Gambrills Photographer One of Google's Select Few

A Gambrills man is one of a select group of people assigned to create “virtual tours” of businesses on behalf of Google.

The Baltimore Sun on Saturday reported on Frank Clark, an official “Google-trusted photographer,” who puts together 360-degree photos that are used by Google in its search results, mapping service and Google+ social network.

Clark, who ran an information technology business and did photographer as a hobby, is one of about 100 photographers in the country certified to take the photos. He is one of only three in Maryland now working for Google on a contract basis. To earn the distinction, he had to go through an intense two months of online training, the Sun reported.

"If you're certified, you've earned it," Clark told the newspaper.

The virtual tours usually involve stitching many images together, and the idea is to give potential customers a full view of a business’s interior that might not be possible through just a few snapshots.