Creating a pinboard map of geotagged photos in a flickr pool

In this post I’ll show how to produce a simple pinboard map of geotagged photos in a flickr group pool, using Python and Basemap/Matplotlib. You’ll need:-

• Python
• Beej’s Flickr API
• A flickr API key
• Matplotlib
• Basemap

There are two short scripts here:-

• A script to find the longitude and latitude of geotagged photos in the group pool
• A script to generate the plot

The first script produces a CSV file; the second uses this CSV file to produce the plot.

Here’s the script to produce the CSV file with photo locations:-

# -*- coding: UTF8 -*-
'''
Created on 12 May 2009
Based on beejs flickr API
Produce a list of photo locations for a given
group's pool on flickr
@author: Steven Kay
'''

import flickrapi
import string
import datetime
import string
import time

# Enter your API key below
# You can apply for an API key at 
# http://www.flickr.com/services/apps/create/apply
api_key = '' 

# paste group NSID below
group = '1124494@N22'

# sample... fetch your latest images with 
# a count of the views, faves and comments

if __name__ == '__main__':
    flickr = flickrapi.FlickrAPI(api_key)
    response_photos = flickr.groups_pools_getPhotos(group_id=group,per_page=500,extras='geo')
    root=response_photos.findall('.//photos')
    pages=int(root[0].get('pages'))
    if pages>8:
        # stop after 8 pages of 500 images
        # not sure if groups.pools.getPhotos has the same
        # 4000 image limit as photos.search..?
        pages=8
    
    fo=open(r"C:\infoviz\scotland_photos.csv","w")
    print "Longitude,Latitude"
    fo.write("Longitude,Latitude\n")
    for page in range(0,pages):
        response_photos = flickr.groups_pools_getPhotos(group_id=group,per_page=500,page=str(page),extras='geo') 
        for photo in response_photos.findall(".//photos/photo"):
            try:
                lat=photo.get('latitude')
                lon=photo.get('longitude')
                st="%s,%s" %(lon,lat)
                if not st=="0,0":
                    # ignore the odd buggy 0,0 coords
                    print "%s,%s" %(lon,lat)
                    fo.write("%s,%s\n" %(lon,lat))
            except:
                pass
        time.sleep(1)
    fo.close()

You’ll need to find the NSID of the group as an input; you can find this with the flickr API call flickr.group.search.

Now, you have a simple CSV file with the latitude and longitude of each geotagged image in the pool.

Longitude,Latitude
-5.167792,58.352519
-4.024359,57.675544
-4.230251,57.497356
-4.2348,57.501045
-4.84703,56.646034
-4.306168,55.873986
-3.586263,56.564732
...

This demo uses the Photography Guide to Scotland pool.

The next step is to plot the map.

'''
Simple Matplotlib/Basemap pinboard map for
Flickr Groups.

Need to provide a CSV file in following format

Longitude,Latitude
20.1,-3.25
20.225,-3.125
.. etc..

Created on 10 Oct 2009

@author: Steven Kay
'''

from basemap import Basemap 
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.pylab as pylab
import numpy as np
import string
import matplotlib.cm as cm

x=[] #longitudes
y=[] #latitudes

fi=open(r'C:\infoviz\scotland_photos.csv','r')

linenum=0
for line in fi:
    if linenum>0:
        line=string.replace(line, "\n","")
        try:
            fields=string.split(line,",")
            lon,lat=fields[0:2]
            x.append(float(lon))
            y.append(float(lat))
        except:
            pass
    linenum+=1
fi.close()

# cass projection centred on scotland
# will need to replace with a projection more suited
# to the group you're plotting

m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-8.0,llcrnrlat=54.5,urcrnrlon=1.5,urcrnrlat=59.5,
            resolution='h',projection='cass',lon_0=-4.36,lat_0=54.5)
x1,y1=m(x,y)
m.drawmapboundary(fill_color='cyan') # fill to edge
m.drawcountries()
m.drawrivers() # you may want to turn this off for larger areas like continents
m.fillcontinents(color='white',lake_color='cyan',zorder=0)
m.scatter(x1,y1,s=5,c='r',marker="o",cmap=cm.jet,alpha=1.0)

plt.title("Photography Guide to Scotland in FlickR") # might want to change this!
plt.show()

This script uses a projection centred around scotland; you’ll need to change the following line…

m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-8.0,llcrnrlat=54.5,urcrnrlon=1.5,urcrnrlat=59.5,
            resolution='h',projection='cass',lon_0=-4.36,lat_0=54.5)

…to something more suitable for your needs. Basemap provides an intimidating list of projections which should meet your needs.