In the Map module, navigate to a location on the map and click the + button in the Saved Locations panel. The Saved Location panel is on the left side of the Lightroom Classic window.
Last updated on
Feb 14, 2023
- Lightroom Classic User Guide
- Introduction to Lightroom Classic
- Workspace
- Import photos
- Organize photos in Lightroom Classic
- Process and develop photos
- Develop module basics
- Create panoramas and HDR panoramas
- Flat-Field Correction
- Correct distorted perspective in photos using Upright
- Improve image quality using Enhance
- Work with image tone and color
- Masking
- Apply local adjustments
- HDR photo merge
- Develop module options
- Retouch photos
- Cure red eye and pet eye effects
- Use the Radial Filter tool
- Adjustments with Lens Blur
- Edit and Export in HDR
- Remove Tool
- Viewing photos
- Export photos
- Work with external editors
- Manage catalogs and files
- Maps
- Photo books
- Slideshows
- Print photos
- Web galleries
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Content Authenticity
- Lightroom and Adobe services
- Troubleshooting
- Technical Support
- Performance Guidelines
- Technical issues
- GPU Issues
- Startup Issues
- Rendering Issues
- Stability Issues
- Miscellaneous Issues
- Workflow Issues
View photos on a map
The Map module lets you see where your photos were captured on a Google map. It uses GPS coordinates embedded in your photos’ metadata to plot the photos on the map.
Most mobile phone cameras, including iPhones, record GPS coordinates in metadata. If your camera doesn’t record GPS coordinates you can add it in the Map module, or import a track log from a GPS device.
You must be online to use the Map module. Maps appear in the language that your default web browser uses, which may be different from the language version of Lightroom Classic that you’re using.
Note:
To see if a photo is tagged with GPS metadata, choose the Location preset in the Metadata panel of the Library or Map module. Then, look for coordinates in the GPS field.
A. Saved Locations panel B. Map Style menu C. Zoom slider D. Selected photo E. Map key F. Metadata panel
Navigate the map
To navigate the map in the Map module, do any of the following:
Double-click the map to zoom in to that location.
Drag the Zoom slider in the toolbar to zoom in or out.
Note: The Map module also supports zooming using a mouse wheel and multitouch gestures on a trackpad.
Press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and drag in the preview area to zoom in to that area.
Drag the map to reposition it in the preview area.
Enter a location in the Search field in the upper-right corner of the preview area to go to that location.
Specify the map’s appearance by choosing an option from the Map Style menu in the toolbar:
Satellite
Displays satellite photography of the location.
Road Map
Displays roads and geopolitical borders and landmarks on a flat, graphical background.
Hybrid
Overlays roads and geopolitical data on satellite photography.
Terrain
A graphical representation of the landscape.
Light or Dark
A light or dark low-contrast depiction of road map data.
Labels
The map module shows fewer labels from Google on the map by default. To view all available labels, select Show More Labels below the map.
Note:
To change map style options, select View from the menu bar in the Map module.
Create collection from a photo pin on the map
To create a collection from a group of photos at the same location on the map, do the following:
- In the Map module, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (macOS) a photo pin.
- Choose Create Collection from the context-menu.
- The Create Collection dialog box appears. Follow the instructions to Create a collection from Step 2 onwards.
The collection appears in the Collections panel.
Work with photos and GPS data
To add GPS coordinates to photos (and add the photos to the map), do any of the following:
Drag photos from the Filmstrip and drop them onto the map.
Select one or more photos in the Filmstrip and Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS) the map location.
Select one or more photos in the Filmstrip and right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the map location and choose Add GPS Location To Selected Photos.
To see a thumbnail preview of photos at a certain location, click a photo pin.
Note:
Choose View > Show Map Key for an overlay that explains the photo pins.
To remove GPS metadata from photos (and remove the photos from the map), do any of the following:
Select the photo’s pin on the map and press Delete.
Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) the pin and choose Delete GPS Location.
Select the photo in the Filmstrip in the Map module and press Delete.
Click the GPS Tracklogs button and choose Load Tracklog to upload GPS data (a GPX file) from a third-party device.
The Location Filter shows you which photos in the Filmstrip appear on the map:
Visible On Map
Shows which photos in the Filmstrip are in the current map view.
Tagged/Untagged
Shows which photos in the Filmstrip are tagged or untagged with GPS data.
None
Clears location filters.
Note:
You can omit GPS metadata from photos when you export them. In the Export dialog box, go to the Metadata panel and choose Remove Location Info.
Match photos to a track log for auto-tagging GPS coordinates
Load a track log
To load a track log (GPX file only), click Map > Tracklog > Load Tracklog.
Once you load the track log (GPX file) in the Map module, Lightroom Classic looks for photos (in the current catalog selection) whose capture dates match with the track log dates. If matches are found, Lightroom Classic allows you to automatically tag the GPS coordinates of a selection of matching photos using Auto-Tag option. To do so:
- In the Map module, select the matching photos in the filmstrip.
- Choose Map > Tracklog > Auto-Tag Selected Photos.
Set the time zone offset
If your photos were captured while travelling in another time zone or your camera’s clock was not set correctly, the photos may not match the recorded track log. In such cases, you can set a tracklog time offset value (in HH:mm) in Lightroom Classic. This value lets you shift the times in the track log to match your camera's time/photo capture times; so you can then use the Auto-Tag option to place the photos on the track.
To set the time zone offset:
- In the Map module, select those photos in the filmstrip that you want to match to the track log.
- Choose Map > Tracklog > Set Tracklog Time Offset.
- In the Tracklog Time Offset dialog, adjust the hours and minutes on the Offset slider
- Click OK.
Note:
The Tracklog Time Offset dialog displays the range of capture times of the selected photos and the range of times in the track log. Adjust the Offset slider to a value where these ranges overlap each other.
Note:
If the Offset slider value does not seem to match the track log timezone and the timezone of your photos, Lightroom Classic indicates it by highlighting the track log time in red. However, you can still set that Offset value.
Save locations
For photos captured within a defined proximity, you can create a saved location. For example, if you travel to Greece for a photo shoot for a client, you can create a saved location that encompasses the islands you visited.
-
-
In the New Location dialog box, enter a name for the location and select a folder to save it in.
Radius
Defines a radius, in feet, miles, meters, or kilometers, from the center of the visible map area.
Private
Removes all IPTC location metadata, including GPS coordinates, Sublocation, City, State/Province, Country, and ISO Country Code, when photos in the saved location are exported from Lightroom Classic.
-
Click Create.
The location appears on the map marked by a white circle, with one pin
in the
center and another pin on the perimeter. -
When working with saved locations, do any of the following:
- Select or deselect a location in the Saved Locations panel to view it on the map.
The Saved Locations panel in the Map module
The Saved Locations panel in the Map module To add photos to the location, do one of the following:
Drag one or more photos from the Filmstrip into the white circle in the map.
Select one or more photos in the Filmstrip and select the check box next to the location name in the Saved Locations panel.
To go to a location on the map, click the right-arrow button by the location name in Saved Locations panel.
To edit a location, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) it in the Saved Locations panel and choose Location Options.
Tip: You can also drag the pin
at the top of the location circle in the map to adjust the radius. Drag the pin in the center of the circle to move the location on the map.To remove a location, select it in the Saved Locations panel and click the minus ( - ) button. Or, right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) it in the Saved Locations panel or on the map and choose Delete.
From an expert:
Viewing images on a map in Lightroom Classic.