2022
Hi SveinR,
It is very commendable that you have shared your research,methods and results with us.I too received numerous emails from Google a few months ago and decided to join Google Guides for a bit of fun.I like to take photos everywhere I go but for me it is to document my travels.I mostly use my iPhone to take photos because people hardly notice I am snapping away.I sometimes ask my wife to use her high quality Nikon DSLR when we are shooting historic sites or buildings because it takes much better quality pics and people don't get in the way so often.I have come across some of your photos on occasions when posting new photos of my own as we live in Solana Beach.I personally would not dine at a restaurant based simply on a very good front facade photo.......it doesn't tell me anything about what's happening inside.I do take front of the business shots but I like to get as many photos as I can of inside particularly including staff /customer activity.Of course the most important thing I do is write reviews to go with every photo because I read reviews a lot before I engage personally with any business.I write good honest reviews and judging by the very large number of responses I have received to my Google reviews from managers and owners from all over the world my reviews are appreciated.Of course photos are important and great photos even more so but I have never been thanked for an outside photo of a business by an owner or manager.The main thing I am looking to achieve when I write reviews and take photos of any business is to somehow convey the personality or culture of the business.I am nowhere near as prolific as you with the photo taking but I am currently sitting on 3076 points with 1,326 reviews and about 28 million views all mostly achieved in the last 7 months within my immediate area and downtown San Diego.Some of the benefits from my efforts have been getting invited to pre-openings of restaurants with my wife and I eating delicious meals for free,being offered thank you gifts for taking great inside photos of a business that had little prior exposure from photos...I usually refuse gifts because I like what I do.My background is in marketing having been a national sales / advertising manager back home in Australia.I have hundreds of great inside photos that have been the headline or main photo on Google maps at some point....many have achieved 100's of thousands of views so maybe you should look into that aspect of your photography regime a bit more because you are a great photographer.My wife and I dine out a lot at little cafes and restaurants so I have plenty of opportunities for inside photos.I have attached some of my inside photo success stories.
Keep on Googling!
Cheers,
Zed star.
