Things might not go smoothly when combining AI with photography, but this combination can provide us with suggestions for locations, a walking plan, and leave a little room for serendipity.
Finding photo spots in a familiar city isn't difficult. People usually scroll through Instagram, check forums, and examine weather apps. Too many steps. Then people realize that Google's Gemini AI and Google Maps can actually "communicate" with each other. They've learned a few tips from professional photographers on how to use Gemini as a virtual location finder and Google Maps for planning. Things might not be entirely smooth sailing when combining AI with photography, but this combination can offer suggestions for locations, a walking itinerary, and leave a little room for spontaneity.
How Gemini works as a personal location search tool.
Find hidden locations based on your photography style.
Gemini , with the right prompts, can go far beyond basic search queries. Instead of searching for "the best photo spots in [city name]", ask Gemini to act as a location finder and provide requests such as:
Tìm những địa điểm ven sông yên tĩnh trong vòng 45 phút từ [khu vực] phù hợp để chụp ảnh phản chiếu bình minh và ảnh phơi sáng dài trên mặt nước, ưu tiên những địa điểm ít người qua lại.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can simultaneously balance photography preferences, time constraints, and other needs.
Gemini can combine location data from Google Maps with traffic models and consider detailed information. When walking around, you can check its suggestions on the Gemini/Google Maps mobile app. Try to skip the famous tourist spots and look for places like rooftop viewpoints and street corners in residential areas that might suit your theme. Open each suggestion directly on Google Maps, save them to custom lists like "Marketplaces" or "Green Hour Architecture," and then you'll have a ready-to-use on-map database of searched locations that you can refer to at any time.
Create a schedule that fits your timetable.
Gemini plans time, travel, and contingency plans.
Time management is a major challenge when photography is just a hobby. Sometimes, people try to do too much and attempt to visit three locations but end up missing the "golden hour" entirely. Gemini is changing that by creating timed schedules based on real-time data from Google Maps. Tell it exactly how much time you have and specify what you want to photograph. For example, riverside scenes, street life, or architectural details.
Gemini then plans a realistic walking or driving route with estimated arrival times, suggests places to stop or just pass through, and even offers backup options if a location is too crowded. Because it draws data from Google Maps, the travel times reflect real-world conditions, not subjective assumptions.
Import this string into Google Maps as a custom route, and as you shoot, you can use Gemini in Google Maps' navigation feature to ask hands-free questions like: "Is there a less crowded area 10 minutes away?". Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it gives you plenty of opportunities to improvise and discover other things. For example, you can still make the most of shooting in bright sunlight with a little creativity.
Combine AI with specialized planning tools.
Using Gemini for strategy
Gemini is very good at strategy but not accurate about light angles and the precise timing of the golden hour. That's where specialized sun tracking apps like Golden Hour or LightPlan come in handy. You can check these apps to get the exact sunrise and sunset times, golden hour window, and sun path for a pinned location, then import that data into Gemini with a prompt like:
Đây là thời gian mặt trời mọc và giờ vàng cho [Khu vực] vào [Ngày]. Hãy lập cho tôi danh sách ảnh cần chụp và kế hoạch thời gian cho một phiên chụp sáng kéo dài hai giờ.Gemini can offer suggestions on the best time to capture panoramic cityscapes, when to switch to shooting shadows as the light changes, and when to move to a nearby secondary location while the light is still good. This combination of a camera app and artificial intelligence can give you the best of both worlds without manual planning. However, you don't necessarily have to shoot during the "golden hour," as every time of day and photographic aesthetic is different.
Use Street View and Lens to preview the layout.
Virtual surveys save travel time.
Before deciding on a location, use Google Street View and satellite imagery to preview the scene. You can check the view, spot potential foreground elements, and identify distractions like power lines or billboards. In supported areas, Google Lens in Maps (now upgraded with Gemini) will show information about landmarks and building details as you point your phone's camera. This helpful tool can help identify interesting aspects you might otherwise miss.
You can always ask Gemini for layout ideas by describing the scene or uploading a photo. Here's an example.
Với [mô tả ảnh] và cảnh mặt trời mọc ở phía đông vào mùa đông, hãy đề xuất ba bố cục.It's not perfect, as Street View photos may be outdated. Additionally, microclimatic conditions like fog, tides, or seasonal changes still need to be surveyed in person. But this is an experiment that can help hone your photographic eye. And sometimes, it can help you avoid a wasted trip.
Don't let AI kill off chance!
The downsides you need to be aware of.
While this workflow is incredibly helpful, it's not without its pitfalls. The more we optimize with AI, the easier it is to miss unexpected moments like random alleyways, unexpected reflections, or spontaneous street scenes that never appeared in the suggestions. Then, if we all start using similar AI workflows, we'll end up capturing the same famous location from the same suggested angle. On top of that, AI can't observe or "see!"
Gemini's suggestions are also limited by the data available on Google Maps. Informal markets, unmapped neighborhoods, or "unofficial" viewpoints may never appear. The AI can sometimes suggest closed locations or misjudge access to rooftops and private properties, so cross-check everything with recent reviews and Street View. Reliance on AI in a focused activity like photography is also a risk.
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