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.
