Etiquette in Photography: Why Good Manners Goes a Long Way
Etiquette in photography and why good manners goes a long way.
It’s not always easy to remain calm and collected when making photos in public places. Thankfully, my own photo adventures have taught me that good manners can go a long way to ensuring a great travel photography experience.
Etiquette in photography seems, more often than not, to be lost or largely ignored these days. But I believe good manners still go a long way in our world, which is why I've learned to adapt to difficult situations and continue to make photos, despite the rudeness some folks show towards me.
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It’s frustrating when your photography is compromised by folks, showing a complete lack of good manners, walking right in front of you to make their own photo.
From experience, I believe they do so because they saw my fancy pants camera and figured they wanted in on the action.
I have no problem with them making the most of the opportunity I’ve created. I just wish they’d wait their turn and not push in front of me until after I’ve made my own photo.
I don’t think that’s an unreasonable position, given I was there first, and it’s pretty obvious by the camera equipment I’m using that I’m involved in a serious undertaking.
Strangely, standing there with a tripod mounted camera and cable release only seems to make things worse.
There have been numerous times when I’ve stood, dumbfounded, as each and every member of a family takes their turn to walk in front of me and pose for photos, while I wait patiently to make my own.
Folks have even set up a picnic in front of the scene I was about to photograph. I kid you not.
But you can’t let a frustrating situation get the better of you. This apparent loss of etiquette just seems to be the way it is for a travel photographer in our modern world.
You may have had similar experiences, either traveling overseas or exploring public places in your own town or city.
There have been plenty of times when I’ve just had to grin and bear it, adopting the notion that discretion is the better part of valor.
I’ve also held my position and patiently waited until these interlopers do their thing and continue on their way.
Because of the obvious patience I’ve shown these folks sometimes move on showing an unexpected, though very much appreciated, degree of humility.
What I really appreciate is when someone apologises for getting in the way and allows me to make my photo.
I make sure I get about doing so, as quickly and effectively as I can, prior to moving on and leaving the space to them.
It’s nice when everyone wins. Wouldn’t you agree?
How To Make Photos At The Temple Of Heaven in Beijing
I love the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It’s a very large complex with many architecturally interesting buildings to photograph, most notably the following:
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests
Imperial Vault of Heaven
Circular Mound Altar
Interestingly, the layout of the buildings within the Temple of Heaven complex symbolises the relationship between heaven and earth, and the role of the emperors within that relationship.
At four times the size of the Forbidden City I consider the Temple of Heaven to be the more interesting location for the enthusiastic photographer.
However, for variety in your photo making and to be able to tell a more comprehensive story of your time in Beijing, it’s wise to spend time, probably half a day, at each location.
I visited the Temple of Heaven in the middle of a cold Beijing winter, though that didn’t seem to stop anyone else. The place was packed with Chinese tourists and I can only imagine how crowded it must get when visiting in the middle of summer.
Frankly, it was a real struggle making architectural photos that weren’t filled with people. Nonetheless, I was determined to make some beautiful photos of this sublime and culturally significant location.
One solution, showcased in the above photo, was to opt for a close up exploration of the colorful Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, an amazing building at the heart of the Temple Of Heaven complex.
I remember concentrating my composition around the richly decorative and meaning-rich colors, shapes and textures in the structure.
Take a close look at that building featured in this image and you’ll see the area, under one of the building’s eaves, that formed the composition of the photo at the top of this post.
I think this approach showcases the value of a detailed study and how it’s a good way to avoid including people in your photos.
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China.
When Good Manners are Lacking, Patience Often Wins The Day
However, to tell more of the story of this wonderful architectural site, I knew I needed to make photos with more expansive views. That meant including more of the buildings and the structures that surrounded them.
In the case of this particular photo I made use of the flight of stairs, as an element of composition, to lead the eye to the beautiful, round temple in the top of the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.
Mind you, I had to stand and wait a very long time before the few, short seconds I needed to make this picture presented themselves.
Fortunately, I got the image, just before several dozen new arrivals began climbing the steps and swarming around this side of the structure.
Of course, these days it’s quite easy to remove people from photos in post processing.
But I’m nothing if not authentic and, frankly, I just don’t like making those sort of interventions on the computer.
That doesn’t mean I won’t, at some stage in the future. But not today my friend, not today.
Frankly, it feels good to know that my patience was rewarded and that I didn’t have to rely on any photoshop hocus-pocus to achieve the above result.
I’m not making any judgement here or suggesting what degree of post processing, if any, you should employ on your own photos.
I’m simply saying it’s a good feeling when you’re patience is rewarded with photos that don’t require significant manipulation on the desktop.
Likewise, it’s a good feeling when patience and good manners are rewarded.
Chinese characters at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China.
Large And Fancy Camera Kits Draw Unwanted Attention
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that, with a relatively large and expensive camera kit, you become a magnet for local photographers wanting to make their own photos.
It seems they’re compelled to make a photo, simply because it’s what you appear to be doing.
This has happened to me in numerous countries, including my own, so it’s not simply a cultural thing. But it can be a real pain, just the same.
There have been times when I’ve been so frustrated with this kind of behavior that I’ve moved off the main tourist trail just to find some personal space and to connect, in a more authentic way, with the place I’m exploring.
But that’s not always possible, which means you have to find other ways to deal with the large crowds that often frequent popular tourist sites.
I remember passing through a small, on-site museum in the grounds of the Temple of Heaven and suddenly finding myself amidst a sea of people, snapping furiously as they pushed their way through the space.
I wanted to photograph this panel of Chinese characters, but my opportunity to do so was fast disappearing.
The solution was to move in, as close as I could, and employ a lens with a particularly wide-angle focal length.
I’ve used this technique as a way of stopping people standing in front of me when I’m photographing street art.
All of a sudden the distance between you and the subject matter becomes so close that it becomes awkward for people to walk in front of you.
Believe me, it works a treat.
I have to say, it’s so refreshing when people pass behind you, rather than walking right in front of you while you’re trying to make a photo.
What’s more, the photos you’ll create with a wide-angle lens, up close to your subject, will likely be more dramatic and impactful than would be the case standing back, directly in front of the subject in question.
I made this photo of the wall of Chinese characters by focusing on the third column of characters, from the left hand side of the frame.
I employed a shallow depth of field to draw attention to the most interesting part of the image, which simplified a potentially overly repetitive scene.
It’s certainly not an amazing image. In fact it’s a long way from that.
Nonetheless, it’s not bad and, given the circumstances I found myself photographing under, I’m happy with the result.
About To Travel?
Good Manners and Behaving Better Than The Mob
One of the problems that faces an enthusiast photographer, interested in architecture or street photography, with a great camera kit is that folks conclude that you know what you doing.
Their competitive nature might cause them to push in on the action.
I have no problems with sharing a location or, through my actions, suggesting a potential photo opportunity from which other folks might benefit.
I just wish they’d wait, often only a few moments, until after I’ve made my photo before they take over the space.
In certain highly populated countries life can be tough, in the extreme. This makes me wonder if the lack of personal space existing in poorer, densely populated cities, means that my concept of good manners and etiquette is simply not relevant.
It’s good to be culturally sensitive, but you have to balance the importance of being able to bend like a reed in the wind with the need you have to make great photos.
In my case the need to make great photos, and share them with an ever wider audience, is the very reason I’m there. I don’t travel for the sake of travel. I travel to make photos.
I can tell you, that’s a very powerful motivator that I draw upon to make the most out of the moment, even when things don’t appear to be going my way, and just get on with making great photos, each and every day.
Sometimes you just have to sit it out until the people in question have moved on. Other times you’ll need a more assertive approach.
But I’m never rude and I find that it’s my open and honest personality and intuition that gets me through, more often than not.
Perhaps a simple, but firm explanation of what you’re doing and a request that they “hold on a moment before you move in front of my camera” is all that’s required.
I’ve found that, on occasions, it can help to take responsibility for the problem.
To that end I have no problem ensuring the words sorry and thank you are part of what it is I have to say.
But there are times when certain people, for whatever reason, simply want to be difficult.
In such cases I’ve found it’s often best to take the circus out of town by simply smiling, lowering my head, in a slightly submissive manner, and walking away.
After I’ve gone the crowd, more often than not, dissipates leaving the site free for me to return and make my photos, unimpeded in a relatively stress free manner.
With my mind clear, more interesting results are achieved. That makes it all worthwhile and reinforces my opinion that good manners still matter.
Large brass knobs and red door at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing.
How to Control The Space In Which You Make Photos
My wanderings around the Temple of Heaven brought me to this doorway and I very much wanted to make a photo that showcased the symbolism embodied within this imposing structure.
Composition goes a long way to making good photos. Notice how the composition in this photo is underpinned by color, shape and line.
Regarded as the national color of China, red is quite obviously the dominant color in this photo. An important hue in Chinese culture, red is used to symbolize prosperity, good fortune, luck or joy.
Of course, the deep cultural significance of the color red was not lost on the Communist Party of China when they incorporated it into the nation’s flag to symbolize the Chinese Communist Revolution.
Yellow is another important color in Chinese culture. In Buddhism, yellow symbolizes freedom from worldly cares and spiritual enlightenment.
In Chinese philosophy, the color yellow represents the centre of the universe and, by extension, planet earth’s role as a point of balance in the cosmos.
Considered the color of royalty, yellow has long been associated with the emperor and his pivotal role between heaven and earth.
As far as shape is concerned, the red colored doors and wall are divided into square and rectangular shapes. But it’s the shape of those large, yellow rounded studs, leading the eye towards the centre of the image, that really stand out.
The fact that those studs are aligned in two distinct diagonal lines adds a lovely flow and a gentle dynamic energy to the image. It’s a very different energy to that of the vertical and horizontal lines evident in other photos throughout this post.
But photos have their own reality.
The fact is the studs on the left door are placed to form horizontal lines, just as you can see with the studs on the right hand side of the frame.
It’s my use of a wide-angle lens, up close and on the left hand side of the scene, that’s distorted the image to create a sense of greater space and exaggerated perspective on the left of the frame.
But it works, adding drama and a greater sense of space and depth to the image.
True to form, no sooner had I brought my fancy pants camera out than the hordes descended, standing in front of me, to make photo after photo.
Not only that, but there was also a pretty constant stream of tourists moving through the open doorway in the centre of the photo.
After waiting for about 10 minutes, I decided to move away and look for other things to photograph.
Sure enough, not long after I’d gone, the crowd had moved on and I was able to return to make a photo, very quickly, before a new crowd of local tourists pushed in on the action.
I’m patient and I do try hard not to hog a location or block anyone’s passage through a space.
I’II usually wait it out in the hope that the crowd will move on. But after many years of photographing under these conditions I’ve developed a pretty good sense of the mood and intentions of the crowd and how that day’s likely to proceed.
Somedays you know you just can’t wait them out and the best option is to move on. If you’re lucky you’ll get to the next site before the crowd catches up to you.
Needless to say the advice I’m providing in this post is based upon many years of travel photography experience, mostly as an individual wandering the world at my own pace.
While you’ll likely get to and through more places on a group tour, the timetables and kinds of organized experiences offered may make it hard to find the kind of chill time I’m describing.
One thing I often do, particularly when traveling around countries where English is not widely spoken, is to take a local guide with me. I might only do so for a few days at a time, but sometimes I’II engage a guide for a significant portion of my adventure.
I’ve found local guides to be tremendously helpful getting me around and helping ensure I have permission to photograph all manner of people, objects and sites I encounter on my travels.
Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country and I remember speaking with a local guide I’d met around dusk on Christmas Eve.
He said he had no work over the Christmas period and, as the day held no personal significance for him, I contracted him for an interesting one day project.
We were in a village near the shores of the beautiful Inle Lake and I asked him if he could organise access for me to visit and photograph the four oldest people in the village.
He said he could and, true to his word, he did.
It was a great little project and I was thrilled to meet and photograph these local people, who’s ages ranged from 73 to 97 years of age.
What a fantastic experience, and one that’s a long way from what you might expect from a large group tour.
Mind you, most group tours include one or two free days in their schedule. They’re the days when most folks sleep in or do some shopping.
Fine, but if you’re a keen photographer, you might be able to organize a little adventure of your own. One where you’re able to make use of local knowledge and you’re own time to undertake a unique travel project.
For example, if you’re a school teacher, you might enjoy visiting a local school and photographing the kids, classroom and teacher while you’re there. I did this in Myanmar and it was a really fantastic experience.
These kind of images are great to share online, with your own students or with local service groups back home that might be interested in providing financial support to schools in developing countries.
When Good Manners Desert Us: Aussie Behaving Badly
Sometimes I’ve traveled during times when geopolitical tensions are particularly tense. I’ve spoken in a way to ensure folks know I’m an Aussie and, for the most part, it’s proven helpful to do so.
Mind you, Aussies don’t always make the best nor most respectful tourists.
I can remember being really embarrassed by the behavior of a bunch of Aussie tourists, flying back from Bali to Australia. While the airline was an Australian carrier, the flight attendants I noticed were all Indonesian.
After witnessing the less than optimal behavior of my Aussie compatriots, I approached several of the fight attendants and apologized.
They were really warm and friendly people and I quickly discovered that they each spoke 3 or 4 languages and had numerous university qualifications.
What really irritated me was that, despite working for an Australian airline, and spending their working life caring for passengers traveling to and from Australian cities, they were not paid anything like colleagues with the good fortune to have Australian citizenship.
Green Chinese characters and red wall at the Temple of Heaven, Beijing.
Keeping Order By Moving in Close to Make Your Photos
While exploring the Temple of Heaven I noticed this beautiful, highly textured sign mounted upon a red wall. The vivid green colored Chinese characters really stood out against the red wall.
Likewise, I love the luminous quality of the wood and how the warm/cool color contrast between the Chinese characters and the wall make for a dramatic composition.
Before the crowd arrived I moved in close to the sign and made my photo. I was finished and on my way within a minute or two.
One advantage of moving close, as opposed to simply zooming in, is that you make it hard for folks to walk in front of you.
If they want to make their own photo they’ll have to do so from behind you or, and here’s a radical concept, show good manners and wait until you’re finished.
Likewise, by photographing nice and close to the subject in question, folks will feel uneasy about walking in front of you.
The natural thing would be for them to walk behind you. And, nine out of ten times, that’s exactly what they’ll do.
This technique works brilliantly when photographing street art, particularly when you want to document lots of individual works along a laneway wall.
What’s more, by moving in close you’ll often have to resort to a wide-angle focal length to fit the subject matter into a composition. Doing so tends to exaggerate line, shape and perspective, particularly when photographing side on to the subject.
As stated previously, this approach will often result in more visually dynamic images and I encourage you to try it out for yourself.
In fact I’ve written a special blog post titled Abstraction Photography - The Guide which I’m sure you’ll find to be a fascinating read.
It’s such a simple technique that will allow you to make your photos more quickly and without too much fuss. It may also make the whole experience of making photos in busy locations much more enjoyable.
I know it has for me, and I sure hope it does for you as well.
Conclusion: Why Doing the Right Thing Matters
I’m convinced that, like me, you’ll find the process of making photos so much more rewarding when you focus on beauty and, despite difficulties introduced by other people, maintain a positive attitude and mindset.
I certainly believe that it’s important to seek out beauty, to take a nimble and agile approach to your photography and to be respectful when doing so.
Be polite and treat people around you with respect and, more often than not, they’ll respond in kind.
Photography doesn’t need to be a combative process. It should be fun but, sometimes, you’ve got to earn your fun. And it all starts with mindset and the reasons why you’re making photos in the first place.
When it comes to travel photography, you often journey a very long way to reach destinations that promise excitement, beauty and truly meaningful experiences.
But all of that is at risk in busy, crowded environments when you’re ability to cope with the chaos may be overcome by the aggressive nature of the crowds in which you find yourself immersed.
The best advice I can give is to stay positive and calm and, when interacting with people around you, be polite and friendly and let good manners ensure you stay above the turmoil that surrounds you.
Not only will you have a more enjoyable time, you’ll most likely return with better photos from your travels.
