I thought it was just me.

[Shadowman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkQTadv3g7E

[NorthernFocus]

Not just you, John. I often find myself fortunate enough to be at the same place as some of those special people. The priveleged ones. One showed up while I was shooting the gannets in NZ. Assuming he must have been celebrity of some sort I took a paparazzi shot. Still haven't identified him. Maybe one of the Kiwis here can help out. I was too shy to ask for an autograph at the time.

[george013]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkQTadv3g7E

Just heard on the radio and searched for an English article. You might shoot a "how it was before pictures" for the nearby future.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...awakening.html

George

[barrydoig]

No it's not just you John. I live in New Zealand and I have photographed many of our principle tourist spots and have often seen the same problem. It will increase as tourism becomes Kiwiland's principle earner. Dan, that guy at the gannets (I know the spot) beyond the barrier is breaking the law and threatening the birds. I would politely ask him to move or report him.

[RBSinTo]

No it's not just you John. I live in New Zealand and I have photographed many of our principle tourist spots and have often seen the same problem. It will increase as tourism becomes Kiwiland's principle earner. Dan, that guy at the gannets (I know the spot) beyond the barrier is breaking the law and threatening the birds. I would politely ask him to move or report him.

The world is full of self-absorbed rectal orifices (careful choice of words to keep the ever-vigilent Mods from deleting this post) who think that anything and everything was put on this earth for their exclusive use and enjoyment, so this isn't just a photographic problem, but rather a general phenomenon that permeates all aspects of life, so don't feel picked on as a photographer.
Courtesy, good manners, and a sense that the sun doesn't shine out of an individual's aforementioned orifice are sadly gone, seemingly forever.
Robert

[NorthernFocus]

...Dan, that guy at the gannets (I know the spot) beyond the barrier is breaking the law and threatening the birds. I would politely ask him to move or report him.

Taking his photo did the trick. His mother was with him(believe it or not) and called him back when she saw the camera pointed his way. The birds didn't act disturbed at all. Based on what I saw there I think they are fairly habituated to people.

At another beach area where we stayed a few days there was a NZ Dotterel nesting area taped off and with signs forbidding dogs in the area. Over the course of our stay I spent several hours around there photographing birds. I was really amazed at how many people ignored the signs etc. and walked through with dogs off leash. Having investigated(in the past) how difficult it is to bring a dog into NZ I'm fairly confident all of the dog walkers were Kiwis. I even saw a couple of lads from the surf club ride through the nesting area on an ATV.

The world is full of self-absorbed... who think that anything and everything was put on this earth for their exclusive use and enjoyment, so this isn't just a photographic problem, but rather a general phenomenon that permeates all aspects of life...

And if one studies history it's clear that it has always been thus. The only thing that has changed is population density. Which simply means there are more frequent opportunities to encounter those who are bold and/or oblivious enough to act out their self absorbed impulses. In our travels, across the USA and abroad, one thing we've learned is that people are people. Aside from minor nuances of local custom, they behave more or less the same everywhere. In many places tourists get a bad rap but in my experience most violations, defacement, graffiti, etc. is done by locals. I grew up in an area that was heavily dependent on tourism and me and my mates thought all of the crowd control barriers, parking restrictions, etc. were for the tourists but as locals we were entitled to ignore them. Demonstrating our own self-absorbed arrogance. Hopefully now somewhat tempered by age and more recently by the realization that humans are not the supreme beings on the planet.

[Thlayle]

Yes, I have had this experience too. The worst are all the "selfie" takers. None I have encountered have been too bad on their own. It's just that there's an endless stream of them. And many of them are the ones who don't respect the boundaries, but that's not always the case.

What a shame.

[pnodrog]

Once I shouted at a woman to get out of the Muriwai gannet colony. As she came across to me I noticed she was not carrying a camera but a small set of scales. It turned out she was a researcher and was authorised to be there... However she thanked me for my vigilance.

What amazes me is that people ignoring signs are often putting themselves at risk. There have been deaths at both glaciers and thermal pools where tourists have climbed over fencing/ropes to try and get a better photograph.

[Donald]

There have been deaths at both glaciers and thermal pools where tourists have climbed over fencing/ropes to try and get a better photograph.

The laws of natural selection at work!

[Manfred M]

I think the sign posters should have added "this means you!".

Frankly I have noticed it is not just the photographers, but lots of people who are wandering about looking at things as well. I've also found that certain groups, especially ones on group tours, seem to think the "do not enter" rules apply to others. I have often wondered if there are some folks that feel that they have paid a lot of money to be there, the rules don't apply. They seem to forget the other people there likely did too. Their sense of entitlement is scary and often inversely proportional to their photographic abilities.

[Donald]

Their sense of entitlement is scary and often inversely proportional to their photographic abilities.

That is so true. There must be some scientific formula that can be used to explain it. I saw this time and again in Yosemite.

[Shadowman]

That is so true. There must be some scientific formula that can be used to explain it. I saw this time and again in Yosemite.

Part of it is just imitation, part bravado, the rest is just recklessness.

[Manfred M]

Part of it is just imitation, part bravado, the rest is just recklessness.

I think you left out "stupidity".