How to Not Piss Off Other Photographers

We all love having a spot to ourselves, but many times, that isn’t possible. There are a few unspoken rules when it comes to shooting in congested areas that every photographer should know. 

Many of the most beautiful and accessible spots you’ll find yourself in will likely have people in them. The more accessible a place is, the higher chances you won’t have a spot to yourself. You might find during sunrise, there is a higher proportion of photographers to non-photographers, but it really depends on the spot.

Here’s one of the most famous sunrise locations arguably in the world, Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park, a spot that gets crowded no matter how early in the morning it is, as you can tell. This chaos is not something I enjoy, and after experiencing this sunrise, I never went back, even though it’s one of the most accessible picture-perfect spots you can find yourself in. Thankfully, this spot has a somewhat natural wall you can’t really go past, thus lining up here is pretty intuitive.

That being said, don’t be this guy. While I got there decently early, I was not the first or even fifth person there. I had a few options for my composition, but in reality, nothing I was going to snap would be unique, so I just found a comfortable spot that I liked. As more people showed up, the space got more crowded, and this gentleman encroached on my spot as tightly as he possibly could. Now, he did ask to be next to me, but I certainly didn’t expect him to get this close. It’s hard to tell in this picture, but there's a massive ledge right where my camera is facing, which my backpack is sitting on one of my tripod legs. This person got so close to me that a simple mistake would have pushed my camera over the ledge. Please, never do this. 

Other Photographers

As a photographer, if you find yourself in a beautiful spot, it’s likely you won’t be the only one wanting to capture those locations. Of course, not every photographer will be walking around with a tripod, but I usually qualify someone at a location with a tripod as a photographer. This results in many people finding a shot and sticking to it until the conditions they are hoping for happen. 

The general rule of thumb in these situations is that whoever was first to a spot dictates what the shot is going to be. Thus, if you’re the first one there and you plant your tripod down waiting for two hours until sunset, you have dictated where others should line up with their tripods and wait for that same magical moment. This is the standard rule in these situations when it comes to interfacing with other photographers. Some places like Mesa Arch have a very obvious shot, while others won't be so intuitive, and it's where common courtesy will come into effect.

When I shot sunrise at Mormon Row in the Grant Tetons, there were a plethora of compositions to shoot. The one I picked involved shooting telephoto to compress the background behind the famous barn to fill the frame with the mountains. This required me to stand really far back in the field, with plenty of room for anyone else to get in the way of my shot. Thankfully, because I was the first one there, every other photographer who showed up for sunrise was kind enough to not get into my shot. The only people who ended up in my shot showed up after I was done shooting and were so far away that I doubt they even knew we were taking photographs! 

Communicate

The people that walked into my shot were definitely not there to set up and wait for specific light. You could call them tourists, but in reality, we are all tourists in those situations and have no rights over a location compared to anyone else. That’s why the most important rule is just to communicate and respect others' space and time. Many times, non-photographers just want to walk up and grab a few shots and be on their way. Maybe they just want a photo of themselves in front of the iconic scene you’re at, and you could even offer to take the photo for them.

Being friendly and communicating can go a long way. This is something I notice time and again. Many photographers, especially landscape photographers, tend to be introverts. Living on the road means I don’t socialize nearly enough and have found myself putting more effort into just talking to those around me, especially at spots like this, whether it’s someone just enjoying the sights or a fellow photographer. Pushing myself to do that has generally increased my overall enjoyment of crowded spots. 

Instead of letting myself get frustrated by a populated area, finding a spot I like and then being friendly to those around me has made the experiences so much better. Not only have I met some other great photographers that I would now call friends, it also presents photographers as a whole in a better light to those just passing by. You might not be aware, but we definitely have a stigma that could use as much positive light as possible. Always remember our time there is no more important than anyone else's, regardless of how far we traveled, what hour we woke up at to get there, or how much equipment we are using.

If someone is trying to get in your shot while you are shooting during that perfect light, feel free to speak up. By being considerate of others, you are also owed their consideration. Communicating in a positive and healthy way is all it takes to never have any real issues. I look back at that time I was at Mesa Arch and realize I should have spoken up to the gentleman laying next to my feet. It would have been much healthier to state my concerns than just bite my tongue and get annoyed like I did.

Just be nice and considerate of others, regardless of why they are there. Communicate openly and don’t hesitate to talk to those around you. We could all use a little more positive communication in our lives, especially with those strangers around us.