Etiquette of "Please take my picture"

[marty]

I will ask someone to take a picture, but only if that person looks friendly. Someone who acts like Mr. or Ms. Hike (i.e., thinks the activity was named after him or her) will not want to take your picture.

One time on the summit of Lafayette, I asked three guys sitting down if one would take my picture. They gave me a deferential "no", and continued to talk about their hiking accomplishments. Undeterred, I asked another couple who were just summiting if they would take a shot. They said sure, and then the woman looks at me and exclaims, "are you Marty"? I said yes, but how did you know? She then tells me her name. Turns out she was a high school friend, whom I haven't seen since the 1970's. We then spent a long time on the summit catching up on things. What a great time!

Her husband told me that she has a gift for remembering faces. Wonder if she would recognize me now, with my balding cranium.

Marty

 

[smitty77]

Like Trish, I've emailed photos of others also. It's just a nice gesture.

Same here. We once offered to e-mail photos (from a non-hiking event, a kids meet&greet with the Easter Bunny) and you would have thought we offered them gold. We've also been offered to have our group photo taken many times so that one parent isn't absent from the shot, though not once at Walt Disney World for some reason (where we also found we take better shots than the folks that shoot your keepsake photos, and they're paid by Disney).

I would just politely ask. From what I've found there's still a vast majority of nice, decent, helpful people out there.

 

[Rockledge]

I very rarely ask anyone to take my photo simply because it's not that important to me. I have on occasion asked when I'm with friends or family and have never been turned down. It doesn't bother me in the least when someone asks for a photo and I always oblige. I believe it was on Cascade when a young couple asked me to take a photo for them and they wouldn't take no for an answer when I declined their offer to return the favor. I was solo and they said, "oh come on, you walked up here and you don't want a summit photo?" It broke the ice and we had a nice conversation. I've found most people I meet hiking are very pleasant and don't mind interruption or brief conversation. In the Cats if I want a photo at a canister I usually have to use the self timer because there is almost never anyone around.

 

[Chip]

You need self portrait skills, regardless because there isn't always someone else there. Problem with the self portrait is that I have MANY that all look the same.

I make a point of asking people if I can take their pic, especially if it's a couple or a family somewhere. I hope there are a lot of pics on walls and in albums I snapped for people who would not have gotten that one otherwise.

 

[Grumpy]

Yikes! Somehow, I find it difficult to imagine this is an issue, or even a topic of casual conversation. Have hikers become such a self-absorbed bunch that we can’t imagine other hikers we meet routinely and cheerfully granting the simple favor of taking our picture, with our own camera? That’s hard for ol’ me to believe.

Just ask gently and politely. That’s all. Accept whatever the answer, either “yes” or “no,” graciously and without ado. If you receive a rebuke in response to your request, just walk away and let the miserable stinker stew in his or her own bile while enjoying the sunnier aspect of your own nature.

G.

 

[erugs]

I don't usually ask people to take my picture, but if they offer I graciously and enthusiastically accept. I'm fussy and usually delete most of the pictures that even I take. Still, I'm often surprised at how well they do come out.

I'm more than happy have someone ask me to take their picture, though I probably won't approach them but wait until they ask me. And then I ask what kind of a photo they want, i.e. horizontal, vertical, what is to be included in the shot. It's nice with digital photography that one can take several pictures at no extra cost and that people can view them right away and have more taken if they want.

My guide on Mt. Hood took about a dozen pictures of Brian and me with each of our cameras. He said that one time in the past a client had complained because their eyes were closed when the picture was taken. So that's something else I'd suggest: if you don't like what someone has taken, don't complain, just be grateful.

 

[griffin]

Yikes! Somehow, I find it difficult to imagine this is an issue, or even a topic of casual conversation.

Slow news week - no one's had to be rescued recently

I've never had anyone refuse a request to take my photo, and I've never turned anyone else down, either. I will say that when I'm the one asking, I try to:

- make sure everyone in my group is ready, so our kind helper isn't stuck standing around while we get our bums in gear
- walk the camera to them, rather than make them come to me
- not burden them with every camera in the group (assuming I'm with one), especially now that digital cameras and online services make sharing so easy

I probably wouldn't ask someone who was clearly trying to avoid human interaction, either, but that's a judgment call.

 

[MadRiver]

One time on the summit of Lafayette, I asked three guys sitting down if one would take my picture. They gave me a deferential "no", and continued to talk about their hiking accomplishments.

What a tool.

 

[JohnL]

Never hesitate to ask. If they say No, take their picture.

Many times on solo hikes, I have reached a summit and people have asked me if they can take my picture for me.

JohnL

 

[funkyfreddy]

Just ask gently and politely. That’s all. Accept whatever the answer, either “yes” or “no,” graciously and without ado. If you receive a rebuke in response to your request, just walk away and let the miserable stinker stew in his or her own bile while enjoying the sunnier aspect of your own nature.

G.

That's great, LOL! That last sentence is an instant classic

 

[Jay H]

That's great, LOL! That last sentence is an instant classic

Well, the bonus of this occurance that a picture of said person in a vat of bile would be an internet classic. Imagine said vat of bile on the summit of <nameyourownpeak> posted to facebook and you'd be an internet millionaire.

This would be a win-win situation, in my book.



Jay

 

[cbcbd]

I will ask someone to take a picture, but only if that person looks friendly. Someone who acts like Mr. or Ms. Hike (i.e., thinks the activity was named after him or her) will not want to take your picture.

One time on the summit of Lafayette, I asked three guys sitting down if one would take my picture. They gave me a deferential "no", and continued to talk about their hiking accomplishments. Undeterred, I asked another couple who were just summiting if they would take a shot. They said sure, and then the woman looks at me and exclaims, "are you Marty"? I said yes, but how did you know? She then tells me her name. Turns out she was a high school friend, whom I haven't seen since the 1970's. We then spent a long time on the summit catching up on things. What a great time!

Her husband told me that she has a gift for remembering faces. Wonder if she would recognize me now, with my balding cranium.

Marty

Cool story. I'm glad those dudes refused to take your picture.

 

[WinterWarlock]

I know the 'arm's length' self pics aren't always good - I used one of these (until I lost it)...

But - I've never had anyone say no so far...but you never know who you may run into I guess.

 

[Little Rickie]

I'd jus ask if they could on me a favor. I wouldn't be upset unless they woke me up from a nap.

 

[jniehof]

Slow news week - no one's had to be rescued recently

I guess I won the lottery for the week and refused the prize...

To the topic...I've never asked, occasionally people have offered. I do think Gorillapods and self-timers are pretty cool. You can also break the ice by offering to take a picture of them and emailing it.

 

[TrishandAlex]

Never hesitate to ask. If they say No, take their picture.

Then you can post the photo online and say, "these dorks refused to take my picture."

 

[Tom Rankin]

Then you can post the photo online and say, "these dorks refused to take my picture."

If there are no dorks or friendly people around, most cameras have self timers.

 

[carole]

I have no need to ask someone to take my picture...I know what I look like

 

[Pete_Hickey]

You don't NEED to ask, you don't need a timer, or a long arm.

The answer is PhotoShop.

Work on your skills. Get a few pictures of yourself against a plain background, then put them wherever you want. Heck, with good photoshop skills, you don't have to climb a mountain any more. Just get someone else's photo and pur yourself in.

 

[griffin]

The answer is PhotoShop.

Particularly if one is "hiking the AT" rather than hiking