11 ways to use Google Maps for photography location scouting

Google Maps can help you shortlist photography locations before you travel. Use satellite imagery to understand the layout, Street View and visitor photos to inspect viewpoints, and place information to check access. Then confirm conditions on site: a map image cannot guarantee today's light, crowds or permission to enter.

1. Find shapes and leading lines in satellite view

Open Layers > Satellite and look for river bends, patterns in streets, bridges and open spaces. These features can suggest compositions worth investigating from ground level.

An interesting aerial pattern does not necessarily have an accessible viewpoint. Save the location, then check where you could safely stand. Avoid planning shots from roadways or restricted structures.

2. Look for parks close to home

Search for parks, gardens and walking paths around your neighborhood. Green spaces between larger buildings can offer trees, reflections and seasonal details without a long trip.

Inspect entrances and recent visitor photos, then check opening hours and whether the space is public. A green patch on the map may be private land rather than a park.

3. Check access to cafés, terraces and rooftops

Place listings can help you identify elevated views and indoor settings. Review the location's photos and contact information, then ask the business about photography, tripods, bookings or minimum purchases when relevant.

A review mentioning a rooftop does not establish that it is open to everyone. Confirm access before carrying equipment there.

4. Use 3D views to understand the surroundings

Where 3D imagery is available, examine how buildings relate to streets and open spaces. On desktop, enable Satellite and Globe view, then use the 3D control. Google's 3D Maps instructions explain the controls.

This helps you judge possible obstructions and perspective. It does not calculate the exact shadow position for your shooting time; use a dedicated sun-position tool and an on-site check for that.

5. Use visitor photos to check the view

Compare several photos of a place, rather than relying on one appealing image. Look for fences, signs, parked vehicles and foreground obstacles that satellite imagery may not show.

Pay attention to the date and season when available. Older photos are useful clues, but construction, vegetation and access arrangements may have changed.

6. Treat under-photographed places as leads

A place with few uploaded images may be worth exploring, but a low photo count is not evidence that it is quiet, safe or accessible. Check the surrounding streets, opening information and recent reviews before adding it to your plan.

Keep a nearby alternative so an unavailable viewpoint does not end the shoot.

7. Use popular times to choose a quieter visit

When a listing has a Popular times graph, compare periods within that location to estimate when it is usually less busy. Live busyness, when shown, is a separate indication of current activity.

These are estimates, not headcounts or promises of an empty scene. Google only displays them when it has enough data, as explained in its popular-times documentation. Check events and opening hours separately.

8. Inspect hills and valleys with Terrain

Use the Terrain layer to understand the general relief around a landscape viewpoint. Contour lines and elevation labels, where available, can help you assess the approach and the relationship between nearby ridges.

Terrain does not confirm trail conditions or an exact elevation for every point. See how to check elevation in Google Maps and Google Earth for the distinction.

9. Organize locations in saved lists

Open a place and choose Save, then put it in a list for a project or area. Keep notes about the intended subject, likely viewpoint and anything you still need to verify.

A list such as “River reflections” is easier to revisit than scattered screenshots. This guide to saving places on your phone shows the basic workflow. Review the list's sharing setting before sharing locations with others.

10. Scout murals and entrances in Street View

Enable Street View and inspect available imagery around a candidate location. It can reveal wall orientation, nearby obstacles and the street entrance you will need.

Check the imagery date. Murals can be painted over and entrances can move. Where historical coverage exists, compare older Street View images to see changes, then verify the current scene before traveling.

11. Search by subject to build a shortlist

Try specific searches such as “public garden,” “waterfront promenade” or “viewpoint” near the area you can reach. Search results are starting points, not endorsements of a photography location.

For each promising result, check the composition, access, travel time and a backup. That turns a collection of map pins into a practical plan for your next shoot.