Using Smartphone images on the internet

[MtnDon]

Many folks already know their digital cameras capture info about the images they take; aperture, shutter speed, lens used, etc. Smartphones also may be including the location latitude and longitude if the GPS on the smartphone is active. There are addons available for web browsers that make this readable by simply rolling the mouse over the image displayed in the browser. I don't care about the photo data, if anyone might be interested in the shutter speed, etc, I don't care if they can read that. However I do draw the line at GPS info. If it matters to you either turn the GPS off or strip the EXIF location data before uploading the images.

Windows has the ability to strip EXIF info built in. Select a photo or group of photos in Windows Explorer, right-click and hit Properties. Under the Details tab, you'll find a link (near the bottom of the window) that says "Remove Properties and Personal Information". Click that, and hit OK in the window that comes up. You'll have a copy of each photo in that same folder. The copied photos will be the one with clean data. You can also customize to remove data selectively and leave info you might want.

I also found freeware software available to do this. Also later versions of Photoshop has the ability to remove personal data when files are saved using the "save for web" option.

[GuitarPhotog]

That assumes you don't want anyone to know where the photo was taken. I assume this is so that no one will know you home is vacant and ripe for robbing. I deal with that problem by not posting any photos until I return when I write my blog posts and post photos "in the past tense"

Easiest is to just turn the GPS function off when you are using the camera.

Remember that your smartphone's GPS navigation will not work if you do not have a cellular data (internet) signal. Smartphones, unlike vehicle navigation systems do not have maps resident in the phone. The phone's GPS circuit will know exactly where you are, but it won't know where that is in terms of roads, cities, etc.

<Chas>

[MtnDon]

That assumes you don't want anyone to know where the photo was taken.

Lots of reasons in my mind to be private, but then I have been told I worry too much about everything .

1. Pictures of a nice trailer... showing where the driveway is located...

2. Pictures of a solar array with a few hundred feet of #2 copper connecting it to a cabin in the woods. Ripe for theft if location is known.

3. Pictures of your ham radio setup in your radio room at home... expensive gear

4. Pictures of a project in the workshop or garage with nice tools in the background. Or a CNC router setup.

[tony.latham]

I've been curious about geo-tagged photos (retired from an occupation that such technology aided). On my iPhone, I allow the camera app to access the GPS, thus all my iPhone photos are geotagged –latitude and longitude.

I can read the geotagging with iExifer software I keep on my Mac. However, when I upload geotagged photos directly to this forum, into the Gallery, or post them through Photobucket, the geotagging is stripped. I've seen photos on other forums where the geotagging is still attached to the photo file. Certainly geotagging is stripped from photos uploaded to Facebook. But here, I think one can stand down on any photo-privacy concerns. Perhaps I'm wrong. Show me a photo here that you can read the lat & Long.

Internet security? I posted my Zion teardrop trip after I got home. I'm not going to put it out to the world when I'm on vacation.

Tony

[jseyfert3]

Easiest is to just turn the GPS function off when you are using the camera.

Remember that your smartphone's GPS navigation will not work if you do not have a cellular data (internet) signal. Smartphones, unlike vehicle navigation systems do not have maps resident in the phone. The phone's GPS circuit will know exactly where you are, but it won't know where that is in terms of roads, cities, etc.

<Chas>

Actually, not quite. As far as I'm aware, GPS data stored in the EXIF data is stored as lat/long, not an address. Lat/long are available to any GPS receiver and do not depend on maps or cellular connection (as you said), and as so, will apply your exact location in terms of lat/long to your picture, which may then be showed as a physical location on a map on many photo sharing sites.

Also please note I tested and confirmed that your phone can add location data even if you turn off GPS on your phone. Android phones, for example, use other things such as remembering where they are, local WiFi networks they are connected to that they have been able to pin to a location, or worst case, your very general location based off which cell phone tower your phone is communicating with. The best way to not have location data attached is to turn off Geotagging in your camera's settings. All smartphone cameras should have this option. If you do this, it won't record location data in the EXIF information, whether or not GPS is turned on or the phone knows where you are in a manner that does not apply to GPS.

Oh, and remember that on your camping trip to that national park, it may be cool to turn Geotagging back on, in case you get that cool picture and want to remember where you were when you took it. I want a GPS Geotagger for my DSLR for that reason.

[mikeschn]

Once upon a time we were on a deserted highway, and I snapped this photo. Can someone tell me how to look this location up on google maps?



Thanks,

Mike...

[Wanna Be]

Location;

744- N. Hagerty Rd.
Cant Mi 481.7


Close enough ?????

Spelling IS INCORRECT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Wanna Be




Google is your friend,, Sometimes !

[mikeschn]

So what do I type into google maps?

Here's a screenshot of what I thought I should type in, but it doesn't appear to be along the highway...



Does anyone get a result that is closer to the highway?

Mike...

[MtnDon]

Yep. just enter the lat and long into Google, search, switch to maps and there ya go. Look at the street view.

[MtnDon]

Here is what I entered

N 42 20' 25" W 83 26' 34"


You missed entering the N for North
Some programs will use - (minus) numbers for West latitude. Those don't search well either.
Always use the appropriate directional letter; N, S, E, W
Also works as well with decimal degrees or UTM

[mikeschn]

Kewl! That fixed it Don!

Thanks!



Mike...

[legojenn]

Considering that the resolution of a photo is probably much higher than you would want to put on the interwebs, what I do is load the picture, then take a screenshot for use by strangers. That way, the photo the resolution for the web and all the EXIF information is stripped. No need for paranoia. Just clean fun.

[mikeschn]

Screen captures is an excellent idea for stripping EXIF info.

When I use Paint Shop Pro, it also strips out the EXIF info...

Mike...