New Zealand tells tourists to stop copying other people's travel photos
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I suspect the real issue is that popular social media spots are being over-run with social media wannabes.
That'd be my guess as well.
With a limited number of places where you can stop and not be in the middle of the highway, the vantage points are inherently limited. If picturesque pull-out points have parking, it creates spots that invite hundreds of thousands 'lood alike' photos,where only the people in the photo are different.. When you go to places and need to "Stay on the trails", the variety is inherently limited.
When we were on South Is New Zealand and drove around for 10 days, there were countless times when I wished there was a place to stop to take a photo.
It seems unrealistic and poorly thought out to simply implore, "Don't take the same photos, folks!"
When we were on South Is New Zealand and drove around for 10 days, there were countless times when I wished there was a place to stop to take a photo.
It seems unrealistic and poorly thought out to simply implore, "Don't take the same photos, folks!"
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I'm gonna channel my inner @Vaughn right now. It might also be a message of exploration. Perhaps the tourism board is trying to say "Hey! There's more to NZ than just these places! Go spend money in this town, or that town and see what they have to offer as well!"
Indeed, true. Every country has its 'classic tourist photo' locations, and there are very many beautiful things to see and interesting things to do OUTSIDE of those classic locations. Many days of our most memorable times in the Czech Republic were far from Prague. And it was a great relief to get away from all the tourists in that city. That comment remains true, no matter what countries we visit...get OUT of the city!
My prior comments about few places to stop for photos along the highway remain true, nonetheless. Regardless of which country!
My prior comments about few places to stop for photos along the highway remain true, nonetheless. Regardless of which country!
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MattKing
Moderator
I think that there might be just a little bit of "tongue-in-cheek" involved in a video that features a uniformed member of the "Social Observation Squad" 
Very amusing It might be nice to hear a New Zealander's take on this video. Is this a New Zealand Tourist Board film or the equivalent of a true Aussie video with Dame Edna in it or Adolf berating his top brass for arranging a conference at the Four Seasons Landscaping Centre 
I harbour great suspicions about the whole thing
pentaxuser
I harbour great suspicions about the whole thing
pentaxuser
That's hilarious. Almost Python.
Yes New Zealand looks like paradise no matter where you point your lens.
Yes New Zealand looks like paradise no matter where you point your lens.
The last words.
"Roger". "No, this is David".
"Roger". "No, this is David".
I love this ad, posted it on my FB feed. 
Clearly not aimed at the majority of members on this site. However, I teach 18-22 year olds and can tell you that all they do is Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok (and Line, but that's Japan only). They love going to cafes to take photos of food or drinks to post on Instagram (and often don't eat or drink said products because they are too high in calories...). They use Instagram to figure out where they want to travel. The old school ways of figuring out a travel itinerary (guidebook, google search) are not what younger people use, or even think to use. And the problem is that some sites are quite fragile and have been damaged by Instagrammers doing whatever they want in order to get the shot. Farmers in France have taken to putting up big ugly billboards in their lavender fields in order to deter the hundreds, if not thousands of people that go tramping through their crops and ruining them. There's even been a push on social media NOT to list the locations of these kinds of sites in order to help minimize the amount of people that will go there.
However, the lens could easily be turned to regular photography as well - we have more cliches than we can shake a stick at. Even though we don't usually put ourselves in the photo, does that make us much different than the Instagrammers?
Clearly not aimed at the majority of members on this site. However, I teach 18-22 year olds and can tell you that all they do is Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok (and Line, but that's Japan only). They love going to cafes to take photos of food or drinks to post on Instagram (and often don't eat or drink said products because they are too high in calories...). They use Instagram to figure out where they want to travel. The old school ways of figuring out a travel itinerary (guidebook, google search) are not what younger people use, or even think to use. And the problem is that some sites are quite fragile and have been damaged by Instagrammers doing whatever they want in order to get the shot. Farmers in France have taken to putting up big ugly billboards in their lavender fields in order to deter the hundreds, if not thousands of people that go tramping through their crops and ruining them. There's even been a push on social media NOT to list the locations of these kinds of sites in order to help minimize the amount of people that will go there.
However, the lens could easily be turned to regular photography as well - we have more cliches than we can shake a stick at. Even though we don't usually put ourselves in the photo, does that make us much different than the Instagrammers?
Aye -- that's New Zealand all the way...very clever. I have been to that spot of the "Summit Spread Eagle". I got a decent image with the 4x5. I tried to ride my bicycle all the way to the top...got about 1/4 of the way and hoofed the rest on the little-used track. That was early 1987, before The Lord of the Rings, cell phones and social media.
In southern Chile, my boys took me to a spot....a bit of a hike to it, it was early in our trip and it helped to get me in shape. Turned out to be one of these mega-photographed places with a special built ramp:
My son Alex....
Oh...and one of Mount Doom...
In southern Chile, my boys took me to a spot....a bit of a hike to it, it was early in our trip and it helped to get me in shape. Turned out to be one of these mega-photographed places with a special built ramp:
My son Alex....
Oh...and one of Mount Doom...
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OP
OP
I am happy that members are enjoying the post.
It is a push for more domestic tourism, since international travel is down or nonexistent.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/...d-tourists-photos.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/05/...d-tourists-photos.html?searchResultPosition=1
I think it does. The social media "influencers" are self serving and only concerned with likes and followers and therefore rarely have respect for anything or anyone other than themselves. I don't think that's the same in traditional photography.
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Cute video - We should adopt that policy here in this country before it's too late. Either that, or put up signs warning about rabid wolverines at overtly popular trailheads. I do warn people about carnivorous deer on popular trails around here.
Vaughn - there was a new second PBS documentary about Torre del Paine pumas on a few nights ago, which had way more footage of the weather and peaks themselves than the first version. The highly skilled cameraman must have endured a lot of wind and cold himself, for months on end. I'm sitting there still with horrible shoulder bursitis thinking brrrr.... I did reprint a couple of my own ole glacier negs not long ago, but take my weekly camera walks only on the warmest days due to that sensitive shoulder. When my nephew did the first ascent of the face of Escudo in Paine (twice as high as EL Cap, overhung to 110 degrees, and below zero the whole time) he titled the feature article, Twenty Days of Paine, with the stipulation it be pronouned as "Pain"). He did his travel feature of New Zealand beginning with the Mt Cook traverse. No scenic turnouts up there. Knife-edged ridge most of the way.
Now his kids are that age. I'm beginning to think my ice axe days might be over. I'll be happy just backpacking with a view camera through my 70's. If that ends prematurely, there's always the Texas Leica and 120 film.
Vaughn - there was a new second PBS documentary about Torre del Paine pumas on a few nights ago, which had way more footage of the weather and peaks themselves than the first version. The highly skilled cameraman must have endured a lot of wind and cold himself, for months on end. I'm sitting there still with horrible shoulder bursitis thinking brrrr.... I did reprint a couple of my own ole glacier negs not long ago, but take my weekly camera walks only on the warmest days due to that sensitive shoulder. When my nephew did the first ascent of the face of Escudo in Paine (twice as high as EL Cap, overhung to 110 degrees, and below zero the whole time) he titled the feature article, Twenty Days of Paine, with the stipulation it be pronouned as "Pain"). He did his travel feature of New Zealand beginning with the Mt Cook traverse. No scenic turnouts up there. Knife-edged ridge most of the way.
Now his kids are that age. I'm beginning to think my ice axe days might be over. I'll be happy just backpacking with a view camera through my 70's. If that ends prematurely, there's always the Texas Leica and 120 film.
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The last words.
"Roger". "No, this is David".
Shirley, that is not correct?
Drew -- I'll leave that stuff to my son, Bryce. I did enough crazy stuff in my life already. Semi-crazy is fine with me...just hoping to fit in more seasons of backpacking, too.
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I think you'd be justified; it's a willow, which is an environmental weed in NZ. Though the local tour operators wouldn't be happy!
Must have missed that tree back in the 80s...dang.
Seems like just about every park or place has its photographically endowed 'thing' that makes it to everyone's must-do list; Half Dome, Old Facefull. When I was an artist-in-residence in Zion, I was asked if I had photographed 'the tree' yet by one of the entrance rangers...they get asked about the locations of such things (by the GPS impaired) all the time.
What is wonderful is when someone like Ted Orland makes an "One and a Half Domes" type image. He inspired the below image..."Mistaking the Map for the Territory".
Seems like just about every park or place has its photographically endowed 'thing' that makes it to everyone's must-do list; Half Dome, Old Facefull. When I was an artist-in-residence in Zion, I was asked if I had photographed 'the tree' yet by one of the entrance rangers...they get asked about the locations of such things (by the GPS impaired) all the time.
What is wonderful is when someone like Ted Orland makes an "One and a Half Domes" type image. He inspired the below image..."Mistaking the Map for the Territory".
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Never heard of that tree before, but looking at Bing images, it's a fine anchor for widely varying time of day, seasonal, sky, and weather conditions. I would love a chance at it.
OP
OP
It is just a tree. Interesting shape. So are many others. Next.
Eiffel Tower...Empire State Building...Golden Gate Bridge.....all felony offenses.
Should be a mandatory 5 year prison sentence.
And the unmissable leaning tower of Pisa, that the subject is inevitably trying to keep from falling.
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