PhotoGalaxy.com + Google Maps API = Photo Maps!
PhotoGalaxy.com is showing off a new implementation of the Google Maps API. They have integrated Google Maps with their galleries to create Photo Maps.
Photo Maps have been implemented in three ways:
- The main Photo Map shows the position of every GeoTagged image in PhotoGalaxy.com's galleries.
- Each photographer on PhotoGalaxy.com also has a personal Photo Map accessible through their private gallery.
- Finally, whenever you are looking at a photograph that has been GeoTagged, a mini Photo Map is displayed pinpointing the location the photographer was standing.
Checkout these examples:
The Photo Map
A GeoTagged Photo
A Mini Photo Map
A Personal Photo Map
To avoid the Photo Map becoming overly cluttered, PhotoGalaxy employs a technique called bunching. This involves splitting the map up into a grid and if more than one photo appears in any one cell, their icons are merged. When you click on a merged icon, the map zooms in on the point and the grid is recalculated. You keep clicking on the merged icon until you zoom in sufficiently far for the photos to split into separate cells. This technique allows thousands of photos to exist on one Photo Map without the browser having to download the positions of thousands of markers.
This blog describes the bunching process in more detail.
If you are interested in using the Google Maps API then visit this page: Google Maps API
If you would like to add your photos to PhotoGalaxy's Photo Map then join PhotoGalaxy.com for free!
To find out how to GeoTag your photos, click here: Instructions & Guidelines for GeoTagging your Images
