Imagine being able to share the precise location of a photogenic spot using just three ordinary words rather than having to tap out unmemorable and easy-to-mistype GPS co-ordinates on a keyboard. That’s the beauty of the what3words location reference system, fast gaining traction in the photography community.
As genius an invention as GPS is, strings of numbers, symbols and letters won’t make you many friends among folk who don’t orienteer or sail boats, or who are just maths-blind.
what3words is a clever alternative to GPS, based on dividing the world into a grid of 57 trillion squares of three square metres (32 sq ft), then assigning each square a random combination of three words. Everywhere on Earth, from deserts to densely populated cities, has been given its own unique three-word location sign.