How to Take Street-View Photos for Google Maps

Upload street-view photos to augment photos taken by Google for Google Maps.

Google Maps is a service that provides free maps of the world based on images taken from satellites and planes. In some locations, Google sends camera-equipped vehicles onto streets to take pictures, which then appear as Street View images in Google Maps and Google Earth. People browse in San Francisco, for example, and then zoom down to the street level and see images as if they were standing in the street. You can take your own photos for possible inclusion in Street View, which is accepting images from people via the Panoramio photo Web site.

Instructions

1. Take street-level photos with a digital camera in a location currently being covered by Google Maps Street View, such as Paris, New York, Tokyo or San Francisco (see "Resources"). Frame your photos so people can see interesting details of a landmark, famous intersection and other useful views of the location.

2. Sign up for an account on Panoramio (see "Resources").

3. Upload your street-level photos to Panoramio. Panoramio will assign an ID number to each photo. This number will appear under the photo along with a status message about whether it has been reviewed for acceptance. Panoramio rejects images from consideration for Street View if they have advertising or are racist or sexually explicit, for example. Read Panoramio's acceptance policy for details (see "Resources").

4. Log back into your Panoramio account and look at the status information below your photos. Panoramio does not say how long it will take to review photos, so if the photo status has not changed, wait and check back later. If a photo meets Panoramio's acceptance policy, the status message will change to "This Photo Is Selected For Google Earth." Panoramio transfers photos about once a month to Google to show up in Street View on Google Earth and Google Maps, after which point you will be able to see your photo there.

5. Visit a location in Google Maps, zoom down to the street level, and then click on a camera icon to see the user-submitted photos for that location.

References

• Google: Google Maps with Street View
• Panoramio: Getting Your Photos Into Google Earth

Resources

• Google: Where is Street View Available?
• Panoramio: Photos of the World
• Panoramio: Policies and Legalities