Are adding photos worth it?

Recently I was in a fairly heated argument about the importance of additional photos on poi’s, a fellow reviewer had been getting a lot of them in their review cycle and was complaining about how photos were basically worthless and didn’t add any value to any of Niantics platforms that use them. I couldn’t really give them a good reason why additional photos are needed or accepted. My best argument was that having additional photos allows players to better identify locations, other than that I had nothing. What are the benefits of having multiple photos?

Comments

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,846 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Often I add a photo because the photo already in-game looks horrible with the way Ingress crops. Niantic cuts off the top third of portrait-oriented pictures. Therefore, many statues are headless. Lots of times, the actual waypoint isn't shown in game at all - we only see the ground or parking lot in front of the actual object. Water tower waypoints usually only show its legs.

    Also, additional photos can also help gamers better learn about a place. Like, if the waypoint is a historical building - and the primary picture is the building itself, and a secondary photo is the plaque explaining why this building is historic.

    Lastly, Niantic has said they'll use the photos when they 3-D map places. (In addition to using the scans.)

  • TheFarix-PGOTheFarix-PGO Posts: 5,063 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2022

    Yes, particularly photos that were originally taken in low-light situations or where the nominator should have turned their camera and taken the photo in landscape mode because the object is wider than it is tall (which is pretty much everything except tall buildings, sculptures, and statues). I mean seriously, most nominators really don't know how to properly frame a photo.

  • Elijustrying-INGElijustrying-ING Posts: 5,483 Ambassador

    i find it interesting that even over the relatively short timeframe a place can change and it’s interesting to see the change.

    Older OPR in ingress photos had to often cover not only the POI but help confirm it’s location as there was no supplementary photo. This meant that in trying to get this balance in the photo it turned out not as good as it could be.

    mobile cameras have improved enormously during that time so the quality of what is possible is totally different.

    Additional photos are also helpful to show some objects from different angles/sides.

  • DEMARTIN0-PGODEMARTIN0-PGO Posts: 376 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2022

    I like to submit a new title on poi's or additional photos to fix peoples waste of a good poi. Like when someone submits "John James Ball Fields" when there are 114 fields and the picture is not just the sign saying the title or a nomination for something like "Smith Park and Playground." Ex. I submit a title edit if the picture is of just the Park sign or the playground yet the title says park and playground. Then after accepted(always is) I submit the other. Opposite with "Smith Playground" and the picture is the Park sign with the playground shown right behind it(40 or so meters away). I will submit a new picture of just the playground and after accepted submit a title edit. Occasionally you will have to also edit the location first on top of it. It can be a timely process but worth it when you get another poi.

  • Shilfiell-INGShilfiell-ING Posts: 1,560 Ambassador

    I agree with all the points in this thread so far (well, mostly) that show quite a few reasons why some additional photos are a good thing - especially with the point about camera quality, as 2016 photos may have been quite excellent at the time but look terrible by today's standards. I do wish that the original photo for every POI could be starred or marked in some way, and never removed except in cases of abuse: I think the original Wayfarers deserve credit for their finds!

    In our area, additional photos are a bit weird. Some people add a photo to every walk-in Ingress portal they visit, as proof they were there in person and not spoofing: others add photos of lower or equal quality to the primary, and get their new photo upvoted to provoke a reaction from the other faction or an individual who they dislike. Photo wars do seem silly to me, but they are definitely happening at least in my area.

    Lastly, some people dislike photos that are taken in winter with snow on the ground. They like to add photos with grass and sunshine and flowers - and that's fine! Since snow can be on the ground for seven months of the year sometimes, these winter photos are often unavoidable for original submissions. I do like snow pictures myself in certain conditions, like for footbridges showing those footprints in the snow, because I think they add to the story. That's not the case with playgrounds or soccer fields. 😁

  • PkmnTrainerJ-INGPkmnTrainerJ-ING Posts: 5,125 Ambassador

    Some photos could have been submitted in 2012, with Ingress coming up on 10 years this year, so it’s worth updating to reflect the real world status.

    I also like taking photos on the rare snowy day that we get of all the local Wayspots so I can update them for winter, same if something is covered in leaves during autumn etc.

  • SoulsticeSunset-PGOSoulsticeSunset-PGO Posts: 121 ✭✭✭

    I am doing the same thing. It unfortunately led to me running afoul with the leader of the local Discord group I was in.

    I have to agree with the other commenters, updating the photos on the stops should be done regularly. I even upload a few different ones, taken from different angles, time of day and time of year. That way others who view them get different options and can upvote whichever they like.

    Not sure why the person was griping, I thought edits and photo submissions go through faster and thus help get to the next upgrade faster?

  • Hosette-INGHosette-ING Posts: 3,469 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @HauntedResearch-PGO Edits and photo submissions may go through faster but they also consume reviewers' time. One of the issues with Wayfarer right now is that submissions can take months or years to be reviewed, and that's because there's more stuff being submitted than there is reviewer capacity to process it.

    Because of that I rarely submit new photos or other edits unless I feel like my contribution will make a serious improvement to the quality of a wayspot. I'll add photos of the existing ones no longer match reality or are really bad, and I'll edit text for significant content changes but not just because I don't like the way something is capitalized. Different people are free to make other decisions, obviously, but this is my current choice because I'd rather prioritize things that improve the games rather than slowing down new wayspot reviews with trivial edits.

  • shamani-INGshamani-ING Posts: 12 ✭✭

    Its good to have different photos from different angles for example for 3d objects like statue, but when some mural or info plate has 4-5-6 almost the same photos i think they shouldn't be accepted. Some add new photos to get 500 ap only.

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,846 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nah, 500 AP is nothing. You need 4,000,000 AP to get to level 10 (where you can submit), and 40,000,000 to get to the top level, 16.

  • Shilfiell-INGShilfiell-ING Posts: 1,560 Ambassador

    500 AP multiplied hundreds of times over will add up to a substantial amount. There are several people in my area that do submit edits for AP, even if the gains are not large. Many of these people are high-level, experienced agents.

  • sogNinjaman-INGsogNinjaman-ING Posts: 3,313 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Why bother? Yes, there are a few people who like to actually "explore" Waypoints and look at cool things (good for them) but for the vast majority of Niantic game users what actual photo is in the middle of the spinning blue circle is of no relevance to them and never looked at. As long at a blue circle shows on the screen and spins, thats all the interaction most players want or need to have with a Waypoint.

  • Elijustrying-INGElijustrying-ING Posts: 5,483 Ambassador

    I’ve seen interest rise in photos because of postcards and being to save them.

  • PkmnTrainerJ-INGPkmnTrainerJ-ING Posts: 5,125 Ambassador

    Off topic, but even small AP is handy. I did lots of scans during November with an APEX or two on, and shot through to level 16.

  • tomwe-PGOtomwe-PGO Posts: 138 ✭✭✭

    Do new photos ever overtake the one in the spinning circle? I recently had to review a change of name with a pub - google confirmed the new name was accurate but the image was the old name. It seems a long way around to have to remove the stop and then resubmit with new name, and yet name changes rarely are approved.

  • tomwe-PGOtomwe-PGO Posts: 138 ✭✭✭

    That's ace I've never thumbed up a photo. Must do that in future…

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