Local Guides Spotlight is a Connect series that celebrates members of our community who are making a positive impact.
Japan-based Local Guide Eno Yuta ( @YutaE )first joined the program in 2015. He was having lunch at his favorite cafe when he decided to take a photo of the menu and share it on Google Maps. He hoped it might help others to know more about the cafe before they got there. “The pictures and reviews on that menu were my first posts,” he told us.
Since then, Yuta has become a regular contributor often sharing his passion for food, photography, and travel. “I go to places such as restaurants, cafes, leisure facilities, etc., where I have not been before as much as possible to leave pictures and reviews,” he said.
One important way Yuta contributes on Maps is by sharing helpful information at pet stores, cat cafes, and animal clinics. His reviews and photos help other animal lovers know more about these places so they can make informed decisions about where to go.
“I often go to cat cafes, but before I do, I check the reviews [that tell me] whether the atmosphere is good,” Yuta said. “As I usually do not have enough information, I thought that I should post more information. I make sure [to include] the things people want [to know] or what services there are.”
He thinks it’s important for people to include information about the rules and the atmosphere. “For example, cat cafes have various rules to protect cats. I do not want to go to a cat cafe where I cannot hug a cat,” Yuta said. “It is also important to take pictures of the whole [place to show] the number of people and the size.”
Yuta has some helpful tips for taking great photos. Firstly, take photos of things you’re passionate about. “With passion, there will be motivation to take nice and wonderful pictures,” he said. If you’re taking photos of animals, it’s helpful to know their ecology. “For example, a cat is sleeping during the day. If you want to take good pictures, you should go in the morning or evening,” he said. The third thing to keep in mind is your technique. “It may be necessary to raise the shutter speed [on your camera] in order to capture animals with rapid movement.”
Have you taken any great photos of animals? Share them and your tips for shooting them in the comments below!
