PNWphotos Seattle Photo Map on Flickr

[BobH]

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1274627@N25/pool/map?mode=group&&fLat=47.6062&fLon=-122.3525&zl=6&order_by=recent

This is the PNWphotos.com Flickr photo pool and map. It's an interactive guide to great photo locations around Seattle. Anyone who is on Flickr can contribue to the photo pool.

Here's a sample screenshot. (Note this is not live, so new locations will not show up here...)

View attachment 5389

The images are tagged by location, so that you can see where the photos were shot. This is a great way to learn about the popular photo spots in Seattle, and to share your favorites with the group!

Some of the well known locations featured on this map include Kerry Park, Dr Jose Rizal Park, Hamilton Viewpoint, Pike Place Market, Seattle Center and lots more.

Looking for a great photo spot? Check out the map!

Have a great location in Seattle that you'd like to share? Add it to the map using your Flickr account.

Once you join the group on Flicker (it's free), you can add photos from your image pool. Please be sure you're placed them on the map as well. Note that you can do this manually, you do NOT need a GPS equipped camera to add photos to the map.

Hopefully our members will find the map useful, and help it grow and expand.

If you're on Flickr, please log in when viewing the map. Some of the group members have it set that their images are only visible to people who are logged in to Flickr. That's set by the individual photographer, not the group settings. Once you log in, you will find that a few more images are now visible.

Note to those submitting images, I'd prefer you leave them visible to anyone, but that's not a requirement.

 

[BobH]

Using the Map

Anyone can view the map, you do not have to be a member of Flickr.

It's simple to use. There is a strip of photos going across the map, and there are large pink dots on the map.

You can browse using either one. Click on the photos, and the pink dot will be highlighted. If needed, the map will move to show you the dot. Click on the pink dot, and the photo appears.

Clicking on the photo will allow you to view a larger version of the image, and the detailed description.

Sample screenshot:

View attachment 5390

 

[BobH]

The REST of the Northwest

The link above zooms the map in on Seattle and shows photos geo-tagged for that area. Unfortunately, even if you zoom out, no additional images will show up outside of the original area. (I would prefer they did, but apparently that's how the map works...) That's OK if you're only interested in the Seattle area, but what about the rest of the great Pacific Northwest?

There's an app for that.. err, I mean there's a MAP for that. Our photo pool covers the entire Pacific Northwest. To view the rest of the photos, click on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1274627@N25/pool/map?mode=group

PS - Portland, Tacoma, Spokane, Vancouver, etc, do you want your own local map? I'll be happy to create a link to that section, all you need to do is upload enough images to make it worthwhile, I'd say at least 10 locations to start off, preferably more.

View attachment 5391

 

[BobH]

DeddoArts posted the following comment, which I deleted while doing some editing (Sorry about that...)

Excellent idea!

I don't suppose anyone knows a good vantage point to capture the Olympics or Cascades on a clear day? I seem to always be on a freeway when I see them on a horizon.

The bluff on the west side of Magnolia is the best spot if you only want the Olympics, and not downtown with the Olympics in the background.

View attachment 5398

I've added this location to the group map: http://www.flickr.com/groups/127462...t=47.6062&fLon=-122.3525&zl=6&order_by=recent

 

[arlinescott]

There is another flikr app out there called photoflux. It is free and will find you on gps and then give you photos that were posted on flikr from your location or the location of your choice. Robert and I used this on our last trip to the Columbia Gorge and found a lot of Steve Eshoms work among many other photographers. It will also link with maps and give you directions to the location tagged in the photo.

 

[DeddoArts]

I popped in to try to see how the map works. I can add a photo to the group, but can't figure out how to get it onto the group map?
(When I click on the image from the group and click "map" I can map it, but it's only on my own account's map, not the group one.)


EDIT: Never mind, it appears that the mapping takes a bit of time to update... after searching around I've gone back and see it appears on the group map too now.

 

[BobH]

EDIT: Never mind, it appears that the mapping takes a bit of time to update... after searching around I've gone back and see it appears on the group map too now.

Yes, it seems that sometime the updates take a while, other times it takes effect quickly. Not sure why.

Also, I noticed that some of the photos only show up when I'm logged in to Flickr, I suspect that's due to the privacy settings that particular photographer has chosen for his/her images.

 

[Mike-PDX]

Good Idea, but...

I'm still confused about how Flickr mapping works. It appears that the only shots that show up on the map are the ones in the film strip at the bottom. So without some sorting mechanism, we will have a problem as people add to the group. For example, when I last looked, there were more than 50 images in the group. They had been entered by several people sort of "at random" and it's hard to pick out all the Oregon shots, or even the Oregon Coast shots to map together.

Is there a way for us to tag our images so we can sort them? Or is there something else that I'm just missing?

Thanks for setting this up, Bob. I hope we can come up with a way to make it really useful.

 

[BobH]

Mike, that does seem to be how it works. The imags in the thumbstrip show up on the map. As you scroll through, new dots appear.

That's why I linked to the Seattle region map. For that one, only images from that area show up. I'll be creating similiar ones for Portland once we get enough images.

As for tag, Faebook does support tags, so you could add things like "Lighthouse" or "Oregon Coast" to help folks find the shots. Several of mine are tagged with "Space Needle" for the same reason.

 

[Mike-PDX]

Taging images with keywords

Bob,
That touches one of my hot buttons. Keywording is much more complicated than it looks. I'm not sure this rant belongs here, so feel free to move it or delete it.

[Note: In the following, I'm using the term "you" in the generic sense - it isn't directed at you specifically. ]

Keywording images is like an "unfulfilled promise". On the one hand, tagging your images with keywords is a fine way to make it easier for YOU to find them at a later time - because you have knowledge of your system of assigning keywords. However, the real benefit comes in making your images searchable by everyone. Doing a great job of adding keywords doesn't necessarily make it any easier for other people to find your images. That is because they don't have your same knowledge of what you meant.

For example, you might tag an image with "Hecata Head Light House", knowing full well that you meant "Heceta Head" on the Oregon Coast. If someone searches for "Oregon Coast" or the proper spelling, "Heceta Head", that image wouldn't be found. That is just one simple example which has happened to me - identifying people in photos is another (even more complicated) one.

The way people have come up with to address this is to use Controlled Vocabularies, sets of pre-defined keywords that we all agree to use. That would make sure you and I both get it right every time we tag for that keyword, and that both our images show up in a search. That's probably way too much to hope for in a Flickr group.

 

[BobH]

Mike, you bring up some very valid points, and they are problems that face anyone doing Digital Asset Management.

I run into that same problem all the time in my images. Does a shot of Amtrak at King Street Station get filed under "Railroads" or "Cities/Urban"?

The beauty of the map solution is that the pink dots will tell you there's something of interest there. The you click on them to see what it is. The intent is to keep things to a manageable level, for example I won't upload every photo I've ever taken from Kerry Park, just a few shots to show what the location looks like.

As it grows and expands, I'll try and improve on things. You're right, there are features that are lacking. The keyword/tag issue is one. Another is topographic maps are not available. That's fine for Seattle, but not so good for pinpointing spots on trails in Mt Rainer National Park.

However, it's the best solution I've been able to find. Going with the "Perfect is the enemy of Good" approach where I choose the best available solution instead of doing nothing while waiting for the perfect solution, I went with the Flickr map.

The advantages are many. Anyone can participate, and it's free. The photos show up on a map, and are organized by area. Seems like a great way to show photo spots.

I also looked at Google maps, but it didn't seem like it was as friendly to a goup/cooperative effort. If somebody knows of a better solution that I should investigate, please let me know!

 

[jelinek415]

Does anyone know of good photo places in Whatcom County???