Saturation

D310 Add extra color when needed

Low color saturation is a problem for some local guides. Too little saturation can make your photos look like a black and white photo. Too much color saturation will make your photos look extra colorful with very vibrant and bright colors.

As photos uploaded to Google Maps are often displayed in tiny sizes and between lots and lots of other photos, your photos should never be too low in colors. I think a bit too much color saturation is a lot better than too few colors. I love bright colors and know they help to attract Maps users' attention. How do you like colors to be on Google Maps?

Here the color saturation is turned down (- -) and up (+ +).

Notice, how - - is a black and white photo.

And notice, how the sky as blue patches and the bricks are more read than they probably are on a cloudy day.

Do you think the neutral (0) version is best for Google Maps or a version closer to the (+) version?

Learn how you can How to adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation. But you can very easily overdo the colors. This is discussed in this module: How much processing is TOO much?

Color saturation is highly dependent on the lighting conditions when shooting. The colors of a brick wall look very on a sunny day compared to a cold winter day.

This shot is taken indoors under LED lighting. As I remember the scene the colors were bright but not as bright as + +. Those colors are too intense and screaming.

How to prevent this issue

Always aim for lots of light since colors will not be bright and saturated in low lighting situations.

It is also important to have a phone with a good camera.

You can edit your photos before uploading them to Google Maps. I increase the brightness and the color saturation in about 70-80 percent of my photos in Google Photos. Here is a video showing you how I do it: Android or Desktop.

Plenty of brightness, contrast, and color saturation helps your photos stand out on Google Maps.

I tend to flag photos with very little saturation as 'Poor quality' as a small contribution to improving Google Maps. You could do the same.

Not keeping the horizon perfectly level in your shots is what "Suggested next page" is about. Enjoy!

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