As a local guide who travels a lot, I love to share a ‘common man’s view’ of the places I visit - to give a feel of how it would be to actually be there.
Whether it’s a department store, book store, church, restaurant or a coffee shop, the aim is to tell/show someone who is searching for that location, what to expect from that place through photographs and reviews. I try to include subtle interesting aspects of the experience of being there.
When I take pictures I do not work hard on making it aesthetically great but rather make it informational, to give a glimpse of how that place is from an ordinary traveler’s point of view. So when I photograph a shopfront, I try to move away a bit to include the street and the immediate surroundings too, and then if possible go inside to take a long shot which could cover much of the store and a lot of close-ups of products and displays.
When taking pictures inside a building, look for signs on whether photography is allowed or not. Some buildings are sensitive and would not allow photography even from outside. I also try as much as possible to not include people in the photographs.
Another aspect is to keep it organic, not to go to a place to add it to the maps, but add info of places where I go otherwise. Have less of planning and depend more on spontaneity, or serendipity, on finding great places to share photographs and reviews about. I do not travel to add places, but add info on places I travel to, which I believe others might find interesting or might be looking for.