Upload Your First Photos
Upload geotagged field photos to your survey with automatic GPS extraction, metadata capture, and batch processing.
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Step 1: Open your survey
Navigate to the survey you created in the previous step. You'll see an empty photo gallery with an upload area.
Step 2: Drag and drop your photos
Drag photos from your desktop directly into the upload area, or click Browse to select files from your device. Vortyk supports batch uploads. You can drop dozens of photos at once.
Supported formats: JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WebP
Limits: 20 MB max per photo, 200 photos per survey
For the best results, use photos taken with your phone's camera. These include GPS and orientation data in the EXIF metadata. Screenshots and edited images may not have location data.
Step 3: Watch the upload progress
Each photo shows a progress indicator as it uploads. Behind the scenes, Vortyk:
- Extracts GPS coordinates from the photo's EXIF data
- Captures camera bearing so you know which direction you were facing
- Records the date and time the photo was taken
- Generates thumbnails for fast gallery loading
- Validates the photo and flags any missing location or metadata
This happens automatically for every photo. No configuration needed.
Step 4: Add captions
After your photos upload, click on any photo to add a caption. Captions provide context about what the photo shows. Critical for professional reports.
Good captions are short and specific:
- "Water damage on north-facing wall, second floor"
- "Cracked foundation at southeast corner"
- "Electrical panel. Main breaker labeled"
- "Roof flashing separation at chimney base"
Captions can be up to 150 characters. They appear on reports alongside each photo.
Step 5: Review your gallery
Your photos now appear in the survey gallery with their location data. You can:
- Scroll through photos in an infinite-scroll gallery
- View on the map to see where each photo was taken
- Click any photo to see full metadata (GPS, date, dimensions, bearing)
Tips for better field photos
- Keep location services on. Your phone embeds GPS data only when location access is enabled for the camera app.
- Caption as you go. Adding captions right after upload is faster than going back later.
- Organize by survey. If you're documenting multiple areas on the same visit, create separate surveys for each area. Your reports will be cleaner.
Next step
Your photos are uploaded and organized. Now generate your first report to turn them into a professional photo log.