Despite the march of progress and technology, sometimes humans just do it better. That’s the lesson to be learned from Frank Taylor, who’s in the middle of a five-year sailing trip around the world, and whose photos from the journey are being picked up by Google and added into both Google Maps and Google Earth.

No satellite needed.

Frank is taking his photos with a camera attached to a low-flying kite. For real. Here’s a look at how Frank’s photos of Manihi island have been integrated into Google Maps:

The darker spots are where Frank’s photos can be seen; they’re much higher resolution than what satellites have captured to date.

Frank also writes the unofficial Google Earth Blog, and has shared some background there about how the photos came together. And on the web site dedicated to his journey, Frank explained way back in 2008 how the partnership with Google came to be.

Manpower for the win.

(via CNET)

Related Topics: Channel: Local | Google: Earth | Google: Maps & Local

About The Author: Matt McGee is Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. His web career continues to include a small number of SEO and social media consulting clients, as well as regular speaking engagements at marketing events around the U.S. He blogs at Small Business Search Marketing and can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. You can read Matt's disclosures on his personal blog. See more articles by Matt McGee

Connect with the author via: Email | Twitter | Google+ | LinkedIn