You can create maps, improvising with bundled Mac software.
Professional cartographers create digital maps either by using complex mapping software or by scanning and tracing hard-copy source maps. If you have a Mac computer, you can create simpler, less labor-intensive maps with iPhoto, a photo organizing software package bundled with all Macs sold since 2002. iPhoto's Google Maps feature can create the map, and you can improvise a way around the lack of an explicit export function.
Instructions
Making the Map
1. Open iPhoto. Click on "Photos" in the left column and place your cursor on a random photo. A lower-case letter "i" for information will appear in the lower left column; click it.
2. Click on "Photo Place" on the square screen that appears and then "Find on Map." A map of part of the United States will appear.
3. Navigate to the area you would like to map. For this example, let's assume you are making a map of your house and neighborhood for a party. Click and hold the mouse down to drag on the map to make it show your city and state. Click on the + (plus) button to zoom in on your area.
4. Click the "Drop Pin" button. An orange pin will appear. Drag it to your exact residence and release your mouse. A blue circle with adjustable drag handles will appear. Adjust this to make a smaller or larger circle around your location.
5. Type a name such as your town name in the blue square to the upper left of the map. Click "Assign to Photo."
6. Click "Show in Places." A large version of the map will fill much of the iPhoto window. Readjust the slider with its plus and minus signs at right under the map to show the map at the scale you want.
Exporting the Map
7. Make sure the iPhoto map is clearly visible without other windows, such as belonging to browsers or another program, obscuring any of its corners
8. Press the Command-Shift-4 keys at the same time. A circle with cross hairs will appear. Drag your cursor to the upper left corner of the map. Hold down the mouse and drag to the lower right corner and release. You'll hear a sound like a camera shutter snapping.
9. Look on your desktop for a file labeled Picture 1. Double-click it to open it. Your map will appear in Preview mode. Click "File" and "Save as" to name the map and save it as a JPEG for web use and a TIFF file for use as a graphic in a printed publication.
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