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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What do you say when people ask you to move so they can take a photo? Not because you're standing between them and the camera but because you're standing in a place they want to take a perfect shot for their socials?

175 replies

Wreckshaw · 03/04/2025 23:23

I have never encountered this before but I had it several times today. I am on holiday and went to a very nice place for a day trip. I've been there before a few years ago and people didn't act like this then. Obviously people took photos - I take photos too. But this was different. There were small groups of two or three people in various places who were repeatedly posing, over a prolonged period, and repeatedly taking pictures - I assume for socials. When I was in the areas, they asked me to move "because it's a photo taking spot". One guy said I was "in the way" and I pointed out that I wasn't and he was perfectly free to take whatever photos he wanted just as I was free to go about my business. I was pretty taken aback to be honest and couldn't think of a better response. I'll probably just go for "fuck off, you're chatting shit" next time, but what do other people say when they encounter this vapid bullcrap?

OP posts:
ohnowwhatcanitbe · 03/04/2025 23:25

I haven't encountered this sort of thing but if I did, I suspect my inclination to tell them to fuck off would be much the same as yours!

Joolsin · 03/04/2025 23:27

I wouldn't move until I was good and ready.

Crisplet · 03/04/2025 23:27

I’d just smile my biggest smile, and say “cheese!” for the photo.

Turmerictolly · 03/04/2025 23:27

This gets on my wick too, especially if you have to wait to take a turn at a particular view and they take forever or if you’re trying to walk past a narrow path and they expect you to wait whilst they line up the shot. It’s really inconsiderate.

ThisUniqueDreamer · 03/04/2025 23:27

Since when was there anything wrong with not wanting rrandom tourists in your holiday photos

I've never ask somebody to move, but I do Wait for them to move before taking a photo. I wouldn't want photos of rude tourists That ll tell you to fuck off like the poster up thread

GetDownkeith · 03/04/2025 23:28

I live somewhere that has lots of stunning places on the doorstep and with spring here the tourists have started arriving and for the first time I’ve seen this happening.
So far I haven’t been asked to move but I’ve seen others. I have had one woman signing and shoving past me in a naice shop because I was daring to look at the stuff on sale and she was walking along filming it.
I just find it all baffling to be honest and you were not unreasonable in calling them out on it.

VapeVamp12 · 03/04/2025 23:30

Tourists spots which are super busy and everyone there wants a photo then I think fine, but yes the prolonged filming / dancing / taking the "perfect selfie" is a different level.

I don't know how these people don't feel horrifically embarrassed.

There's a big trend online at the moment of people calling out those filming in gyms. Trying to get content but lots of people don't want to be in these videos. Why do we have to film everything nowadays

TennesseeStella · 03/04/2025 23:33

I had sort of the opposite problem recently on holiday. A guy was standing in the prime spot at a scenic attraction for ages, clicking away with a massive camera. I would never have dreamed of saying anything, I just got on and took my photos with him in them. If he had been just standing there taking in the view that would have been fine but it was annoying that he was getting great photos from the best angle while stopping everyone else from doing the same!

takealettermsjones · 03/04/2025 23:34

I guess it depends if anyone was taking an unreasonable amount of time in one particular place. They can't stop you going about your business, sure, but if you were e.g. standing in front of the Mona Lisa for a solid ten minutes then I'd ask you to move too!

heroinechic · 03/04/2025 23:35

Hasn’t it always been a thing for people to take photos on holiday? When I was little my parents were always pulling out the disposable cameras (I now an have obnoxious amount of childhood holiday photos)

GreenwichPips · 03/04/2025 23:36

This happened to me in Athens last year. I was at the viewing platform at the Parthenon and a woman asked me and others to move out of the way so she could get a photo. She then hopped up onto the wall, with her arms behind her, her legs bent at the knee and her head tossed back in a “carefree” manner. She stayed there for at least five minutes while her boyfriend took pictures from various angles. Not only was she in a precarious position on the high wall but she was also spread out in such a way that she blocked the view for all the other tourists. It just looks (and is) so self-obsessed.

Vodkamartini3olives · 03/04/2025 23:37

If they asked nicely, sure no problem would be my reply.

Mnn · 03/04/2025 23:38

I have had someone tell me to get out of the way when looking at a painting in a gallery, and once in front of a historic house. On both occasions I just looked perplexed, said not a word, and turned back to look at whatever I was doing before moving on in my own time.

ASongbirdAndAnOldHat · 03/04/2025 23:39

I'm glad your thoughts were, fuck off. Because that would be mine as well.

Pandimoanymum · 03/04/2025 23:41

Well, if i'd been standing there hogging the view for ages & taking loads of photos i probably would move. But then, that wouldn't happen because I'm not one of those people who DO hog the view in the first place.
I certainly wouldn't move If I'd only been there a minute or two,
I also wouldn't ask someone to move out of the way for me, unless they'd been there an unreasonably long time. I try to just be reasonable about these things, but then I find myself seething inwardly when other people aren't being as reasonable as me 😂

StScholastica · 03/04/2025 23:43

I'm older, DH and I moved from a well known spot under blossom trees today in anticipation of youngsters taking photos.
It means a lot to them, so we got out of their way before they asked. Bless em.

chattyness · 03/04/2025 23:44

We have noticed artists popping up in all the beauty spots where we go for walks every Summer now, they set up with an easel with either paints or chalks and just block the pathway that you want to walk on totally oblivious that others want to use the space. It's the same with other tourists too, there are picnic tables all over this particular woodland walk but no,they want to set up their own cold out table and chairs and block the path so they can gaze at the waterfall while they eat.Nobody else matters it's ruddy selfish 🙄

CassiasC · 03/04/2025 23:46

God, yes. A few years ago I went on a group trip to a country that doesn’t get many tourists. Because it was relatively easy to get photos of people and places without other obvious foreigners / tourists in them, it brought out the worst in some members of the group, who felt entitled to have only ‘pristine’ shots with no boring tourists in them. As though they were in completely uncharted territory alone… By day two or three I was thoroughly fed up with being shooed out of photos and started ignoring it. The petty nonsense and general obsession with photos took the shine off the trip to be honest.

Original poster
Wreckshaw · 03/04/2025 23:52

She then hopped up onto the wall, with her arms behind her, her legs bent at the knee and her head tossed back in a “carefree” manner. She stayed there for at least five minutes while her boyfriend took pictures from various angles.

Yes, that's exactly the type of thing. I don't have socials myself but it was that kind of pose that I know they do. This is a really beautiful place and all they wanted to do was have multiple pictures of themselves pretending to enjoy it - while paying scant attention to it - with no other people anywhere in their shot. It wasn't enough that no one get between them and the camera, there couldn't be anyone present at all during these prolonged impromptu photo shoots.

And telling me I was in the way! It's the other way round - they were in my and everyone else's fucking way.

OP posts:
CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/04/2025 23:59

Wreckshaw · 03/04/2025 23:23

I have never encountered this before but I had it several times today. I am on holiday and went to a very nice place for a day trip. I've been there before a few years ago and people didn't act like this then. Obviously people took photos - I take photos too. But this was different. There were small groups of two or three people in various places who were repeatedly posing, over a prolonged period, and repeatedly taking pictures - I assume for socials. When I was in the areas, they asked me to move "because it's a photo taking spot". One guy said I was "in the way" and I pointed out that I wasn't and he was perfectly free to take whatever photos he wanted just as I was free to go about my business. I was pretty taken aback to be honest and couldn't think of a better response. I'll probably just go for "fuck off, you're chatting shit" next time, but what do other people say when they encounter this vapid bullcrap?

Depends. We were in Yosemite National Park in California last summer. Views were out of this world. Some of the viewpoints had a lot of people at them waiting to take the particularly well known type of shots eg at Glacier Point. It was extremely annoying when people stayed for absolutely ages posing for their photos when I wanted to just take one or 2 photos of the spectacular view. Without me or other people posing in it (well, maybe just ONE quick one with me in)

Another year I wanted to see the giant kissing statue in San Diego. It was early evening and not very many people about so was the ideal time to take a photo of it. Just the statue, with the view in the background, was what I wanted. There was one bloody woman just posing for ages and ages in front of it in all different posts, getting right in any shot anyone was trying to get. We couldn't hang around waiting long so I don't think I got one shot without her in it.

It's completely selfish behaviour. No-one minds people taking 30 secs or so to get selfies in front of tourist attractions or scenic viewpoints. But if there is just one person stuck in the shot ruining it for others it's selfish.

I'd included someone just sitting down at the edge of a cliff or something or sitting to have a drink on the edge of a fountain which everyone is photographing. Move out the way!!

So it depends what you were doing. If you'd just plonked yourself down for 20 mins to have a rest/have a picnic, in the EXACT same spot that everyone wants to photograph then that's selfish of you and I can understand them being annoyed at you. But if you were just trying to take a quick photo and THEY were getting in the way taking too long then they were the ones being selfish.

domesticslattern · 04/04/2025 00:01

I had this in Rome recently.
DH and I just pretended not to understand, and then did a certain amount of extremely annoying photo bombing in the background (omg the huffing). Look, you're in an art gallery love, other people have come to see the art, not you farting around in that bizarre one leg cocked stance tossing your hair.
It helps that I'm size 18, unphotogenic and at that don't-give-a-fuck stage of perimenopause.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 04/04/2025 00:03

GetDownkeith · 03/04/2025 23:28

I live somewhere that has lots of stunning places on the doorstep and with spring here the tourists have started arriving and for the first time I’ve seen this happening.
So far I haven’t been asked to move but I’ve seen others. I have had one woman signing and shoving past me in a naice shop because I was daring to look at the stuff on sale and she was walking along filming it.
I just find it all baffling to be honest and you were not unreasonable in calling them out on it.

Surely the only reponse is "Oh sorry, I didn't see the sign on the door saying the shop was closed for a photoshoot? Oh, wait, it isn't. And I'm shopping. It is a shop after all. So......"

Original poster
Wreckshaw · 04/04/2025 00:07

domesticslattern · 04/04/2025 00:01

I had this in Rome recently.
DH and I just pretended not to understand, and then did a certain amount of extremely annoying photo bombing in the background (omg the huffing). Look, you're in an art gallery love, other people have come to see the art, not you farting around in that bizarre one leg cocked stance tossing your hair.
It helps that I'm size 18, unphotogenic and at that don't-give-a-fuck stage of perimenopause.

This is fantastic. I'll definitely photo bomb when I encounter it again. I may well carry a couple of inflatable comedy props along with my pack lunch for the purpose.

OP posts:
PyongyangKipperbang · 04/04/2025 00:12

Saw a great vid on FB of some vapid idiot posing in a swimming pool, photo after fucking photo and yelling at anyone who dared to use the pool for its intended use. So this guy bombed them, there was water everywhere, her hair and perfect make up were soaked and she was incandescent! It was hilarious and the perfect response imo!

Warmingsunshine · 04/04/2025 00:18

I've never encountered this, thank goodness.
But if anyone asked me to move just so they could take photos my response to them would be " Who the hell do you think you are???".
Behaviour like that described by some pp would really rile me up.