DNG Codec for Windows Vista

Well, just like that... Adobe has released a DNG Codec for Windows Vista. This should allow those using Pro Photo Tools on Vista to work with DNG raw files. Unfortunately, the release is for Vista only and will not install on Windows XP. Maybe another solution can be be worked out for those of us still using Windows XP?

Lightroom Geotag Plugin

Last week, Jeff Barnes released a Beta version of a Lightroom Geotag Plugin. It is definitely Beta software - limited features, performance issues and a couple bugs. But it is AWESOME to see someone working on a plugin to add this feature to Adobe Lightroom!!

After installing the plugin, I got it to work pretty easily with a few .cr2 files from my Canon 30D and .gpx files output from Garmin Mapsource. I did not get it to work with DNG files. I think that's because the plugin works with the .xmp sidecar files. Before running the plugin, you need to write metadata to a file (under the Metadata menu item in LR). Next, select your photos and run the plugin, which updates the metadata .xmp sidecar file. Lastly, select the option in LR to read metadata from the file.

If you're not a software or geotagging geek (like me) you might want to wait for a more stable release. But this has great potential and I'll be watching for updates closely.

WikiLoc

WikiLoc is a free GPS track sharing website. It's a great way to view, find and share locations via Google Maps and Google Earth. I just signed up and uploaded a backpacking trip to Lost Lake in the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado. I'll be adding more as I have time.

Geotagging

What is geotagging?

Geotagging is a term used for attaching a geographic location, usually latitude and longitude, to a digital image. This allows images to be mapped to the location where they were taken. I've been geotagging all of my digital images for over a year now. It's fun and can be very useful to know exactly where images were taken. You can also view the images in different applications like Google Earth.

There are many, many different ways to accomplish geotagging. Here's a sample of my geotagging workflow...

1. Turn on my Garmin eTrex Vista Csx and sync the built-in clock of my Canon 30D digital SLR to match the exact same time displayed on the GPS.
   
2. Clip the GPS (leaving it on for the duration of the shoot) to my backpack and hit the road or trail. Turn the GPS off when done shooting.
   
3. After returning home, download images from camera to computer.
4. Convert images from raw format to DNG using Adobe DNG Converter.
5. Start the RoboGeo software program (there are many similar programs now available - some free), load images, connect GPS to computer via USB, match images with lat/long using GPS tracklog, then write geo-info to each digital image EXIF data, and save. Exit RoboGeo (a project file can be saved if desired). The images are now geo-tagged!
   
6. Import geotagged images into Adobe Lightroom for processing.