Google Enters Commercial Photo Business… for Free

by Aaron on April 20, 2010

Today Google announced Google Places, a database/directory of location-specific information building on the existing Google Maps and Google Local Business services. The big news from a photography standpoint is that Google will send a photographer to a business location and take interior photos at no cost to the business owner.

Presumably Google will be contracting with local photographers to perform these services although I haven’t heard anything directly and there’s no real information from Google on how they are hiring photographers. What will this mean for the commercial photographers not hired by Google? I don’t know. My suspicion is that Google will use low-cost photographers and will be paying below the current market rates for their services (which, in turn, will drive down the market rates).

We’ve seen various areas of photography become devalued (stock, anyone?). Will Google’s entry into this market drive commercial photography rates in a race towards zero?

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Tagged as: business photos, businesses, google, google places, photography

MrLoftcraft

Is there a business nowadays that Google isn't involved with in a direct or indirect manner? Think about it and you might get scared of the results.
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Trianz
mfenris

The author and the commenters have taken this completely out of context. I don't see it stated anywhere from Google that anyone other than Google (including the business owner) will be able to use the photos. It is clearly stated in their FAQs that Google is the sole owner. Your headline is at best misleading. Google is only taking photos to use for its own purposes and is in NO WAY "Entering the Commercial Photo Business".
Paul S Bartholomew

The headline is correct. If Google hires someone to produce images for the purpose to market or advertise that is called "commercial photography". Google and the business owners would use the images for a commercial purpose.

I think the biggest upset isn't the commercial purpose but the use of low budget and low quality images that will most likely happen. Perhaps business owners can submit high quality images from their own commissioned photo shoots. If this is the case then we must examine the terms & conditions and if Google claims rights for images used in their directory.
mfenris

Google is indeed hiring (or more likely sub-contracting) people to take photos, but the photos are only to be used by Google. They are not "entering the business" of comercial photography, the business owners do not get to use the photos, only request that they be removed from Google's service. This isn't "entering the business of commercial photography" where a photographer shoots an image for a client. Google is shooting only for themselves (and doing a very clever job of marketing it as a "free photo shoot").

As to the second part, yes, owners may upload any images of their own (commissioned or otherwise).
Rick Bucich

Without knowing more I hate to guarantee anything but...I'd be willing to be the entire job is subcontracted out to someone like http://storefrontimagesusa.com. Google isn't going to hire people directly and the work is not going to put any serious photographers out of business.

Happy to share my insight but would prefer to do so more on a private basis. Looks me up if you're interested in discussing.
Paul S Bartholomew

I don't see this effecting things at least for photographers who make a living based on quality work. Architectural photographers have been getting hit with low budget and almost free photo shoots requests from all kinds of companies. Real estate is the worse. Somehow they find the people to do it.

Some new photographers desperate for subject matter may jump at this. They'll learn the hard way.
jimgoldstein

Just as Google street view didn't kill demand for exterior architecture photographers this will not kill demand for interior photography. Google is operating on a different plane to build out content for additional applications & services that more than likely will leverage location based services ( think search ads, Latitude, etc.) I sincerely doubt that the images taken by Google "photographers" will match the quality of full time professionals. I'm sure Google called their Street View drivers photographers as well. If they do hire local photographers I'm curious as to how they'll do this. Considering the verbage of answers in their FAQ (http://maps.google.com/help/maps/businessphotos/faq.html) the photographs taken will surely fall under "Work For Hire" and the photographers will be expected to waive their rights to their images.

It's an interesting development, but not one I'd be alarmed by if I specialized in such work. Photographers are better off building client relationships and making it clear what value they provide to businesses. Google is in this to add value to their business, not to add value to other businesses. I'm sure their photos will reflect that.
scottwyden

I have mixed feelings on this. As long as Google is paying photographers to do this I think it is great. However I do think that prices will drop because of it. Even creativity could disappear. Hard to say really.