Geotagging is the process of integrating geographic reference information with digital images (i.e., geocoding photos). There are a number of free software programs that can be used to geotag images. You do not need to have access to a global positioning system receiver (GPS) to Geotag if you are connected to the Internet.

There are several software programs available that support geotagging. One option is to use Picasa, which is a free software program that works in conjunction with Google Earth to quickly locate (or geotag) the place your photos were taken.

Once you have your photos stored in Picasa, simply select a group of photos that you want to geotag. Then choose the “Tools ->Geotag with Google Earth” option. Google Earth will display the thumbnails of your photo. Select a photo and interactively identify (using Google Earth) the location where the photo was captured. You can zoom in as close as you want. Finally, select the “Geotag” button. You can also select a group of photos taken at the same location and choose the “Geotag All” option.

Picasa can be used to generate a Google Earth file with snapshots of your photos as a map by choosing “Tools->Geotag->Export to Google Earth”. Select the “Tools->Geotag->View in Google Earth” and your geotagged photos will automatically appear when you look at their respective locations. This information can be shared with family and friends. For additional information and instructions, refer to Digital Geography: http://www.digitalgeography.co.uk/262.