Photographers snap up Google Street View jobs

Imagine being able to tour the inside of a business without leaving home.

It isn’t science fiction; it’s a feature of Google Street View. And there are a handful of Springfield photographers helping customers walk right in a company’s front door.

“It’s been a part of Google for years, but not necessarily a prominent feature,” said Nathan Springer, digital video specialist for marketing firm Campaignium LLC. “Within the last year, it’s really being pushed harder.”

Users still have to stumble upon the feature, though, or they know to search for a business that has it. Here’s how it works: In Google Maps, just click the yellow person icon, aka Pegman, and certain areas such as downtown Springfield or South National Avenue and East Republic Road become peppered with yellow circles. Drop Pegman in a circle, and the screen immediately shifts to a 360-degree, walk-able view of the building’s interior.

Since Campaignium officially added the format eight months ago, Springer said the company has shot 10-15 businesses, either as a standalone service or as part of a larger advertising package.

“We’re a different kind of place, so it was an attractive thing for us,” said Moxie Cinema Executive Director Mike Stevens, which was Campaignium’s guinea pig for the service roughly a year ago. “Not everybody has been to an independent theater. They don’t quite know what to expect, but this gives you a clear idea.”

While Campaignium did the shoot pro bono as proof of concept for how the company might implement the service into digital marketing campaigns, Stevens said the connection to Google is the feature’s selling point.

“I always Google things when I head somewhere,” Stevens said. “I would love for people to go to our website, but if you don’t, Google makes it easy to see showtimes and where we are on a map. I think it boils down to – as much as you want to fight it or not – Google is the front door for most businesses.”

Sphere of influence
Mark Farbin’s three-decades-long career as a photographer has been changed by Google Street View.

The owner of Mark Farbin Photography has shot fashion, advertising and portraits, but since targeting Google’s platform four years ago the service has taken over his business volume. He’s shot upward of 120 businesses, including Zenith Climbing Center LLC, JMark Business Solutions Inc., Everything Kitchens LLC and Gene’s Gallery Inc.

“They see the power of it,” Farbin said, declining to disclose the resulting revenues. “Once you Google a local business name, if you have a virtual tour on your listing, you’re more likely to have someone come in.”

Farbin and Campaignium both carry Google’s seal of approval – the Trusted Photographer badge. It indicates each has at least 50 published business photos.

In Google parlance, a photo is termed a “photo sphere,” and each sphere represents a point within the business where a photo was taken.

“This summer, they changed that pretty drastically,” Springer said of the requirements.

“Before, you had to do 100 businesses within 150 days to become a trusted agency and 10 within 150 days to be a trusted photographer. After that, you had to keep it up; otherwise your certification would expire.”

Springer said Campaignium was able to meet the revised benchmark with just one gig as part of a larger video package shot for client KPM CPAs PC. The company’s three-floor headquarters on East Republic Road took 90 shots.

Depending on the equipment and technique employed, the format also requires some ingenuity on the part of the photographers. Springer uses a camera that takes four shots at once and composites the image internally, while Farbin shoots one angle at a time with a digital single-lens reflex camera that Google calls the highest quality for use on its site. While Springer has to find a good place to hide and trigger the shutters with a smartphone app, Farbin’s keeping an eye out for reflective surfaces so he doesn’t catch himself in the shot.

Springer said there’s typically a five-sphere minimum in order for the photos to be accepted by Google. Campaignium, he added, charges $150 for the minimum shots and each additional sphere is $33. Farbin, who does his own post-production editing, charges about $40 per panoramic shot, noting there is some negotiation on price if he’s also doing still photos for advertising.

“We don’t pay them to get businesses up, so we’re allowed the flexibility as far as pricing,” Springer said of Google.

“Google gets nothing out of this other than content.”

Photo fees
Cafe Cusco co-owner Joseph Gidman said the restaurant contracted Farbin to do Google photography and other advertising work three years ago at the suggestion of Historic Firehouse No. 2 owner Mary Collette.

Gidman said the package was $650 and came with the rights to Farbin’s shots. While the tour via Google competes for attention with Cafe Cusco’s website and Facebook page, it was a big help at pulling in customers before those features were in place.

“A lot of people base their decision on where they go out for dinner, especially if it’s a date or special occasion, on what the overall ambiance is going to feel like,” Gidman said. “If your business is based solely on people thinking about the atmosphere, it’s a wise decision.

“It’s a way to show that off.”

There are other types of businesses that, in the opinion of their owners, might not be best suited for the feature. Gidman, who also co-owns Chabom Tea & Spice, said that shop’s inventory and appearance has changed rapidly during its first year in business, which could add up for a small operation if it’s continually shooting new tours. There’s also the display of branded products to consider.

“Legally, you have to be careful about logos, and we can’t do a photo where everything is blurred out,” Gidman added.

Farbin said retailers that would seemingly benefit from the 360-degree view probably aren’t seeking it out because their stock continually rotates by the season. And other than Cafe Cusco and Mama Jean’s Natural Foods Market LLC cafes and delis – Farbin is the brother of Mama Jean’s co-owner Susie Farbin – the local restaurant scene has been slow to pick up on the trend.

As Google reduces the requirements for photographers, Springer thinks it’s just a matter of time before more businesses catch on to the idea.

“For a while, people weren’t aware that it was even going on, (or) they don’t know where to start with it,” Springer said. “I think the further we go with it and the more people know about it, the more they will start to utilize it.”