Steve TatumVisual Resources Curator Art and Architecture LibraryVirginia TechBlacksburg, Virginia

Enhancing Education Beyond the Classroom Experience via Visualization Technologies

Traveling Light: Gathering Information and Cataloging Photographs with Mobile Devices

April 3, 2013

Visual Resources Association Annual Conference, Providence, Rhode Island

Field NotesOn site with a smart phone

Evernote

syncs with all devices and the notes are available online

Notes are saved in the cloudYou need the paid service to access them offline

A note can include text, pictures, and a recording

Location of the note is shown on a map when there is an internet

connection

The phone does not require a connection to record a location, only to download the map.

Thumbnail view of notes

Other apps can export to Evernote

Mercury browser exports web pages

Page as saved in Evernote

GPS Data Log

myTracks (Android open source)

Mac version for mobile and desktop

MyTracks can run in the background as a data logger while you use other apps

Or you can leave it open to to take pictures within the app

Export tracks and pictures from the iPhone to myTracks desktop

You can also synchronize photos from a camera with the data log by dragging them from a folder onto the map

After importing pictures into myTracks from a camera, select "Track" to show

them on the map.

Tracking links images to the mapIt does not write metadata to the images

Tracks with pictures can be exported as KML files and displayed on Google Earth

Select "GeoTag" to write GPS data to the images instead of tracking them on the map

Garmin screen shots

Dedicated GPS devices provide more precise locations than mobile phones

File path for Garmin’s GPX data log file

Data log imported from a Garmin to myTracks

Tracks

Points on selected

track

Adding metadata to photos

A procedure for the iPad

App: PhotosInfo Pro (iPad only)

Write XMP side cars on the iPad.

Join the side cars with the camera’s raw files at home in Adobe Bridge

Bridge uses XMP side cars to read and write metadata for raw files

Import image files from the camera

• Use the camera connection kit to import images

• The images go to the iPad’s import folders

• The original file names and camera’s metadata are retained

(Import methods that save images to the camera roll change the file names)

To add metadata to multiple images, select the metadata icon in the thumbnail view

Then select the images

To add metadata to a single image, select the image first, then tap the icon

Export the XMP file

• XMP files take very little space on the iPad

• After they are exported, the photos can be deleted to make room for more

• The XMP files will be joined with the camera’s raw files in Bridge

Home AgainEmbedding metadata in master files

with a computer

Save the iTunes export folder to the computer

Sync the iPad with iTunes

XMP from the iPad Raw files from the camera

Copy the XMP files to the image folder

Bridge -- before copying XMP to the image folder

Bridge -- after copying XMP to the image folder

Embedding the metadata

• Convert the raw images to tif or another format that supports embedded metadata, such as DNG, TIF, or JPG

• The XMP will be incorporated into the new file.

The side XMP car feature of PhotosInfo Pro was designed to work with Bridge, but works with any processing program that reads the side cars. Lightroom works. Aperture does not. Test your program to see that it reads the metadata and retains it in derivatives.

All photos and screen shots are by the author

Thanks to Dmitri Toropov and Dirk Stichling, developers of PhotosInfo Pro and myTracks 4 Mac, respectively, for readily answering questions.

The author has no affiliation with with any of the products shown