Like many people nowadays, I take a lot of photos with my smartphone. I take photos of all kinds of things, from sunsets to street signs. Sometimes it’s just a means of personal expression but sometimes, if I think other people might get something from my photos of places, I’ll post them on Google Maps. To date I’ve posted over 400 photos, with combined views of over 1,800,000 (I have my Expert Photographer badge, and I’m working towards Master Photographer!)
I’ve posted a wide variety of photos, for all kinds of places. Sometimes I’ll grab a shot of a sign that might display some useful information about an area; other times it can be something as random as a monkey statue in an arts centre! And these pictures, as well as representing a particular place, can also capture a particular moment in time. It could be the time a band played live in a certain venue, or perhaps some other memorable event. Or in the case of an outdoor place, a photo (or group of photos) could show the changing seasons; autumn colours in a woodland, or the snow capped hills of a landscape.
It’s also interesting to see which of my photos prove the most popular, in terms of how many Google Maps users choose to view them. Over time I’ve learned that the photos I personally find the most useful or interesting aren’t necessarily the same ones that other users will respond to. For example, my most viewed photo to date is a shot of a beach-themed coffee shop in a Manchester workplace!
Each time I post a photo, I like to think it’s adding something to the overall picture of a place on google maps; whether that be opening/closing times, or just a hint as to the character of a particular spot. And that picture, as the saying goes, is worth a thousand words!