Why Local Guide Paul Saad collected 2,000km of Street View in Lebanon

[DeniGu]

Caption: A photo of Local Guide and Street View trusted photographer Paul Saad taken in the Harrissa region, a popular tourist destination on the Lebanese coast. (Courtesy of Local Guide @PaulSaad1)

In May, Street View celebrated 15 years of bringing the world closer through immersive imagery from over 100 countries and territories. Some of you have already discovered one birthday surprise in the Google Maps app!

To commemorate this milestone, we recently caught up with Local Guide and Street View trusted photographer @PaulSaad1. Paul grew up in Lebanon but moved to South Africa in his late twenties, where he still lives today with his wife and two children. There, he worked in IT before deciding to take Photography courses and start his own photography career.

In 2018, Paul left his job at a major printing and web design company in South Africa — and went back to his home country to work on an exciting new project he calls ‘Mapping of Lebanon.’ As part of this project, Paul has now shot and published 2000 km of 360 imagery to Google Maps, covering hundreds of locations. He plans to continue driving around Lebanon until every major road is live on Street View, and then move on to another country in the Middle East. 

Read on to find out more about Paul and what motivates his work.

Caption: A photo of Paul’s car with a mounted 360 camera parked on a hill overlooking the Lebanese countryside. (Courtesy of Local Guide @PaulSaad1)

Paul, you’ve collected an impressive amount of Street View imagery in Lebanon, a country that has no Google-owned Street View. Why did you decide to do that?

My inspiration stems from my love and admiration of this Middle East country. One of my biggest motivators is putting a spotlight on the entire country, not just the famous historical sights. In addition, I hope to boost tourism and spread awareness about all the extraordinary natural beauty Lebanon has to offer.

Caption: An image showing some of the blue lines Paul has created so far in Lebanon. (Courtesy of Local Guide @PaulSaad1)

Which parts of Lebanon have you covered so far? 

I have covered some parts to the south and north, but the biggest areas I have shot are Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

What equipment do you use to shoot?

I capture Street View with a GoPro Fusion and lately with Insta 360 Pro 2. I publish with TrailBlazer by Panoskin and the Insta360 app. The software was created so that photographers and content creators could easily publish Google Street View across the globe. 

Name one special place in Lebanon that we should go check out on Street View right now. 

The Cedars Road in Bsharri I did in winter with the snow on the slopes and the Tannourine Cedar Forest, with trees that are thousands of years old.

What’s your favorite photo you have shared on Google Maps as a Local Guide? 

There are so many photos that show the beauty of Lebanon, but I pick this one: Saint Elie Church in my village Qartaba. One of the great memories I have is getting married in that church.

Thank you, Paul, and all Local Guides and Street View trusted photographers who share valuable contributions on Google Maps! You help people everywhere discover the world one image at a time.