Photos can personalize Google Earth

USHUAIA, Argentina -- Online photo albums I had prepared for family and friends weren't capturing the essence of my travels to the southern reaches of the world. Then a light bulb clicked as I was exploring Google Earth: Why not use that?

Google Earth is a mapping product much more powerful than the typical Web-based map service. Applying mathematical algorithms to actual satellite and aerial images, with help from topographical data collected from the space shuttle, the free software lets you explore the world from your computer with remarkable realism.

Much of the magic comes from regular users: You can broadly share your expertise on specific locales by adding comments, embedding photos and distributing them to the world.

I couldn't wait to contribute my own majestic views of glaciers, forests and the Beagle Channel -- shot during an 18-day trip to Antarctica and South America, the third and fourth continents in my ongoing quest to run a marathon on all seven.

Figuring out how to use Google Earth proved challenging, though, and figuring out how to share my collection with friends was even trickier.

I quickly got overwhelmed because the software can do so much, and I couldn't see where or how to begin. Google Inc.'s online user guide provided so much information that I got impatient with it. Relief finally came once I found step-by-step directions on an online bulletin board.

I am fairly comfortable with the basics of Google Earth now, and I do enjoy creating the presentations. But it's like the proverbial tree falling in a forest with no one around to hear it: Sharing my Google Earth creation was far more cumbersome than sending a link to an online photo album with an easy-to-find "slideshow" button.

Although many of Google Earth's features are likely second nature to longtime users, they are relatively new to me and people I know. Google says it is working to improve usability, and I look forward to seeing future iterations.