If there is one tool that has expanded my photography and allowed me to do more and go more places it’s a GPS  device in all its forms. I have a good sense of direction, but wandering with a map has never been my idea of fun. Although many of us are capable of such a feat. Why waste your time and energy? I have accumulated a few different types of GPS units over the years and I wanted to share why I have them and what they are for. Plus some tips or suggestions on which is best for your photography. Even a website that will help you cram even more goodness into some of the GPS units you may already own.

This was the first GPS unit I received. I was just starting out and I wanted to track my photographs. I was originally using it for Smugmug’s GPS capability and entering everything manual. I just want to say now that it is a royal pain in the ass. Writing down GPS coordinates for an area is time consuming, inaccurate and a waste of time. These devices are definitely useful for geocaching and hiking, but I would recommend steering clear of them for your photography. The most popular accessory is using the Nikon MC-35 GPS Adapter Cord and tying both the unit and the bulk serial cable to your neck strap. Don’t waste your money.

Then I went a more popular route by purchasing the PhotoTrackr by Gisteq. Great unit at a fair price. The new version is actually on holiday special at B&H here. This unit works by syncing your camera clock to the GPS units clock and then later using the time for stamping your images with software later. Their software also offered RAW data stamping for some camera brands (requires PRO level software) so I gave it a try. It was all well and good, but it was a massive undertaking and bogged me down. It was one giant step I had to add to my work flow and although it was definitely cost effective it got in the way. The main reason I use it now is for route creation. When turning on the unit you clip it to yourself or camera and it automatically logs data. Later when viewing the software you can see exactly where you went and if you added your photos it will display them where they were taken. Creation of routes is fun and can be used as a tool to track your past travels while planning for new ones. I would recommend this to someone with a point and shoot or someone who doesn’t work with too many images. I purchased it around 100$ and it was worth it then.

My main workhorse. I have wanted a device like this for the longest time. I found it on the net and later saw it in practice by Moose Peterson. I decided to buy it from the manufacturer in Hong Kong and finally spent the big money. It was by no means cheap, but it got the job done and with no bulk or hassle. Of course naturally the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit came out a few months later. I wouldn’t be surprised if the person who recommended it to me didn’t know that Either way the unit was worth all the money I spent on it. By using the 10-pin connector on the Nikon body it automatically feeds the data and it is instantly recorded with each release of the shutter. It’s pure magic and is a heck of a lot of fun. This option is a tad limited to my knowledge when it comes to Canon. The carabiner clip and sync later method is probably the cheapest for Canon photographers. I know there are other USB or D90 connectors out there and it isn’t limited to just a 10-pin. Canon’s route can get expensive as I believe it requires a wireless battery grip. Why I don’t know. Hopefully with the surge in interest with GPS Canon will start allowing for the technologies inclusion (update me if there is an easier method.) Customer Service also happened to more then fantastic. I originally had a lower end model and when I had issues requiring a patch through they took care of me and set me up with the Pro model. It’s weather sealed and allows for a patch through. Something that is really useful when shooting landscapes, star trails, or nesting birds with a remote trigger. Battery drain is minimal unless your meter runs for a long time and acquisition time is super fast. Make sure to check your menu to allow for the camera to turn off the device when the meter isn’t active. It takes about a full second for it to feed back data (provided your resuming in a similar area) when half pressing the shutter button.

You might ask why I am including this as you don’t normally use these type of automobile navigation GPS units for syncing your photos. However this type of unit is the most important GPS of all! I do not know where I would be without standalone units like these. I definitely recommend paying a little over 100$ to get a decent one with lots of little features and expandable memory. As I alluded to earlier I am not the person who has a sensation-able appetite for adventure on some random road and wants to find their way back. If I make a wrong turn it will re-route me and if I don’t like the route I can tweak it to my liking; adding a myriad of destinations or drive through points in between. Here is the real great part about that expandable memory (although there is memory on the device just not a ton.) You can import/upload your own or other peoples POI (point of interest) files to the device. There are many sites out there, but the best place I have found is www.poi-factory.com. They have tons of POI files and packages that are simple to install. Using your import software provided from your GPS manufacturer you just point it to the files and wallah, imported. You can find everything from all the McDonald’s in America, famous eateries, our national parks, popular vistas, nightlife, wi-fi hotspots and my favorite is a file with all the waterfalls in a state piled together in one! If you don’t have a unit like this you are definitely missing out.

I know I didn’t include this in the group image when I started this post, but I only received this two days ago! This here is the Motorola Droid. It provides a free beta version of Google’s navigation software that is a great competitor to other vehicle options out there. Plus its on your freaking phone! You can get software for your Iphone, but not in the free fashion like this and using their famous google maps. Is this a solution to replace your stand alone GPS unit we discussed before? No. Is it a fantastic addition your tackle box of tools? Most definitely. I have had the chance to try it out recently and I am overall very impressed. You get text-to-speech, destination searches using Google’s great search technology, it’s fast, and an extremely clear picture. When you throw in the endless opportunities the Android app store brings to the table as well. who knows what other uses people will come up with for the built in GPS unit. Just to point out one by the named apps “Geo Logger” you can do the same thing you would with the few downsides (this is their first release to be fair) are its abrasive sounding female voice, sometimes slightly wrong direction choices (not the wrong way, just extra time, but I can think of a many other GPS units who led me down the wrong path, and the biggest for me is the blocking of the entire navigation screen when taking a call! Do we really need to see who we are talking too? Wouldn’t  a little phone icon in the notifications bar work? But I digress. This is a great unit to have as it is connected to the Internet so your potential POI list is limitless and this is only the first stage of what I hope are many more excellent upgrades to come.

*update* The GPS maps that the Motorola Droid uses is based off of the cloud. What is the cloud? The cloud is basically Google’s giant server that feeds data to you and follows you to any device in case you need it. While on a recent test driving through Harriman State Park in NY I lost map images. 3G coverage cannot be everywhere so for that reason I recommend always having a standard GPS with you. Google’s navigation is a ton of fun and offers much better ‘live features’, but it has one Achilles heel at the moment. So if you are planning on using a GPS in a possible low area of service be aware. Do keep in mind I had 3g service throughout 98% of my trip, but not completely. *update*

With all this I hope you are now or are reconsidering furthering your options in using GPS. They are just essential at this point for our photography. If you are looking for the ultimate solution, but are hesitating on price I say go for the real deal. I skimped and look how many I have now? However they all still find a use in my bag except for the first hand held unit. I can’t say I never use it, but more often then not it sits in a drawer.  I also wanted to note that the friction mount I am using is an awesome and inexpensive way to freely position your GPS unit and not leave marks. Also PLEASE DONT’ leave your cradle or GPS unit attached to the windshield. You don’t know how many cars I have seen with it just sitting there. It takes all of five seconds for someone to smash that windshield and make it theirs. Leaving you with the insurance bill.

As for photographing these devices I used a how-to setup I found here by Bill Huber. I was going to post about it, but I don’t see the point of reinventing the wheel. It is an incredibly inexpensive project and so much more fun. I knocked it out in a day myself. Using a long reel of paper found here and my SB-800 set up off camera (you can use regular bulbs if you like) was all I needed to make these images. In capture NX2 or CS4 I just recommend a white point and a shifting of shadows to crisp up the blacks. Then your set. If you want to take it a set further, like devices with screens, like I did here I recommend two exposures. One with the device perfectly lit and then a non-flash shot of the screen spot metered. I then select out the shot exposed for the screen and over lay it onto the more washed out exposures. The combination is fantastic and easily done by lowering the opacity to see how well your two layers will line up.

If you are curious how I got the hand held unit to stand up here is the secret. I call it sticky stuff, some call it fun tack. It leaves no residue to my knowledge and can be posed. I suppose modeling clay may work too, but make sure the colors from it wont run . Plus this stuff can be reused over and over. Just a little pulling and recombining get the material flowing.