Have you heard about it?
I was sat on my sofa, fumbling about on my laptop, when my wife asked me what all the huffing and puffing was about. “I am trying to explain to another photographer how to find the lone tree at Lake Buttermere” I replied. I continued to explain that the tree obviously doesn’t have a postcode, its a fair walk from the nearest road, and it is especially made difficult in the dark when there is no mobile phone signal!
In an old-fashioned manner I was scribbling on google earth to show the nearest car park, and then fashioning on another coloured scribble to show the direction that you walk to find the tree. There must be an easier way?!?
“Have you heard about that new app that the emergency services use to find people?” She says.
I type What3words into the App Store and it downloads for free.
What is it?
Quite simply, some clever person has divided the earth into 3m grids, and assigned each square a three word reference. Everything is on the map. And on the basis that I can guide you to something within 3m, you will find it! The app, very much like the maps that we are used to using, can be in simple road or path ‘mode’ or overlaid with aerial images. If you are looking for a specific location then you can either get the 3 word reference and type that in, or pinch and zoom on the map until you find what it is you are looking for and click on the grid for the 3 word reference.
It makes total sense
This must be so helpful for the emergency services. So many accidents happen and are called in by people that are in unfamiliar places, and they try to describe where they are. Why not take the ambiguity out of the situation and tell them exactly where you are?
How am I using it?
I started out using it to help people find my photographic locations when they asked, but then I thought, why not just include the locations in my YouTube videos? So I made the decision sometime in 2019 that when I am out shooting landscapes I could tag each of the locations that I visit and share them on the photographs that I publish in the videos. People really appreciated it, and it is helping spread the word about the app. This feature is particularly helpful for my YouTube channel, because not only am I teaching people about photography but I am also scouting out locations to help others that plan on visiting that particular spot; whether taking photographs or not.
Why am I telling you this now?
The marketing team at what3words are interested in the photographic community and asked for me to share my favourite locations. I have specifically picked locations that are on the map, but you wont find without further exploration beyond the nearest road or car park. Some of the locations featured here involved lots of web research, going onto photography forums, showing photographs to locals and just exploring the locations.
Hardcore explorers
I have had many discussions online with people saying that I could just use TQ references using ordinance data, northings and eastings....sure I am an Architect I could do that. But no one will know what to do with that information. Everyone loves an app, and the concept is simple. There is also another moral consideration and that is whether exact locations of certain things/places should be shared to the masses. An extreme example is on an African safari. Modern cameras have GPS on them, and this was giving poachers the exact locations of where endangered species were last spotted. Photographers became aware of how their information was being used and subsequently removed the location information. A less extreme example of this might be just sharing the location of a poppy field, and then a farmer’s land is trampled all over by visitors, all because of how fast news travels on social media. I see this all the time. So just be considerate about the locations you share online.
Funny story
Sometimes the what3words location of where I am sounds like a brilliant euphemism, and I tag it as the next grid along. I just can’t bring myself to share a location that is coincidentally hilarious. There are also instances where the what3words locations are topical to my location. They might have the words ‘tide’ or ‘waves’ or ‘rise’ in them and I just call it fate and share it.
Check it out
If you aren’t already using the app, give it a go. It’s free and you might find it useful next time to you want to tell someone where you parked your car, where a foot path is or where you have set up a picnic on the beach!
Thanks for reading.
Ben
