Behind the lens: How a Nagarrian photographer captivated the world with 6 billion views

In this edition of Nagarrians at Play, we present Torben Mauch, an Organizational Change Management Expert at Nagarro, who is passionate about photography and loves traveling. 

Torben has captivated the internet with his Google Maps Photos account, his photos have reached an impressive six billion views.

Adela: Hello, Torben! What a captivating passion! What sparked your interest in photography?

Torben: Pictures tell more than a thousand words. I love to create memories and like to share them with others. Whether it's capturing a sunset, a beautiful building, a landmark, or nature's details, every photo tells a unique story and lets me connect with the world.

Congratulations on reaching around six billion views on Google Maps! That's an achievement. How did you feel when you realized your photos were getting such a massive audience? Tell us more about this and how you get started with uploading your photos to Google Maps.

 It works like an augmented reality game with different levels and a point system. Google Maps is an app everyone can use for free, and I add photos and reviews to this platform to help people find their way. One of my first uploads gained 20,000 views within a week, and this gave me the kick. When visiting a new place, I always have a clear plan in mind. How can we discover a city or place and add some mosaics to the digital twin of our world? I love to do this, and for six years, I have been at the top of the list. 

Torben Mauch during one of his photography sessions

Which photo has the highest views on Google Maps? Can you tell us the story behind it and why do you think it attracts so many viewers?

That one pic would be the Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh, Scotland. I took it in August 2021 during a trip with my son on the camping bus through Great Britain. In fact, I don't rate it as one of my best photos on Google Maps, but the AI from Google selected it like the featured picture on Google for some months. It is no longer in the top pictures, and this may be because of the gaming effect as well. Some pictures lose their top rating, and others come suddenly up.

Museum of Childhood – the most viewed picture clicked by Torben Mauch

As one of the top local guides in the world, how has this impacted you?

Being a top local guide has been an incredible learning experience. Filming documentaries, participating in quiz shows, and giving interviews for newspapers and radio stations have all boosted my self-confidence in public speaking. Within the local guide community, there's always a lot of appreciation and a sense of friendly competition, much like running a marathon with supportive peers.

When I visit places and restaurants, I never reveal my identity in advance. Hence, my presence doesn't influence their service. As for my family, they sometimes get a bit nervous when I stop frequently to take pictures, but they enjoy seeing me on TV or hearing me on the radio from time to time. It adds a fun and exciting element to our lives.

What do you enjoy the most about photography? Is there a particular subject or style that you find yourself drawn to?

I like colors. The more colors, the better. This is the reason why I loved my recent trip to India so much. And of course, historical buildings or places. I can never get tired of them! Here are some of my favorites.

Brandenburg Tor, Berlin, Germany, clicked by Torben Mauch

Mortizburg, Sachsen, Germany 

The Schwerin Castle, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

The various colors of Indian ethnic wear captured by Torben

Taj Mahal, Agra, India, through Torben's lens

The Statue of Liberty, New York, USA

Wow! These pictures speak for themselves! How does your background in IT influence your approach to photography?

As an Organizational Change Management expert, I'm fascinated by how people shape the world. My focus is on capturing the creations and innovations of people rather than landscapes. I enjoy documenting architecture, urban scenes, and other human-made environments. My IT background helps me understand and utilize the latest photography tools and techniques, enhancing my ability to tell compelling visual stories about human achievements.

Torben Mauch at Nagarro Gurgaon, India, office

With advancements in technology and the rise of platforms like Google Maps, how do you think photography has evolved over the years?

Well, I belong to the generation where you had to think about every picture you took; you had to calculate whether you had enough money left after the holiday to let the pics develop. In the past ten years, technology has advanced a lot, and now you can click amazing, high-quality photos with a mobile phone whenever you like. In fact, now, you can use your camera to call other people.

Coming to the platforms, if you load up your pictures to Google Maps, there are no storage restrictions. The photos can be used by others, but they are still yours. I’m often proud when I see that the company uses my photos for their internet page. It happens from time to time.

And, of course, AI technology is playing a more and more important role. It is interesting to see how AI algorithms impact the way you take a photo as you try to take the picture that AI loves. The fun fact is that no one can tell you exactly what AI likes.

Can you walk us through the process of taking a great photo?

I have a very structured approach. In fact, I take a picture every step I walk. I have about 90,000 pictures in Google Maps and about 50,000 in different storage for uploading or deleting. I believe I have deleted about 100,000 pictures.

So, I walk and take many pictures, and while relaxing in the afternoon in the hotel or during my train trip home, I start uploading them. I keep in mind some basic quality points and, most importantly, that I will not disturb the privacy of any person. So, no recognizable faces, no car plates, and so on.

Then, I upload the information by sharing and selecting the right location on Google Maps. That’s all.

A cityscape captured by Torben

Do you have any favorite photography techniques or tools that you rely on?

Not really. I like both iOS and Android to take pictures. From time to time, I switch on the grid function to have an easier understanding of how the photo looks in single divisions.

Sometimes, I wait for the right shot a bit to have no people or other distracting elements in the photo. I felt like a hunter at that moment!

Are there any photographers or artists who have particularly inspired you?

Not really. In fact, I like clicking portrait pictures of people. Annie Leibovitz is a famous portrait photographer, and there are many fantastic pictures on National Geographic. But that’s not the kind of pictures I use for Google Maps.

What advice would you give to aspiring photographers who want to make their mark?

Try to capture the details and make sure that people can link the picture to a time (of the day or the year) or to a smell or sound.

An important tip if you like clicking pictures to upload them on Google Maps and share them with the world: 
Click the pictures for YOU! You need to like them first!

A happy selfie by Torben

You can access Torben’s account here on Google Maps and explore all the places he has been traveling to.

NagarriansAtPlay is a series that showcases Nagarrians following their passions. In this series, we bring to you some of our remarkable colleagues who have made it big globally in their respective fields, and have inspired many to follow their dreams.