blog.citydatum

The Nexus One I bought around 2010 was probably the first phone I had that could record the location information of photos. Most smartphones today have this feature turned on by default, but if you value privacy, you still need to turn it off manually.

Backing up photos on my phone has been a habit for a long time. It can save space on my phone and prevent data loss, and the data can also be used for various things. From manual copying in the non-smart phone era to cloud synchronization in the smart phone era, backup is becoming more and more convenient.

In just a few steps, you can extract the location information stored in EXIF ​​and make a journey map. The following map includes more than 7,700 locations, which are extracted from more than 10,000 photos in my backup directory, and roughly outlines the travel trajectory of the past 15 years.

The operation is not too complicated, mainly using GeoPhoto and QGIS software:

1. GeoPhoto (when trying to display more than 1,000 photos on the map, you need to purchase the pro version. I have not find an alternative software with similar functions yet)
   1. After selecting the file directory, it will load all photos with location information and display them on the map;
   2. Wait patiently for the indexing to complete. On my old Mac, with more than 10,000 photos, it took about ten minutes.
   3. Click the Export GPX File button in the upper left corner and save it;
2. QGIS (open source GIS software)
   1. Load the GPX file you just exported. Only routes has data, which is the route line connecting the shooting locations according to the shooting time;
   2. Use the “Convert GPX Feature Type” tool in the toolbox to convert routes to waypoints;
   3. Set the layer styles of routes and waypoints according to your preferences, use the QuickMapServices plug-in to load basemaps, etc.;

If you have never turned off the location record function of your mobile phone and have the habit of backing up, try to restore your travel track, which is full of memories…

I made journey maps of three cities that I have visited frequently or stayed in for a relatively long time in recent years. Can you guess which cities they are?