Google Maps Photography Shack Guide

Google Maps Online With Street View

By Louis Myrandle

Google Maps offers a wide range of features that go beyond getting from one location to another. You can also get traffic reports, weather conditions and construction information to anticipate any delays you may have. You can also plot out several points on the map to figure out the most sensible multi-point route.

You can view satellite images, as well as user-created videos and photographs of a particular area. What sets Google apart from the competition is the quality of its satellite maps, the Street View function that allows you to zoom over real photos/videos of a city just like a video game.

Visiting Google Maps Online

While this technology is still being advanced to get rid of the lag and become a more user-friendly feature, you will have countless hours of amusement when you visit www.maps.google.com.

Say hello to Mapping 2.0! The best elements of social networking have teamed up with Google Maps to give web users what they demand: consumer reviews, shared photos and videos and personalized, customizable maps they can share with friends and family!

Saving Your Favorite Destinations

For example, using Google Maps, you can save all your favorite destinations with your own markers, descriptions, photos and/or videos, creating your own map of "favorite local bars" or "favorite restaurants" for quick reference. You can also search for maps that other people have created for your area.

"Mashup" maps are created by users of Google Maps that appeal to a specific need or interest, and to access these maps, you can click on "My Maps." One great mashup is "Gas Buddy," which provides the gas prices and locations based on the city, state or zipcode you type in.

Places of Interest

The "Places of Interest" mashup will let you know which bars, ATMs, food or churches are on your way. "Outdoor Tracks" is the ideal mashup for the outdoor kind of folks, as you can view geocaching locations or adventure spot locales, as well as hiking, biking and jogging trails. If searching for real estate, then try www.housingmaps.com, which will show you Craigslist house listings across the country, which you can filter by city, price, type, listing with pictures or other keywords.

If you are walking to lose weight, then you can use "Gmaps Pedometer," which will calculate your burnt calories based on elevation, speed and distance. The best part is that all these useful maps are free!

Google Traffic And Street View With Driving Directions

The year 2007 was noteworthy for the Google Maps enterprise. In February, they launched "Google Traffic" for maps of 30 major cities and displayed subway stops and buildings for major cities like New York City, Washington DC and London. In May, the innovative "Street View" function was added, which gives 360-degree views of city streets in places like Venice Beach and Times Square.

In June, drag-and-drop driving directions were introduced and November saw the introduction of a "terrain" topographical view. In 2008, new buttons were added for logged-in users, including "saved locations" and "more," which lets users look at street maps, satellite maps, terrain maps, photos from Panoramio and Wikipedia articles.

They have also signed a deal with satellite giant GeoEye to allow superior satellite imagery. It is no surprise that Google is a leader in the world of online mapping.

About the Author:
Louis Myrandle has written a number of articles on digital photography including Background Photos, Upload Your Picture, Freelance Opportunities, Digital Camera Photo, Stock Photography, Wedding Photography Tips, Wedding Photography In, Wedding Photography Package, Wedding Photojournalism, Canon EOS Digital, Photography School, Photographer Wedding, Professional Wedding Photography, Digital Wedding Photography.
Keep a lookout as more articles from this author on this website in the near future.