Geocoded photos are images which are associated with a geographical location. A geocoded image can be associated to geographical coordinates such as latitude and longitude or a physical address.

Methods of geocoding images:

• Using a location-aware device such a GPS receiver. This is the most precise method of geocoding an image. When a photo is taken the location of the camera is recorded within the image. For example, JPEG and TIFF image file formats can store the geographical coordinates in the Exif header. Although most digital cameras sold today do not contain a built in GPS receiver, an external GPS device can be used to keep track of the camera location and the data can be synchronized later using specialized software.
• Syncing coordinates from GPX tracks into the Exif header using software that compare time stamps.
• Manually inputting the location. If the user knows the coordinates, the location can be manually added using software.
• Providing geographical names such as city, ZIP Code or a street address. A less precise method is adding descriptive data of the location to an image.
• Using scene recognition software. Specialized software capable of recognizing a landmark or photo location.

Navman released in April 2006 a range of in car navigation devices that include a digital camera. These generate geocoded photos that can be copied off the device, shared and used as navigation targets. They have since announced the NavPix Library, a site for sharing geocoded photos.

External links

• Assigning Textual Names to Sets of Geographic Coordinates (pdf)
• Future of Memories: GPS & mapping

Digital photography | Metadata