Etiquette of Get Out of My Picture, Please

In line with the recent query about etiquette of "Take My Picture" what would you do if someone was in the way of a shot you wanted. How long would you be patient? What would you say? (I stepped in front of a man's camera once and he asked me to introduce myself so he could tell his audience who the stranger was.)

I've had a person come up to me while I was eating my lunch and ask if I would move. I thought it was rude since I was only sitting on a plaque.

DaveG.

Long enough to walk upwind.

No need to say a word.

How long have you been out (translates to how bad do you smell)? Which way is the wind blowing? A > B > C

One time a group of us arrived at a summit and there were 2 other folks there. Our group and the other 2 were all sitting fairly close together. When I announced that we wanted to take a group shot, the woman smiled and moved CLOSER to us! I let it go...

That's pretty funny, Tom.

I usually just stand right next to them and strike a pose like this:

Works every time!

PA Ridgerunner said:

I usually just stand right next to them and strike a pose like this:

Works every time!

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Your killing me.

erugs said:

In line with the recent query about etiquette of "Take My Picture" what would you do if someone was in the way of a shot you wanted. How long would you be patient? What would you say? (I stepped in front of a man's camera once and he asked me to introduce myself so he could tell his audience who the stranger was.)

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Usually the're standing close to a steep drop off.

PA Ridgerunner said:

I usually just stand right next to them and strike a pose like this:

Works every time!

Click to expand...

I'm sure that, on most occasions, you're the pinnacle of virtue on the trail...but in this instance I daresay you left a trace!

Good catch, J.Dub.

J.Dub said:

I'm sure that, on most occasions, you're the pinnacle of virtue on the trail...but in this instance I daresay you left a trace!

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Yup, but like a good xc skier I filled my sitzmark! That was one steep, muddy slide!

Working as a newspaper photographer, I have to deal with far more than what seems my fair share of situations in which some Bozo obstructs “my shot.”

In a work setting, sometimes I politely request the obstructionist to move out of the way. And sometimes that actually works. On blessedly rare occasions I have to use my God-given prying tools, called elbows, to keep from getting aced out. It is not always fellow pro shooters who cause the worst problems, by a long shot.

In a recreational setting I generally like to avoid confrontation, and so try to find good passive work-arounds to get the photos I want. I am not averse to having a human element in my pictures, so to my taste this can be very satisfactory “use” of other people on the scene.

If there is no other way to get my shot – say, a party is sitting on or clustered closely about the summit survey marker I’m interested in -- I will approach them, explain what I want to do, and politely ask that they move aside while I shoot. I don’t recall ever having been turned down on such a request, although some folks over the years have been short on graciousness about complying. In any case, I try to get my business done quickly, and always thank even the most sullen cooperators.

G.

erugs said:

...what would you do if someone was in the way of a shot you wanted. How long would you be patient?

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Have you people never heard of Photoshop?

Patience is for suckers. Snap away, and just airbrush the blue-jean-wearin', no-water-carryin', cell-phone-talkin', flip-flop-sportin', "which-way-back-to-the-car?"-askin', summit-shot-spoilin', headlampless day hikers right the heck out in about five minutes! (Prolly fewer, if you use a Mac. )

In fact, once you get good at it, you can even take the inverse (converse?) approach, and put yourself into photos of places you've never actually been.

Like Chip on the summit of Raindeer....

I don't usually care about people in photos, it may be more of a problem for pros who will need releases from anyone they get

If people are standing, I don't see why you shouldn't just ask them to move and hope they don't say no, but if they have their gourmet feast with tablecloths all spread out maybe you should just either wait or come back later

On the summit of Dix I wanted to see the Colvin bolt and a lot of kids were sitting on the ledge, but I said what I wanted and it turned out nobody was actually sitting on it when I moved in

J.Dub said:

Have you people never heard of Photoshop?
Patience is for suckers. Snap away, and just airbrush the blue-jean-wearin', no-water-carryin', cell-phone-talkin', flip-flop-sportin', "which-way-back-to-the-car?"-askin', summit-shot-spoilin', headlampless day hikers right the heck out in about five minutes! (Prolly fewer, if you use a Mac. )

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PS cloning/airbrushing is definitely handy. I used it in this shot (it wasn't possible to ask everyone to move ):



Even better (though I didn't think of it at the time), is if lighting conditions are pretty steady and people are constantly moving - you can also take multiple shots of the same scene, then splice together all the parts without people.

Mike

I once learned I had been Photoshopped out of a picture and my feelings were hurt.

RoySwkr said:

I don't usually care about people in photos, it may be more of a problem for pros who will need releases from anyone they get

If people are standing, I don't see why you shouldn't just ask them to move and hope they don't say no, but if they have their gourmet feast with tablecloths all spread out maybe you should just either wait or come back later

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I agree 100%. It ain't my mountain.

I was taking a picture on the trail to Algonquin of my 3 freinds in a nice birtch tree area. I thought it was going to be such a nice picture. This was before I had a digital camera. When I got the film developed, Right smack in the middle of the picture was a strange hiker. I remember him walking by us but I did not think he was in the picture!All I could think was why would he not have stopped when he saw me taking the picture instead of walking in front of me?

I'd never ask someone to move so I could take a picture, so if they didn't just move on their own when they saw me trying to take the shot, I'd either give up or just resign myself to having them in the picture. I just don't think people should have to move for my "photo shoot".

However, if someone asked me politely to move, I'd do it.

Maybe I just need to get more assertive.

Funny

Squirrel jumps into photo


http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Total_nutter_ruins_couples_holiday_photo&in_article_id=719241&in_page_id=2