Hello Friends,
Thanks to your continued love and support, Season 2 of the Ghumakkad Gossip Meet-up series launched with an amazing response and enthusiastic participation and we are now into Episode 4!
Letâs take a moment to revisit the highlights of December 13, 2025, through this recap of your favourite meet-up series, Ghumakkad Gossip â Smart Photography for Google Maps Make Your Photos Pop.
I was truly thrilled to witness the overwhelming responses and active participation during the GG V2 launch meet-up. A total of 39 participants joined us from around the world, including the Meet-up Moderator (MM), our Guest Speaker, and Connect Moderators.
Following the successful kick-off meet-up of GG V2, I am delighted to share that a total of 24 participants joined us for the fourth episode. The session brought together inquisitive and dedicated learners from across the globe, including the Meet-up Moderator (MM), our esteemed Guest Speaker, and Connect Moderators. The diversity, enthusiasm, and genuine eagerness to learn displayed by the participants made the discussion both dynamic and enriching. Their active involvement and thoughtful engagement truly elevated the quality of the meet-up, reflecting the growing strength and global reach of our community.
This meet-up marked a distinctive milestone as it was a first-of-its-kind session within the Ghumakkad Gossip Meet-up series. Designed with a clear purpose, it strongly reinforced the importance of revisiting foundational principles, something that participants truly deserve. By focusing on core concepts and essential practices, the session provided meaningful value, ensuring that learning remained practical, relevant, and impactful. This âBack to Basicsâ approach reaffirmed the seriesâ commitment to delivering thoughtful, high-quality experiences that empower participants at every stage of their journey.
I have captured the essence of the session under different sections - take a look, relive the moments, and feel free to share your thoughts!
Quick Introduction of the Attendees 
Participants introduced themselves by sharing their Name, City, Local Guide level, and Connect ID, which they were asked to enter in the chat box.
They were also kindly requested to join the virtual meet-up on time , as a gesture of respect towards the Guest Speaker and fellow participants who arrived punctually.
Improvements brought in 
Two key enhancements introduced in the GG V2 series:
1. Pre-Session Input Form
A newly designed form has been implemented to make the sessions more interactive and meaningful. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, questions, or reflections in advance, allowing for a well-structured and focused discussion during the meet-up, with the goal of achieving tangible outcomes.
2. Real-Time Feedback System
A new feedback mechanism has been introduced to support continuous improvement. Unlike a complaint redressal system, this is designed to gather constructive feedback in real time, enabling timely adjustments and learning during or immediately after the session. To facilitate this, a dedicated feedback form has been launched, which remains open for 48 hours after the meet-up concludes.
You may still find this feature enabled, but please note that the feedback cycle for the mentioned meet-up has officially closed . It remains accessible solely for demonstration purposes at this time.
The same applies to the Pre-Session Input Form.
Overview of the Meet-up 
The Meet-up Moderator (MM) shared the inspiration and purpose behind launching the Ghumakkad Gossip Meet-up series, explaining how the idea was first conceptualized.
Ghumakkad Gossip is a community-driven initiative, created by us, for us, and with us, aimed at building a more collaborative and cohesive platform for everyone to share and learn together.
The MM also outlined a few basic ground rules to ensure the meet-up remains productive and engaging for all participants.
The MM also shared the story behind the name:
âGhumakkadâ, a Hindi word meaning wanderer, and âGhumakkad Gossipâ translates to Talk with Wanderer. The emphasis here is on the traveller spirit, not just being a tourist, reflecting the true essence of exploration and meaningful journeys.
Introduction of Guest Speaker 
As part of our theme â Smart Photography for Google Maps: Make Your Photos Pop,â we were privileged to host the highly respected Connect Moderator, Morten (@MortenCopenhagen) from Denmark. A distinguished contributor and solution-oriented leader on Connect, Morten has reached the remarkable milestone of about TWO billion photo views. His vast experience, profound understanding of photo quality standards, and exceptional expertise in capturing storefront images that are frequently featured on Google Maps offered invaluable insights and inspiration to all participants. His presence greatly enriched the session and elevated our collective learning experience.
Gossip with Guest Speakers on the topic 
The session with our esteemed Guest Speaker commenced with an engaging and insightful discussion on the types of photos that are most likely to be featured on Google Maps and the key elements that make them stand out. He elaborated on practical techniques for capturing high-quality images, emphasizing composition, clarity, and relevance. Through detailed explanations and real-world examples, he shared valuable shooting tips aimed at helping contributors enhance their photography skills and significantly improve the chances of having their photos featured on Google Maps.
Further, he shared detailed insights into various photo-editing techniques that enhance visual appeal and serve as key differentiators. The session became highly interactive and hands-on as the Guest Speaker demonstrated live photo editing, explaining each concept in real time. With prior consent, he used select photos of participant contributors as practical examples, walking through how they could be improved before being uploaded to Google Maps. In several instances, he edited the images live during the session, allowing participants to directly observe the transformation and better understand the application of the techniques discussed.
In response to MMâs question regarding the use of high-end cameras and lenses, he explained that, in todayâs context, most modern smartphones are fully capable of producing high-quality photos with excellent precision. He emphasized that when used effectively, guided by experience and the practical tips shared during the session, smartphones can deliver results comparable to professional equipment for Google Maps contributions.
Please refer here for deep insights.
Special Thanks 
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to @LensAndLanes, @Gurukrishnapriya, @Ssiddharth2000, @FoodRavel, @Supriyadevkar, @AdrianLunsong, @palmad1, @SholaIB and @The_GauravS for their valuable contributions in fostering a constructive and engaging discussion with the Guest Speaker, as well as for ensuring the smooth and seamless flow of the meet-up. Thank you once again for your thoughtful insights and meaningful participation.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to @K.K.Sharma and @ShreyaMusings for their continued support in sharing important meet-upârelated data, even after the session had concluded. Your assistance is truly appreciated.
Debriefing & wrap up 
The Meet-up Moderator wrapped up the session by summarizing the key points discussed and expressing gratitude to all participants for their presence and contribution in making the meet-up a success.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to our Guest Speaker, Morten, for generously sharing his time and invaluable insights with the community.
With this, the MM took the opportunity to share that this episode marked the conclusion of the GG V2 meet-up series for the year 2025. He extended his heartfelt wishes to everyone for a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year 2026. Looking ahead, the new year promises an exciting journey filled with fresh topics, innovative ideas, and renewed perspectives that will further strengthen and evolve the series. With clear goals and continued enthusiasm, the GG V2 meet-ups are set to move forward with greater momentum and meaningful impact in the year ahead.
The next episode of Ghumakkad Gossip V2 will be announced soonâstay tuned and stay connected!
Interested in being a Guest Speaker in an upcoming session?
Fill out this form to express your interest!
A sincere thank you to everyone who joined and actively participated - it was your enthusiasm that made the session so engaging!
Adrian Lunsong, @AjitThite, @Anil6969, @_aviralagrawal, @Nomad_Enkay, @EshaHarish, FoodRavel, Gaurav Sharma, Guru Krishna Priya, @JitendraKumarprasa, Krishna Kant Sharma, @Kuldip_Patil, Madhukar P, Mohita S. Siddharth, @PrasadVR, @Rahul001, @SarathUpendran, Shola, @aim_rider, @SonamW, Supriyadevkar, @Gvipin
Please do let me know if Iâve missed mentioning anyone.
This photo beautifully captures the spirit of togetherness and the shared purpose that brought us all together for this meet-up.
Key Takeaways 
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When capturing storefront photos, focus on three key elements: lighting, framing (cropping), and wide coverage.
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Ensure the storefront is centered within a wide-angle frame.
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Use minimal and highly relevant text, only, when necessary, in your photos.
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Enable gridlines and HDR settings for a better photography experience.
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In crowded locations, wait for the area to clear before taking the shot.
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Leverage the Leaderboards to learn best practices from top contributors.
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Apply basic photo edits before uploading to Google Maps to increase the likelihood of your photo being featured or selected as a cover image.
Special Learning Session
As a follow-up to this meet-up, Madhukar spent an entire day with Morten in Bangalore, engaging in an intensive one-on-one Google Maps photography learning session. The recap titled âTwo Maps Photography Nerds Having Fun in Bangaloreâ further complements and documents the key learnings from this experience.
Key Success Factor 
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Effective promotion of the meet-up through multiple networking channels. Thanks @TravellerG and Rahul001.
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Punctuality of participants â with 80% joining on or before the scheduled time, the Meet-up Moderator (MM) was able to start and conclude the session as planned. Owing to the breadth of the topic and the enthusiastic participation, the formal meet-up extended by about 10 minutes with the consent of Guest Speaker and other participants. Thank you all! Timely attendance also minimized delays in admitting participants.
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Pre meet-up mock sessions between the MM and the Guest Speaker ensured smooth coordination and preparedness for the final meet-up.
Expressions of Emotion 
A glimpse of the feeling words shared by participants in the meet-up chat box.
