# Are we ruining the best places?



## SquarePeg

Spot on.  

Photographers, Instagrammers - Stop Being So Damn Selfish and Disrespectful


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## jcdeboever

The gall of people! Good way to get shot at, here in Michigan. We are living in a strange society these days.


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## Dean_Gretsch

We've been seeing this on the news lately. People injuring or killing themselves trying to get the " ultimate " shot or something unique, all to garner those so important " likes ". It's hard to feel sorry for these people, but the landowners and innocents are the ones really paying the price. A local overlook was just closed this year because of the inconsiderate individuals destroying the beauty as well as safety measures that allowed nature lovers to enjoy something that used to be available to anyone and everyone. Instead of having a hunting season on animals, I'd love to see one for the idiots!


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## Tropicalmemories

Just another symptom of this vastly over-populated world.  Anything that becomes popular, becomes over popular.

Thailand has had to close several islands due to the destructive forces of on-line generated popularity.

But it looks like the 'human problem' is self-limiting and our days are numbered anyway.


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## limr

Yes. Yes, we are. Because people ruin everything.


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## Soocom1

Talk to the NA tribes about this.


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## tirediron

While I agree 100% in principle with all of the sentiments expressed, I disagree that photographers are the problem.  99.9% of the issue relates to people with cameras, NOT photographers.  Having a camera and taking "selfies" (Ugh; I can't believe I just typed that, I need to go and wash my keyboard) no more makes you a photographer than having a set of Sears socket wrenches makes you a mechanic.  The vast majority of photographers I know are careful, respectful and law-abiding.


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## zombiesniper

We've seen a great number of people outside of the selfie/influencer (what idiot is influenced by a narcissistic 22 yr old anyhow?) community doing similar things here when the Snowy Owls are out.

They'll take a break from their office job, pick up the camera, walk across a farmers field with a cooler of mice and bait an owl right across the road.
I've made it my goal to piss them off as much as possible. They won't bait if I'm around, so sometimes I decide I need to shoot this owl (that's really not in a photogenic spot) for the next while, or just review the images on my camera from my truck as I'm parked within view.

I really think a good fist to the face would cure some of these self absorbed people. To bad our peaceful society doesn't allow you to assault someone unless you have a banner with a cause on it.

Makes me want to buy land in Nunavut.


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## Derrel

I read his rant and it sounded like an anti Instagram rant mostly. Apparently, he hits up a lot f places that are super-popular, and feels above it all. After all, he was doing it first...and now that the places he helped to popularize are "popular" _everybody else is ruining them for him_.


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## cgw

Just another encounter with that herd of independent minds...

Similar stories from my patch with hordes of narcissistic goofs invading sunflower fields in southern Ontario.

I learned a decade ago when “urban exploration” was popular never to share choice locations with any others beside friends who’d stepped on nails or risked injury checking out sites they shared with me.
‘


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## Derrel

"all the places I helped to popularize are now overrun with people. Call me a wambulance!!!!!"


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## vintagesnaps

I was reading about something similar happening with sunflower fields in I think northern California. Ridiculous to think the farmers need to not just put up fences and signs but maybe will need to start hiring private security or continually calling the local sheriff's office. Or something... Places may have to develop stricter laws on trespassing to stop this. 

These people aren't photographers, I don't know that us modeling appropriate respectful ways to take photos would necessarily make a difference. If it wasn't for cameras in phones, it wouldn't be so easy to do, but the biggest thing is social media; if it wasn't for that these people wouldn't have anyplace to show all this off. 

Guess I'm glad it isn't so scenic here, nobody is tromping around trying to get pictures of corn and soybeans and cows.


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## JonFZ300

Two thoughts

1. Inconsiderate people doing inconsiderate things is the new norm. 

2. "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."


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## Original katomi

We have places here where you can see the tri pod holes in the ground from everyone using the same spot


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## Derrel

I like that comment, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded. "


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## JonFZ300

Derrel said:


> I'd like that comment, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded. "



I think it's a Woody Allen quote but I'm not sure.

Edit: I was wrong. 

Nobody Goes There Anymore, It’s Too Crowded – Quote Investigator


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## limr

It isn't just photographers, "faux" or otherwise.

One of our favorite hiking trails got written up in the Times or some travel site, or something. Because it's right off a train stop on a commuter line, this meant hordes of people from the city started day-tripping. Then it became one of the most popular hikes in the whole country and it got so much worse. And it's not like it's attracting serious hikers, either. Most of them have no idea what they are doing. I mean, it's called Breakneck Ridge, fer cryin' out loud, and has sections that require three-point climbing, and yet they had to start putting "stewards" at the trailhead and on the trail itself to turn people away for wearing flip flops, or for trying to go up an hour before sunset, or with no water. There are also stewards on the trail to keep from getting lost (the 911 folks were getting tired of getting calls from people who don't know how to read a trail map or blazes.) Last year, they were going to close it down because there was so much damage to the trail. Decided to keep it open, though, which is kind of disappointing. I'd rather see it closed for a few years to recover, then reopened after most people have forgotten about it.

One Of America's Most Popular Hiking Spots Is Located In The Most Unexpected Place

We haven't been hiking there in years. It's bad enough that we don't even really go into that town (Cold Spring - the trailhead is just on the edge of town) during the summer because there are far too many people either going to Breakneck or coming up from the city to visit the "quaint little country town." 

People.Ruin.Everything.


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## stapo49

I guess one of the good things about being isolated and having a small population that you can get out of the Perth City area and head north and east a couple of hours and see very few people.

 South is busy because of the wineries, surf beaches and tall trees.

If you have the time and the inclination you can go thousands of kms to the north of Western Australia and not see anyone sometime for days. 



Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk


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## JonFZ300

I could rant on this topic all day. I'll just include one good anecdote. 

I was in Yosemite a couple years ago and went to check out the big waterfall in the valley. It was unbelievably crowded and the scene was as far from appreciation of natural beauty as you can get. There were hundreds of people all crammed into the water and making noise and splashing around. I thought this is such a ridiculous scene, I'm going to take a video of it to show just how crowded and crappy our national parks have become. So I started to shoot the video and about half way through the sweep, an international visitor stepped right in front of me and my camera and blocked my shot, totally oblivious to not only his surroundings, but also just how ridiculous the whole scene was. The irony was not lost on me, believe that.

In general, I believe humans evolved as a way for nature to experience itself. We come from the earth, are comprised of its elements and return to it when we die, but somehow we think we are separate. We think nature is here for us to enjoy, not realizing it's the other way around. As with most things human, we have even failed at doing what we were created to do: experience nature.


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## Original katomi

I can agree with above post, camping and later sailing  gave me some wonderful treats of nature
Like seeing the wake behind my boat glow on a moonless night


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## Scott Whaley

There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people.  Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in.  The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra.  Now, who is to blame:  The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?


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## snowbear

Scott Whaley said:


> There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people.  Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in.  The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra.  Now, who is to blame:  The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?


My first thought is the people trespassing, but local laws can vary, such as if, and how the property is posted.  Being a farm, I'm guessing there may not be that many laws.

As far as the original topic, yes, we humans tend to ruin a lot of things.  Take a walk along any number of rivers and ponds and you'll see where "slobs" have been fishing, and have left trash (empty bait containers, cans, bottle, discarded plastic fishing line) strewn around.


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## Original katomi

Scott Whaley said:


> There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people.  Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in.  The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra.  Now, who is to blame:  The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?



Jump into a crocodile pond, expect to get eaten


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## limr

Scott Whaley said:


> There was a news story here locally about a Zebra that bit 4 people.  Come to find out, the Zebra is on a large private farm which is fenced in.  The 4 people that were bit had crossed the fence in order to get a selfie with the Zebra.  Now, who is to blame:  The owner of the Zebra or the 4 people trespassing on the farm?



The trespassers. No doubt in my mind.


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## terri

The trespassers.   Obviously, if they hadn't trespassed the event wouldn't have occurred!   

The number of deaths from climbing Mt. Everest is increasing because people have it in their minds that it's suddenly become easy to do, the latest *thing.*    Waiting lines at the final summit are apparently the new normal.


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## Flying Panda

SquarePeg said:


> Spot on.
> 
> Photographers, Instagrammers - Stop Being So Damn Selfish and Disrespectful



Upfront, I will provide this disclaimer first - I'm a bit old-school. Where I come from, this place in the article, would merely be good sniper training.


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## SquarePeg

We have a local sunflower field that used to be relatively unknown before Instagram and Facebook.  It has always been open to the public.  My photo meet up group planned a morning trip there on a Saturday at peak bloom.  75 people rsvp’d yes.  When I saw that I passed. 

 I ended up going on my own on a subsequent day.  Was sitting in the parking lot waiting for the posted opening time when one of the employees walked up to my car.  After a quick chat he gave me the ok to go on over.  There were at least 20 people there already who had ignored the posted hours and designated path.  One woman had props and was doing “mini sessions”.   I’m sure most of these people didn’t bother to stop in the store to buy something to support the farm who eventually had to hire detail cops to deal with the traffic and overflow from their small parking lot.


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## SquarePeg

On the reverse, I am guilty of seeing an Instagram photo and adding a place to my bucket list.  The difference is, I like to think, that I do try to enjoy the experience when I go there in addition to taking my photos which are NEVER selfies.


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## Grandpa Ron

Technology evolves to make things easier for people. It never stops. Technology makes no moral judgment; it can be used for good or bad. People make the moral judgments about the use of technology. People have a very wide latitude over what is moral and what is not.  

You can pass all the laws you want but unless you are willing to spend the money to enforce them they are just words on paper. A case in point, did you know it was illegal to drive even one mile per hour over the speed limit? On a recent trip from MO to IN My cruse was set at 10 mph over the speed limit just to keep up with the traffic flow. And yes, there were non-professional drivers streaming pass me.

If a photographer, whether pro or amateur find a neat, place others will also seek it out. People like to see and photograph pretty places to share with friends, they do not want to see them in a book or on a video screen.


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## Tropicalmemories

Just because someone is using a phone, does not mean they are not a photographer (example below - going for the angle).  

I think we all have equal rights to be there, or equally we may have no rights and none of us should be there.

Growing overpopulation will mean that soon there will be no unspoilt areas left on the planet - but at least we'll have photos to remind us of how it used to be beautiful.


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