Article: Please Stop Tagging the Locations of Your Outdoor Photographs

[Ben Ruset]

https://fstoppers.com/originals/please-stop-tagging-locations-your-outdoor-photographs-291790

This is interesting. It looks like the photo community is starting to feel how some of us felt with posting exact coordinates to places and geocaching.

 

[bobpbx]

I agree with not giving exact locations for sensitive areas.

However, if it is a common destination like a mountain many people climb, or a lake everyone fishes, or a trail everyone uses...etc, then it's okay.

 

[Teegate]

At lest the writer admits he was guilty of it. We all have been in some way in the past. Good to see people are learning.

 

[Diablo2424]

I have a small group of friends on IG that are all pine barrens explorers and photographers, and we have a few rules we stick to.

"Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints"
"Never tag an exact location, unless it's something obvious like a marked trail in a state park, etc."

We hate graffiti, destroyed property, or when people ruin nature with their trash or even by trail blazing where they shouldn't. One more reason I joined these forums and love learning about the history of the pines, to keep it alive for future generations! (I'm 31, so I have a feeling I'm younger than some of the true history buff's around here, which makes me happy to carry on the information!)

 

[Jon Holcombe]

I am wondering if I have been too specific. I have no problem being a lot more general. And if a known member wants a location I can PM the info.

 

[bicycle tim]

About 10 years ago my knees and ankles surrendered and I gave up running for biking, pedal variety not motor. I quickly discovered the joys and beauty of the various trails and sights in the Pine Barrens. It would not be unusual to hop on the bike in the early morning and not get back home until sunset. I went to an organization on Pemberton Road and asked for trail maps and help in finding interesting sights to visit. I was basically treated as a social pariah. When I discovered this website I found descriptions and photographs of places I never knew existed. With a little research, and the much appreciated assistance of Boyd's maps, these places became discoverable and capable of being enjoyed in person, not through a website posting or photograph. In any event, my point is I hope we are not gravitating to the state of mind afflicting my friends at Pemberton Road.

 

[Teegate]

I am wondering if I have been too specific. I have no problem being a lot more general. And if a known member wants a location I can PM the info.

If anyone here had issues. I do not know about it. So basically keep on posting.

 

[Ben Ruset]

[QUOTE="Diablo2424, post: 152297, member: 2569"(I'm 31, so I have a feeling I'm younger than some of the true history buff's around here, which makes me happy to carry on the information!)[/QUOTE]

I was younger than you when I started the site. I'm 40 now. Keep on keeping on.

 

[Zach McGarvey]

I personally never understood this mentality. If you are posting a photograph publicly, and it was ok for yourself to visit the location, why should another person not be permitted to visit it as well? If someone is going to vandalize something, I feel they are going to do it without first performing internet research to seek out a location to do so. Maybe I'm being naive, but it's the way I feel. The state owns the land and offers it for public use, why should there be some kind of exclusivity of information about it?

 

[Teegate]

I personally never understood this mentality. If you are posting a photograph publicly, and it was ok for yourself to visit the location, why should another person not be permitted to visit it as well? If someone is going to vandalize something, I feel they are going to do it without first performing internet research to seek out a location to do so. Maybe I'm being naive, but it's the way I feel. The state owns the land and offers it for public use, why should there be some kind of exclusivity of information about it?

We have had this discussion here many times. The fact is there are people out there who when given the location will go there and not have the respect that most people would hope. So limiting the exact location has and will make this problem less of an issue.

 

[Teegate]

This article has line in it that pretty much sums up my opinion on this. I have summed it up by eliminating a part of the sentence.

" keep the outdoors a place of exploration and discovery?”

Basically, I believe they mean we should stop giving exact locations and let people find the places on their own. Nobody is saying you should not give the locations out, just don't post them online. It is just good practice to follow.


https://www.outsideonline.com/2160416/instagram-ruining-great-outdoors

 

[enormiss]

I appreciate locations when given. Not sure what it is but I need a destination or I don't really get out... Finding other interesting things along the way to "somewhere" is great but I need that somewhere first. Same for riding my motorcycle, and I love riding, but I don't just meander. That said I wouldn't have issue asking for a location (and hoping it was given)

 

[Teegate]

Just because I or someone else does not give a location, does not mean they or I would not pass it on individually. You just have to be prepared to either get it or not get it. That is just my feelings on this. I hope nobody takes offense to it. I have asked for locations from my friends and have not received them. I accept they don't want me to know. And the same holds true that they have asked me and I did not tell them.

 

[46er]

Basically, I believe they mean we should stop giving exact locations and let people find the places on their own.

Just because someone has the 'exact location', does not necessarily mean someone has the ability to find it. Unless it is a set of co-ords, and even then, I doubt there would be a mad rush. If a 'local' name is given then a search will probably turn up some details. The effort is commendable, but IMO a bit unrealistic, especially here in Jersey. I think 'Tagging' as it is called, is part of the social media world, other than a couple of forums I visit, it is not a world I live in.

Reading the original article, I am left with the impression that this sole individual is a bit concerned he will run out of places for himself. But I may be wrong; I usually am

 

[RednekF350]

Many of the most remote and beautiful places in the Pines were shown to me by people who have the same appreciation for the woods that I have.

Other than that, finding places on your own after perusing a good map and extracting some lat/lon using a touch modern technology is very rewarding.

 

[RednekF350]

Oh, by the way, never trust the guy who says “Look, I’ll take you to this really cool place but you can’t tell anyone and don’t ever bring anyone back there.”
How do you suppose he found it ?
I’ve been on the offering end too with a few deep woods waterfowl spots and I learned my lesson forever. Within a week, one of those spots was being hunted by the guy I took there, his son and two guys from my gun club.

 

[Ben Ruset]

When locations get posted online anybody can go there and there's no sort of gatekeeper. If it's a historic site invariably someone will want to take a souvenir, scratch their name in bricks, metal detect, tag, whatever. If it's a natural spot (ie: like a place of beauty) then people show up, they show their friends, and it becomes a destination. Eventually the path to get there becomes wider and vegetation clears out, and the site is forever changed. Look at what happened to the "beach" by the Cranberry Bog Pumping Station. It's widened out over the years.

Although I think you can argue that nearly every scenic place in the Pines has been found out by now.

If you're a member of the site and have been participating for a while you're most likely in the demographic of people who will respect these places. Then again, we gave out the location to Ace Campground (which had been abandoned for years) and it was torched a week or two later, so...

There are so many old maps online (there's a link right at the top of the page) that you can find the location of nearly every historic site (even the obscure ones) with a bit of research. That's kind of part of the fun.

 

[mollybananas]

When locations get posted online anybody can go there and there's no sort of gatekeeper. If it's a historic site invariably someone will want to take a souvenir, scratch their name in bricks, metal detect, tag, whatever. If it's a natural spot (ie: like a place of beauty) then people show up, they show their friends, and it becomes a destination. Eventually the path to get there becomes wider and vegetation clears out, and the site is forever changed. Look at what happened to the "beach" by the Cranberry Bog Pumping Station. It's widened out over the years.

Although I think you can argue that nearly every scenic place in the Pines has been found out by now.

If you're a member of the site and have been participating for a while you're most likely in the demographic of people who will respect these places. Then again, we gave out the location to Ace Campground (which had been abandoned for years) and it was torched a week or two later, so...

There are so many old maps online (there's a link right at the top of the page) that you can find the location of nearly every historic site (even the obscure ones) with a bit of research. That's kind of part of the fun.

That is terrible. My grandparents had a space at Ace. We loved camping there with them. My grandmother and I would get heavenly hash ice cream cones and chat with Pearl. Would have loved to see it again. It's ashame that people have to go and ruin places. People's memories!

 

[Teegate]

That is terrible. My grandparents had a space at Ace. We loved camping there with them. My grandmother and I would get heavenly hash ice cream cones and chat with Pearl. Would have loved to see it again. It's ashame that people have to go and ruin places. People's memories!

What can you tell us about Ace that you think we would be interested in?

 

[mollybananas]

What can you tell us about Ace that you think we would be interested in?

What would you like to know? I haven't been there in over 30 years. Was 15 years old the last time I was there. It was a simple place. Pond was in the front and a stream in the back. When you entered the bathrooms were to your right and the office/shop was to your left across from the bathrooms.