Hi. My name's Nick and I'm a gadget freak.
In fact I think being a gadget freak is in the male genetic make-up. As a photographer and digital imaging consultant I'm always on the lookout for new gadgets that will make my job easier, faster and ultimately cooler.
If I were to sit in a group session for gadgetaholics there would be many of us. We might look different and have different user profiles but we would all understand each other as if we were linked by WiFi telepathy - we all speak gadget.
This group has Nikon, Canon and other camera users. Apple, Dell and Sony computer users, we entertain ourselves with iPods, PS2 or other entertainment devices, we check email and call home on Blackberrys or Treos and locate each other on the streets and in the wilderness areas of the world with Garmin, Magellan or other global positioning devices.
I must confess, I am a Nikon, Apple, iPod, Blackberry and Garmin user. I can use all the other devices out there but it's these devices that fit comfortably within my genetic makeup and it makes me slightly different than others in the Internet Cafes, Airports and WiFi hotspots of the world. We are in fact citizens of the gadget world and can hardly wait to have one handheld device to do all these tasks for us.
Global Positioning Devices (GPS) are one of the most important devices in my arsenal. It's a time saver and a personal assistant that helps me find places in this constantly changing world, and even re-find wonderful locations I have been to.
When I step off a plane and into a rental car my Garmin iQue is there to guide me swiftly and directly to my destination, like an arrow headed for a bulls eye. It will give my ground speed, time to destination and even talk me through my turns in a woman's voice. I affectionately call it Gerty Garmin.
Gerty is one smart lady and knows where gas stations, restaurants and other points of interest are with the aid of detailed maps. But she is an urban lady better suited to the comfort of a car rather than the remote wilderness places I sometimes like to go.
It's during these off road wilderness treks I turn to another Garmin GPS, my Etrex Vista C, a handheld weather-resistant all-terrain companion of many adventures. I call this one Gary Garmin.
Gary is a formidable device ready for adventure on land, sea and air. He's a great companion keeping track of me while I hike, bike, and boat away from the busy noisy WiFi-connected life of our cities and streets. I can set a point on Gary's map and start walking and Gary will let me know when I am off course. If I wander away from a remote fishing lodge or wilderness camp in search of great pictures, Gary will there to safely guide me back the way I came.
Gary can do something else special. If I connect Gary to my Nikon D2X or D200 (using the MC-35 10 pin connector from Nikon) he does a special trick: every time I capture an image he will send data to the camera. This data will be recorded into the picture file's EXIF metadata showing the exact latitude and longitude of my position and other useful information at the moment I took the photograph. Now some would think this is way over the top in geekiness, but think about this for a moment: as we get older our minds tend to forget the places we have been and the people we have met.
A year ago I was traveling through the desert in southern California when I took this time exposure of the night sky. I was in a large wildness park but for the life of me cannot remember the exact location, and I would love to visit there again sometime. Thankfully I was using Gary attached to my Nikon D2X and I now have the precise location of this photograph. All I have to do is plug the coordinates into Gerty or Gary and off I will go like an salmon returning to the exact location of its birth.
When I downloaded this image I used Photo Mechanic (http://www.camerabits.com ) to read the EXIF data from the camera and bring that (including Gary's GPS info) into the Special Instructions Field of my IPTC information (using Photo Mechanic's variables feature). That text was then passed along to my iView Media Pro image catalogue.
That makes it easy to find a picture, look at the GPS info and then reference Google Earth or use a map to find the exact location the picture was taken. If I want to return to that exact spot all I have to do is fly to the nearest location, plug the coordinates into Gerty and Gary and they will take me there, to the exact spot.
Yes I know it's geeky and gadgety but it's also cool and very useful. I have used this feature many times over the last year, and as I get older I'm sure it will become even more helpful. As my memory for these special places begins to fade, the digital data in my picture files and the GPS locations recorded there will never fade. It will still be there as fresh as the day I shot it.
Can you name the closest city near this picture? It has a population of about 3000 and its coordinates are 40º 51.561'N by 119º 19.927'W .
If you are the first person to name the city we will send you a copy of Photo Mechanic. Email your answer to ndidlick@bluepixel.net. (Note: The contest has been won, by Brandon Flynt of Columbia, SC. with his correct guess of Gerlach, Nevada. Thanks to all who entered!)
(Nick Didlick is a Commercial and Editorial Photographer and Digital Imaging Consultant based at 49º 16.102'N by 123º 07.050'W and is a Consultant to Blue Pixel Inc.)
