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. It is place to post your star photo through 2023 and follows on from the Local Guides 2022 Star Photos post.
We all have a star photo and this post is a place where Local Guides can share their star photo so if you’d like to share yours then jump on board because, regardless of how many views it has or how good a photo it is, regardless on what Local Guide level you are at, and regardless of where in the world you are, we’d all love to see your star photo! 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 - Questions:
Because we want this post to very much look like a photo album, if you have any questions or wish to comment about star photos generally, the specific star photos in this album or how to participate here or on the star photos leaderboards, then please don’t add them in comments in this post. Instead, ask them in a comment on the Discussion on the Local Guides, 2023 Star Photos post, a post specifically setup for this. Please note that any such comments added here will be moved to the special discussion post.
3 - 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 criteria as outlined below. A good idea is to use the steps mentioned as a checklist and make sure you cover each step. Your screenshot should:
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[20 points] include only one image of your star photo, clearly showing the current star views overlaid over it. Larger screenshots are best but do not over enlarge your screenshot at the expense of quality/resolution;
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[20 points] only be of your star photo and not show any Maps details that are not overlaid over your star photo itself on Maps;
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[10 points] preferably 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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[10 points] be posted centered,
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[5 points] have only one blank line (i.e. no text) at the top between the screenshot itself and your Connect avatar and post date details,
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[20 points] include a caption using the following format
Caption: Star photo by @YourConnectUsername of [name of the place] uploaded onto Google Maps on [include date uploaded] and showing star views of [enter star views] as at [include star views date]
Notes:
- If you’re 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 screenshot itself.
- If you’re participating in the star photo leaderboards, the caption to be used will be automatically generated for you
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[10 points] The caption shows the correct star date & star views (screenshot) date.
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[10 points] The star views shown on your caption must be the same as that shown on your screenshot and if you’re a Top 100 Local Guides leaderboard participant, it must also be equal to the star views you have entered for your star photo on the Top 100 System!
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[5 point] Add one blank after your image and caption but not before!
Note: The Connect editor at times adds extra blank lines and for best readability on mobile devices we don’t want these extra blank lines, thank you! So after you save your screenshot post, check it and if you see too many blank lines, delete them. In my own screenshot post here, for better readability I have also added one blank line at the end of my screenshot post
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[20 points] Add the name of the place, city and country as a heading and that heading must be the shared link of your star photo on Maps. Interested Local Guides can then simply select your heading to visit and view your star photo on Maps.
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[20 points] Immediately under the heading (no blank lines before) tell the story about your star photo or the place or meal etc. This is important so make it interesting so others, including Search Engine robots, will enjoy reading and like your story and you just never know your star photo might be featured in other places on Connect as well as the Web and thus build on its impact
Things you could mention include:
(a) Is this your best photo?
(b) Was this just a point and click shot?
(c) The camera you used. Mention the brand name and model (e.g. Canon, EOS 7D or Google Pixel 6a ) so for example, don’t just say “I took this photo using my smartphone”, be specific.
Important Notes:
- After adding your star photo screenshot, you should check it on both mobile and a PC for formatting and consistency (especially line spacing). Compare yours with others in the album;
- The points shown in red against each of the above requirements (maximum 150), are used to measure how well your star photo screenshot fits in with the specified formatting criteria and is explained in more detail in the Discussion on Star Photos & Videos post.
- Why did I say use your imagination and make the story about your star photo or the place or meal etcinteresting so others, including Search Engine robots, will enjoy reading it? It’s because our star photos are not only shown in this album on Connect, they are also shown in the public domain and therefore end up on general Google Search Results Pages (SERPs). If we make our descriptions interesting, this will help generate generic “hits” to our photos which means more views So when writing your description for your star photo screenshot, think of it as a mini post of it’s own. Give it some thought, make it interesting but there’s no need to go overboard!!!
4 Examples of star photo screenshots
Two examples that help explain the screenshot formatting criteria 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.
4.1 Example of star photo screenshot taken on mobile
4.2 Example of star photo screenshot taken on desktop PC
4.3 Further examples
Hit any of the following links to see examples of well presented star photo screenshots.
5 - 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 in your post or the star views may have increased or you might even have a new star photo! Simple! There are two different scenarios here, (a) editing or updating your existing star photo and (b) adding a new star photo!
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when editing or updating your existing star photo, you simply re-visit your existing entry in this post, and update your star photo using either of the two procedures mentioned in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 below which as you can see, depends on whether you are or are not currently participating on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards.
** It’s important to note that when editing or updating your existing star photo you must not start a new comment and add an updated screenshot showing the new star views,
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when adding a new star photo, you add it in a new comment on this post following the steps detailed in Section #3 above and a good example on how this is done can be seen in @IzzyOz’s star photo here.
5.1 Participant on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards
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Take a new screenshot of your new or current star photo showing the current star views that is compliant with points 1 to 3 of the formatting criteria in section 3 above.
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Update your star photo details on the Top 100 Local Guides system.
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Copy caption suggested on the Top 100 Local Guides system
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If you’re adding a new star photo then you add this in a new comment in this post following the steps detailed in Section 3 above. If you are adding a new star photo as described in point 5(b) above then go to step 16.
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If editing or updating your existing star photo (see point 5(a) above) then continue on withthe following steps.
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Find your previous star photo in this album.
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Select the ellipsis menu (3 blue dots)
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Select Edit Reply
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Select the screenshot of your star photo
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Select the pencil icon to activate the edit function
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Delete your old star photo screenshot
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Add the new screenshot showing the updated star photo views
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Paste the caption copied at step 3 above.
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Select Done
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You could add in your description a brief mention of the change in star views for example:
Date Star views
Feb 2023 540,000
Mar 2033 765,000
Apr 2023 867,050 -
Select Save Changes
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Job done! Grab a coffee!!
5.2 Non-participant on the Top 100 Local Guides leaderboards
- Take a new screenshot of your new or current star photo showing the current star views that is compliant with points 1 to 3 of the formatting criteria in section 3 above.
- Find your previous star photo in this album.
- Select the ellipsis menu (3 blue dots)
- Select Edit Reply
- Select the screenshot of your star photo
- Select the pencil icon to activate the edit function
- 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 and star views date on the caption
- Select Done
- Select Save Changes
- Job done! Grab a coffee
6 - 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 the latest of this by hitting the Star Photos link shown in the signature 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 other Top 100 Local Guides leaderboard, namely the Points, Photo Views and Countries focused leaderboards which are described here.
