Orcatek Google Trusted Photographer in Phoenix

Online, February 28, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Orcatek Photography has become a Google Trusted Photographer for Phoenix, AZ. This program uses photographers in various cities to provide photographic services to businesses via the Google Business Photos program.

Ceritified photographers use Google proprietary software to create interactive virtual tours of businesses. The photographers have to meet the highest quality standards to attain this certification. There are less than 30 photographers currently certified in the USA.

Business now have the tours added to Google Maps and Google Place pages through the Google Business Photos service. Trusted Photographers are the only photographers permitted to create these photos and update Google data directly.

Trusted Photographers are trained to take high quality photos of building interiors, accommodating for common challenges such as low lighting and tight spaces. The photographers are also certified to take pictures using fisheye lenses and rotating camera turrets (mounted on tripods) that, once uploaded to Google's processing pipelines by photographers, will be transformed into 360-degree panoramic imagery and a walk through of a business. Once photographers upload the pictures from their cameras, Google's processing pipelines use sophisticated image stitching, HDR, image matching and other technologies to produce these panoramic walkthroughs.

Photo shoots will exclude any areas of a businesses which one would not like to feature. In addition, photographers will always alert customers and employees before a photo is taken, to uphold their privacy. All panoramic imagery will be processed by Google's state-of-the-art blurring technology to blur out faces of any employees or customers who appear in the imagery. At any time businesses may request additional blurring or takedown of entire images through Google's Report a Problem link at either the bottom of the pano image, or within their Place page.

Shoots typically only take about an hour and become virtual tours on Google in less than a week. There is only a one time charge for the service, and no monthly fees for hosting on Google. In fact, clients can also add the tours to their own websites which creates a very positive reflection on the business.

Orcatek Photography serves the Phoenix metro area providing this and other photographic services.

For additional information visit:

maps.google.com/businessphotos

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