and some do not. You’ll see which ones do when you enter the Map module.
Figure 49.2 The Map module shows the locations where your images were taken, based on GPS information.
Figure 49.3 Click on a bubble to see which images were taken at that location. These images will be highlighted in the filmstrip.
Figure 49.4 You can see a preview of the images taken at a specific location right on the map.
Figure 49.5 Type the location where you want to attach pictures into the Location Filter search field. Use the slider at the bottom of the screen to zoom in to a specific area. Adding images to a location is as easy as dragging them in from the filmstrip.
Figure 49.6 This is a picture I took with my iPhone in Prague. I can drag all of the pictures from my shoot onto this location to quickly add GPS coordinates to every image.