Geotagging – Just where was that photo taken?

In the past I have manually geotagged my photos. This was done manually using Adobe Lightroom and clicking on a map where the photo was taken.

GPS serial connection

I then used the Nikon MC-35 GPS connector, in conjunction with an old Garmin eTrex, to provide a location input to my Nikon D200/D800 camera. This setup works, though you have cables hanging off the camera, and the eTrex has to be placed to see the sky for a good GPS reception.

GPS Track File Import to Lightroom

In looking for a cleaner solution, I stumbled across a feature within Adobe Lightroom that allows a GPS track file to be uploaded, and then photos can be automatically geotagged by matching the photo time stamp to this GPS track log.

Using this method I was able to use a track log downloaded from a Garmin 496 (which I use for inflight weather in the plane), using the Garmin Basecamp application, to create a track file that I then uploaded to Lightroom for geotagging.

Bluetooth GPS Connection direct to Nikon D800/D200

My latest update is to use a the Foolography Unleashed Bluetooth GPS adapter mounted on my D800/D200, wirelessly connected to a Garmin GPS10 Bluetooth GPS receiver. This is a great solution since the GPS receiver can be placed atop my backpack (if out hiking), above the instrument panel of my plane (if shooting air-to-air) or wherever it can get a clear view of the sky. The Unleashed product is tiny, low powered, and remains connected to the D800 camera body all the time. As a bonus, Foolography sent a wired remote trigger release to use with this too.