'Selfie tourism' - AIBU?

[SunflowerPosers]

This weekend I went to a beautiful sunflower field not far from where I live (NC for this as don't want it to be too outing), and I just wondered if anyone else feels the same way as me or whether I'm being too judgey and unreasonable?

There I was with my little DSLR camera trying to get some nice photos of sunflowers, and I couldn't believe the number of people who clearly thought the place existed for their own personal photo shoot.

Women (of a range of ages, not just the early 20s 'influencers') all clearly dressed up, doing 'candid' poses (where they deliberately don't look at the camera for some reason), instructing increasingly exasperated partners to take 20 more photos of them doing very similar poses. People walking around with obnoxiously large 'selfie sticks' where they've got the camera trained only on themselves the whole time, rather than just taking a moment to put their phone down and be present.

Maybe it's my age, but I don't really get it, and just think it all looks so cringeworthy. Of course, I understand wanting to get one or two photos of yourself in a nice location, but some people seem to take it to an extreme level of narcissistic behaviour.

And it seems to be common at so many places now. Go anywhere pretty, and you can barely move for the amount of people with selfie sticks. I'm half convinced that a lot of people you see on walks are only interested in getting photos of themselves to show where they've been, rather than actually enjoying walking!

Apparently there's a term for this sort of thing that I wasn't aware of, selfie tourism. People who specifically go to a location to get the perfect photo of themselves, rather than appreciating where they actually are.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this is crazy?

None of the 20 year old women I know are vain and irritating like the tourists I see out and about. Though we all met while backpacking so perhaps I just mix in those circles.

There's a difference in taking quick snaps and selfies to setting up photoshoots trying umpteen variations of poses. Generally people can keep flowing through a place for 20 seconds of photography, but people wanting photoshoots want to take more space to not have others in the background and take a prolonged time to faff about it.

If they're doing it in a safe, accessible space out of the way, there's no issue. If it's a busy place, blocking paths, or obstructing other people's access to the place, it is an issue.

20+ years ago, I used to go hill walking and take trig point photos at the top- easy enough with a timer on my old film camera. While you'd see people on the peaks it was still a bit of a niche hobby. If a place was too busy, you'd find somewhere else to park up and chanfe your plans. With insta-tourism, accessible places with nearby road passes often get overwhelmed by people wanting to pull up, have a short walk, take their insta-shots, often crowding together at times like sunset/ sunrise for maximum aesthetic appeal and leaving dangerously obstructed roads in their wake.
A related trend is "fly camping" people going "wild camping" without respect for the environment they're in, not spreading the load sustainably and failing at "leave no trace".

So you wanted to take photos and see complaining because other were, just checking my notes, ah yes, taking photos?

They’re a different type of photo but it boils down to the same thing.

@Confuuzed I mean…you’re a photographer so of course you are going to set up photoshoots.

But that’s not really what is being discussed here.

And there is a world of difference between someone having a one-off photo shoot as some sort of pick-me-up after a bad time (it wouldn’t work for me but glad it helps some), and people centring themselves as the main feature every time they visit a famous or beautiful place, often spoiling the view for others, keeping people waiting and generally being self-absorbed.

And I still believe that a focus on looking ‘stunning’ is overall quite damaging, especially to young women- because for some of them it is literally the only thing that matters. 😕

That's great. I would lean towards people thinking they are so important, little stars and must let everyone know what they are doing. They need validation.
They were probably all for sm.

Honestly OP it just sounds like you think your version of taking pictures is more "worthy" than their version of taking pictures.

I'm not at all a instagram selfie picture taken but they were enjoying the lovely field their way and you were enjoying it yours.

Your forgetting that some of these people get paid upwards of 10k a month to do this. While your over here being bitter they have paid off their mortgage

I only mentioned this in response to you saying about people who want to a nice photo of themselves:

"I don’t think this is a helpful way to try to improve one’s self-esteem. If one needs to believe they look ‘stunning’ to have value or worth in the world, they are in for a lifetime of expense and insecurity or disappointment."

Just giving an alternative view that taking photos of yourself (or having someone else take them) can be a very healthy thing to do for a person's mental health and self esteem.

OP, I presume, was not posing though .

That's as maybe, but are they actually contributing anything particularly creative, meaningful or worthwhile on these platforms? Not really. It's just sharing content for the sake of it, and a lot of it is usually for terminally online weirdo men to lust over.

The ones I really don't understand are these fake candid photos. Do people not realise a photo isn't candid if you have to instruct someone to take it?! Or that the best way of someone getting a candid photo of you is to just to take a few minutes to enjoy your surroundings, rather than getting the perfect shot for the 'gram?

Yep. Just got back from Cornwall where I made the mistake if walking through Lands End. Loads of people being photographed or filmed. I find it a bit sad but each to their own. I way too busy admiring and taking pictures of the tunning view and having a wonderful time.

When we went to Keukenof Gardens in Holland, the Chinese were climbing in the flowerbeds for their photo opportunities. Total disregard 😡

Absolutely this, the internet and social media are full of advertising crap and AI fakery and these influencers are making a fortune exploiting the stupidity of people dumb enough to consume it. But are they producing anything of value? No.

I think their days are numbered though because AI will be better at producing these sorts of images than they are soon.

Sounds great.

Presumably as this is all organised, you hire the space in question, rather than just expecting other people to move out of your way.

I swear some people are just deliberately missing the point. Taking photos of scenery is nothing like taking a million close ups of your own pouting face. What memories are being captured when it’s not even of the background? Just themselves posing. Self absorbed vain airheads.

I do hate this and wish people had more of a balance between getting one or two nice photos and enjoying the place they’ve visited. But I also find some ‘photographers’ tiresome when they take over public spaces, like those you get at a zoo or museum, blocking the view of all the kids visiting for an extended period of time to get their photos.

Nope. It's a public space. No need to hire anything.

I take 100s of photos, I love photos, mainly of animals, wildlife, flowers pets and my family. Some are shared on social media, wildlife groups or if it’s family my own page. I take loads of photos in a sunflower field. I always do, of the flowers, my family, and any bees that land on them. I also own a selfie stick but it doesn’t get used very often. What I don't do is dress up, edit them and make them look generally false, fake, and not what the actual day is about. I get where you are coming from. I’m not really into seeing fake edited photos, I would rather see the original photo which is the reality however if I want a photo with my son, I have to ask for it to be taken and pose as no one ever thinks to take one.

That's true. Only a few days ago there was a story about an influencer who appeared to be at Wimbledon, who amassed a considerable following in only a few days (from a lot of men, surprise surprise)...only for it to turn out it was AI.

Just shows how easy it is to create this sort of 'content'.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/19/influencer-who-went-viral-at-wimbledon-is-actually-ai/

So you just expect other people to get out your way?

It sounds like you were irritated by them as they made it difficult for you to set up a shot of the sunflowers without people in it. If that was the case, I get it, but it doesn’t matter what those people were doing. If a place is busy it’s difficult to get a nature shot. It doesn’t matter whether those people were taking selfies or just standing there enjoying the view. They would be in your way either way. The solution is to go back when it’s less busy so you can get your nature shots. Fwiw they might have been exasperated by you if you were taking your time setting up a shot and not getting out of the perfect spot to take a selfie! It’s just different aims, one is not better than the other.

Tell me where i said that.

"The Chinese"?

Yes, the Chinese 😳

@SunflowerPosers pretty please answer why you think this would be outing? Do you go on about it all the time in RL?