1 - Introduction:
As Local Guides, it’s often amazing which of all of our great photos that we’ve added to Google Maps is the one that attracts the most views. I call this photo our star photo and this post is about such stars. We all have a star photo and this post is a place where Connect Local Guides can share their star photo so if you’d like to share yours then jump onboard because we’d all love to see it, regardless of how many views it has or how good a photo it is. Together we can build a photo album of stars in every corner of the world 
As well as adding your star photo in this album, if you wish, you can also have more fun and learn a lot more about star photos by joining the Top 100 Local Guides Star Photos leaderboards, and details on this are provided below.
2 - Steps to add your star photo:
To participate, you need to take a screenshot of your star photo and add it in a comment on this post. Because we want a consistent format of entries in this album, please follow the basic formatting rules as outlined below. A good idea is to use the steps mentioned as a checklist and make sure you cover each step. Two examples that help explain the screenshot requirements are shown below. The first is an example showing how best to present a screenshot taken on mobile and the second is for desktop. Also listed below are links to actual examples added in this album by participating Local Guides from all over the world.
(a) Example of star photo screenshot taken on mobile
(b) Example of star photo screenshot taken on desktop PC
(c) Further examples
Hit any of the following links to see examples of well presented star photo screenshots.
From these examples you can see that your star photo screenshot must:
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contain at most two photos of your_star photo. The first must be a screenshot that clearly shows the current star views. The second can be a larger screenshot of your star photo (as an example of this, see the star photo listing by @bfaloona here and my star photo listing here)._
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be taken in landscape (more wide than tall) layout as these photos look better than portrait or vertical layout (more tall than wide),
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posted left justified and not centered,
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have one blank line at the top between the screenshot itself and your Connect avatar and post date details with no text above the screenshot,
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include a caption below the screenshot using the following format:
Caption: Star photo by @YourConnectUsername uploaded onto Google Maps on [include date uploaded] and showing the star views as at [include star views date]
OR
Caption: Star photo by @YourConnectUsername uploaded onto Google Maps on [include date uploaded] and showing star views of [include amount of views] as at [include star views date]
Note here, if you are participating in the star photo leaderboards, the caption to be used will be automatically generated for you
Just copy and paste it with your screenshot. -
If you’re adding your screenshot on a desktop PC then add the caption as part of the Insert Photos process (
so that it is better integrated with the photo itself, -
have two blank lines after the caption, and then finally
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below the screenshot you can include a description of your star photo. Tell us the story behind it, the place or even perhaps mention the camera you used. Make it interesting so others will enjoy reading and like your story.
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If you also wish to enter your star on the Top 100 Local Guides Star Photos leaderboards then see section 5 below.
4 - Updating your star photo:
From time to time you might wish to edit or update your star photo. For example, you have made a mistake or the star views may have increased or you might even have a new star photo! Simple, but you must not start a new comment with a corrected, updated or new star photo entry and there are many reasons for this. You simply re-visit your existing entry in this post, and update your star photo, using the steps below:
- Take a new screenshot of your new or current star photo showing the latest star views
- Find your previous star photo in this album.
- Select the ellipsis menu (3 blue dots)
- Select Edit Message
- Select the screenshot of your star photo
- Select the pencil to edit it
- Take a copy of the current caption
- Delete your old star photo screenshot
- Add the new screenshot showing the new or updated star photo views
- Paste back the old caption
- Update the star views date on the caption
- Select Done
- Select Save Changes
- If you are participating on the star photos leaderboards then finish off by updating your latest star photo details for the Top 100 Local Guide leaderboards here.
- Job done! Grab a coffee
Note here, if you are participating in the star photo leaderboards, the caption to be used will be automatically generated for you Just copy and paste it with your screenshot.
5 - The Top 100 Local Guides Star Photos leaderboards:
As mentioned in the introduction above, as well as adding your star photo in this album, if you wish, you can also join the Top 100 Local Guides Star Photos leaderboards and you can see an latest of this by hitting the link shown in the footnote below. If you wish to join this fun, motivational and educational adjunct to this post then hit this link. As well as the Star Photos leaderboards, you will also see how you can join two other Top 100 Local Guides leaderboard, namely the Points and Photo Views leaderboards which are described here.
6 - Questions
If you have any questions then feel free to ask them in a comment on this post.
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