Tim B Photography & Google Views

Tim Baldwin, owner of Tim B Photography & Google Views in Sayulita, first developed an interest in photography in high school. “My dad gave me his old SLR and a friend and I would go take photos. I always enjoyed photography, but never thought much about professional photography until Google offered me a job teaching photographers how to do virtual tours—basically promotional tours for businesses using Google Street View technology” shared Tim.

He accepted the job offer, which was at the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California. Utilizing a tripod with a 180° fisheye lens and a pano-head rotator (an instrument that rotates the camera at precisely 90°), Tim taught the photographers how to take the panorama photos, and stitch them together to create a 360° interactive experience for their clients.

“It’s such a cool technology. You probably see a lot of websites that offer ‘virtual tours,’ but often, these tours are just a series of still shots. With Google Business View, it’s like actually being there. These tours are public on Google Maps and are linked to Street View. They are visible to anyone on Google. It is also very user-friendly,” he added. 

After two years working for Google, Tim accepted a job as a teacher at Costa Verde International School, and made the move to Sayulita last year. While he taught, he continued to do Google Virtual Tours on the side.

"Businesses have been doing Virtual Tours in the United States and Canada for six years. This is the first year it is being offered in Mexico. In five years, or less, I can see this being just as successful as in the U.S. and Canada,” stated Tim.

Several Sayulita businesses have already hired Tim to do a Virtual Tour of their business to increase visibility and interest. These businesses include Cori Jacobs Gallery, Sayulita Sol Jewelry, PachaMama, Las Sirenas Beach Club, Diosa La Boutique, and Evoke the Spirit. Tim has also done some Virtual Tours of local vacation rentals. Cori Jacobs, owner of Cori Jacobs Gallery in Sayulita had this to say about her Virtual Tour: " Tim did a fantastic job with my virtual tour. He was punctual and thoroughly helpful in walking me through all stages of the process, from the initial photo shoot, to the integration of the tour into my website and on Google. He was quick to respond to any questions with knowledge, experience and patience, and followed up to make sure everything worked seamlessly. He offers a great service!”