P: Map view/module - Ability to geotag photos

[miked76040984]

I'm probably at the low end of the prosumer category when it comes to photography. I've been using Lightroom for a couple of years. I love the multiple platform feature on the new CC, but geotagging images has always been important for me (enough so that onboard GPS is a mandatory feature when I look for a camera). I had been adding locations to older images in what's now CC Classic. 

Are we going to get that ability in the new CC? 

Even more importantly, will the new AI-based search allow us to do things like pull pictures based on location? And, if so, will we be able to do things like define a radius? This was all possible when we had the maps panel, but seems to be challenging now.

[evikne71]

Yes, please let us have the ability to geotag manually with a map module, and import GPX tracklogs!

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Typically for trips I'll have a combination of SLR without GPS and say an iPhone with GPS. The ideally loading mechanism is the direct loading of photo's to lightroom by directly importing into iPad. So no ability to add data prior to loading into lightroom. Required the ability to add the GPS coordinates to the photos without GPS. Ideally would be great to behave like the Map module, however even having a GPS field available in the Information tab would be sufficient to cut and paste coordinates from say google maps. This is critical as it allows the correct population of the location classification fields in Lightroom

[matt_bartley]

Are there no plans for a map module in the new Lightroom CC?  Also, is there no way to tag a photo based on dropping a pin on a map like before?  I do outdoor photography and I geotag based on a map and pin drop when on a hiking trail, etc.  This is a major disappointment if you can't do it now!

[JP Hess]

This is a user to user forum. Adobe never announces plans in advance, so nobody knows what will be in Lightroom CC in the future. However, here is a link to the forum where the developers monitor more closely and you can voice your opinion and express your needs.

Photoshop Family Customer Community

[dhiltonp]

Hi, Julie.

I've been working on an app (ShotSync) that imports photos from a paired camera to Android as easily as possible.

As I move files from the camera to the phone I geotag them in Android's MediaStore (a developer-accessible system database of file metadata). The location is correctly associated with the files according to android's Photos app.

However, the location doesn't show up when I import the file to Lightroom, then export it (even when "Location Info" is set to be shared).

Could you add this to the list of features to be developed?

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Ability to geotag photos within Lightroom CC Mobile

[RavenTongue]

Please, please, please add a method on all platforms for migrating GPS data either from a log at the very least from another photos that does have GPS data. At least then I could take a photo on my iPhone, import it into the library and use that to narrow down the GPS; especially if I'm in a place where an address doesn't really cut it.

[RavenTongue]

I've noticed when exporting photos from Lightroom that GPS data isn't exported, at least not so that the Photos app on the Mac or iPhone can read them. I'm adding GPS data twice, once when I add the photos to Lightroom CC and then when I export my "keepers" to Photos on the Mac. 

[tomjhun]

I use the Windows version of Lightroom Classic so I’m not sure this will help or not. When I export my images to jpeg the GPS location info is exported with the images. In my version there is a checkbox in the export dialog box to not export location info. By default, the box is checked. Do you have that option and if so, is it checked? If this is not the problem, I wonder if it is a setting somewhere else in LR. It seems like a file handling setting issue and it’s not always easy to chase down some of the settings that might affect this. Good luck!

[RavenTongue]

Lightroom CC almost completely lacks preferences. It's very much like a mobile app in that fashion. When you export an image you get just few options, none of them include GPS data. On the computer (in my case a MBP) you have the option to choose JPEG or Original; but no control over the level of compression used with JPEG nor any other file format like HEIF (latest compression technlogy). More importantly no way to choose what MetaData is included or excluded. On an iOS Device, you do have an option when you share (export) the photo to include location information (ironically though you can't see location information on the iOS device at all, so there is no way to know if a photo includes location information. However when you export (share) the image and import into Photos no location information is to be found. So if it's being included it's presumably in a non-standard location. 

Now it should be said I've really enjoyed using Lightroom CC especially the ability to start and stop working on editing a photo on any of my devices or even the web. They have the whole importing and smart previews down really well. I take my photos on my Canon 80D, import into my iPad then migrate them to Lightroom and delete from iCloud. I think cull the photos, develop them and those I like the most get exported out to Photos. Basically I print them out to Photos but keep the original images in LightRoom. I've only been doing this for a short time, but so far it's working. The location information though adds a bit of a wrinkle. Since my camera doesn't include GPS data I have to add. Since Lightroom CC doesn't seem to fully support GPS geotagging (no matter the reason if you aren't supporting it so that an iOs or Mac device can't read the information you aren't fully supporting) I'm finding myself adding Geotags twice. Also doesn't appear that Adobe supports the flagging of photos when exported. I've not tested keywords yet; but stars aren't coming across. It's a little too much like actual printing. 

Moving to Lightroom Classic isn't really what I want to do. You can migrate to Lightroom CC from Classic, but you can't migrate back nor share libraries or have Classic access the cloud library. Heck even Apple made their iPhoto Library and Aperture Library fully compatible with each other before Aperture was ended and iPhoto went away. 

[Jao vdL]

but you can't migrate back nor share libraries or have Classic access the cloud library

Actually Classic can access the cloud library just fine. It will sync down any stuff you add to CC and you can edit and the edits will sync back up. You can also selectively sync collections or individual images to the cloud from Classic which can't be done from CC. Only problem if you sync up is that classic will only sync up smart previews. Only thing that's not supported in the ecosystem is keyword syncing since Lightroom Classic uses hierarchical keywords which CC doesn't support unfortunately. It does sync up GPS locations by the way so it is a simple thing to do the GPS tagging in Classic and have the GPS coordinates in the cloud too.

[tomjhun]

Kelly, I have to apologize! For some reason I thought you were using Classic. I won't even speculate why I did this...it certainly wasn't from what you wrote and is entirely my fault! 

I messed around a bit in CC to see what I come up with. I may have found something that may help you (or I could be totally off track again!). I add my images to CC using my Windows 10 machine and let them sync. When I open an image or folder in CC on my iPad I have that Share icon in the top right corner. I'm guessing that when you exported you selected this and then chose Export Original. When I do this the GPS data and other file info are cleared just like you experienced. If I choose Save to Camera Roll the GPS data (and other file information) stays intact. Oddly, I have not seen the option to exclude the location information on my iPad. When I open the saved file in Photos, I get the location displayed above the image and the map location if I swipe down. When I open the file with ProCamera, it gives me the option to view the exact GPS coordinates. Kelly, does this method work for you? Let me know if you have any questions or if there is any way I can help.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Whenever the gps data of an original photo is available Lightroom CC should also import these data. At least there should be an option to edit the position information of the photo within LR CC.

[Cicuryn]

Hello, after almost a year I think this idea got stuck in the middle. You can geotag pictures by entering location name. Great. But what if the Lightroom does not find the place or choose a similar named place somewhere else? Happens to me all the time. So what about simple "point on map" geotagging or at least ability to enter coordinates? That would get us somewhere.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

At least entering coordinates would be great!

[Cicuryn]

Well, not great but et least something. I would appreciate it too.

[phil87378601]

Yes, even just being able to enter coordinates would be great. Geotagging isn't just to know what city it was taken in, but the exact location, street by street. I have long-term memory issues and I've used my previously geotagged images to revisit vacation places/streets more times than I can count..

[Cicuryn]

I envy you your long term memory issues, in my case I mostly can not remember where exactly it was taken the moment I get back to the computer. Adobe obviously can not help me with that though. Anyway, I am going to the nature really often and geotaging by name of the nearest city is not helpful at all.

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Geotagging is the single-most reason I have not switched from Lightroom Classic CC to Lightroom CC. Other competing cloud libraries like Apple Photos and Google Photos have a decent alternative.

Any hopes for near feature?

[Cicuryn]

There is always a hope. The thing is, how long are you able to stay hoping 🙂 There are only 123 people asking for this, not a priority I guess. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

It is kind of crazy they don't have this feature. This and some for of iOS live photo support are whats keeping me from reactivating my subscription. 

[FeedbackCommunityMember]

Upvote! This is the single reason that’s stopping me from being able to exclusively edit my RAWs from my camera that does not in-built GPS.

[AdobeWill]

I've been shocked to just discover this, halfway through transferring everything to CC. I thought this was meant to be an upgrade, but to not have this essential (for me) feature feels like a massive step backwards. Sure it can read already-present GPS coordinates but my DSLR doesn't have GPS, and even if it did I wouldn't want to drain battery all the time by using it, when I should be able to tag where photos were taken on import. Please add this feature back in, thanks!

[Cicuryn]

Yeah. They keep repeating Lightroom CC is not an upgrade but different software for another sort of customers but I believe they simply have to say that since the CC is unfinished on so many levels. 

[AdobeWill]

Right, I wish they'd made that clearer. I just saw it come up as one of the many updates in the Adobe Cloud desktop menu and figured it was a straight upgrade with decent cloud integration. Sadly not.