Photo Location Pins
Every photo appears as a GPS pin on the map with thumbnail previews and camera orientation arrows.
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Thumbnail previews
Hover over any pin to see a thumbnail preview of the photo. This lets you identify photos without leaving the map view.
Camera orientation arrows
Photo pins include orientation arrows that show which direction the camera was facing when the photo was taken. This is extracted from the photo's EXIF compass data.
Orientation arrows are useful for:
- Understanding the photographer's vantage point
- Correlating photos with site plans or floor maps
- Identifying gaps in directional coverage
Click to view
Click any photo pin to open the full photo with its complete metadata: caption, GPS coordinates, capture date, and camera bearing. From there you can open the markup editor or navigate to the survey.
GPS extraction
Vortyk extracts GPS coordinates automatically from your photo's EXIF metadata. Photos taken on smartphones and GPS-enabled cameras include this data by default.
Photos without GPS data will not appear on maps. Vortyk flags photos missing location data during upload so you know which ones lack coordinates.
Tips
- Enable location services on your phone before taking field photos. This ensures every photo has accurate GPS coordinates.
- Combine photo pins with survey-level maps to check coverage for a specific site visit.