"photo of you (and your GPS)"

[+JL_HSTRE]

This is sort of a broad topic as it applies to some old Virtual caches, used to apply to some Earthcaches, applies to many Challenges and Waymarks, and applies to some Virtuals on other geocaching websites.

 

I often geocache solo - probably more than half the time. On a 2 1/2 week trip this month, I got 50+ caches (and assorted Waymarks and Challenges) nearly all of them by myself. I did have my camera on this trip, but often when geocaching I don't have it. I don't own a tripod for the camera. I do have a GPS, but sometimes I just cache with my Droid smartphone. So most of the time I can't take a photo with me in the picture and often I can't take a photo with my GPS either because the camera is the GPS (my smartphone).

 

I've generally ignored any specifications that myself or my GPS appear in the photo. I've never armchair logged and I log my caches in order on the date I found them so it's clear I was actually caching in the area that day. In my logs I'll sometimes note I was by myself. But I received a complaint from a CO after I logged 3 of his Virtuals on my trip this month; I posted photos for all 3 as required, but only 1 photo had me in the picture. He let the logs stand, but asked that I follow the logging requirements in the future.

 

1) Have you had an issue with CO's nitpicking your photos because they were missing you and/or your GPS?

 

2) If you have had an issue or otherwise do not wish to appear in your photos for whatever reason, what's your solution? Put a signature item in the photo as your stand-in?

[+Viajero Perdido]

I would just skip caches where I can't meet the requirements, or if I don't want my picture on the internet.

 

There are plenty of others.

[Andronicus]

I am in the same boat as you. I usualy just do the best I can (which is usualy a picture of me at the site, sans GPS), and log the cache. If the CO has a problem, they can contact me. So far, I have never had an issue.

[+Max and 99]

I would just skip caches where I can't meet the requirements, or if I don't want my picture on the internet.

 

There are plenty of others.

 

I am in agreement with Viajero Perdido, but I have also taken a photo of my signature item with the "place" instead of myself. I have never had a CO question my logs on a virtual or a waymark. Ever. I can understand that the CO wants to make sure YOU were there on a virtual, but with so many people caching alone, and gps's in the phone, I think this is an issue that needs to be addressed by the community.

 

Requirements to have the gps unit in the photos is so outdated, with some few exceptions like proof of coordinates.

[+MartyBartfast]

I'm often in a similar situation as I sometimes cache with just my Blackberry. It's always possible to take a photo by holding a phone at arms length, it might not win you any prizes in a photo comp but it should be good enough for a cache. Alternatively there's usually something (a rock/tree/log/wall....) where you can balance the phone to take a picture on a timer. As for getting the GPS in the picture, that's never gonna happen unless you also carry around a mirror, but COs should be used to the fact that many people now use smartphones as their GPS and camera so shouldn't have a problem with that.

To specifically answer your 2 questions:

 

1) No.

 

2) If you don't want to be in the picture: pull a cap down over your head/face; look away from the camera; just stick part of you (hand,foot...) in the frame; take a picture of your hat/coat/walking pole/rucksack....

[+Snoogans]

 

1) Have you had an issue with CO's nitpicking your photos because they were missing you and/or your GPS?

 

2) If you have had an issue or otherwise do not wish to appear in your photos for whatever reason, what's your solution? Put a signature item in the photo as your stand-in?

 

#1 Nope. Never had a problem.

 

#2 I use a personal trackable:

 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

This is sort of a broad topic as it applies to some old Virtual caches, used to apply to some Earthcaches, applies to many Challenges and Waymarks, and applies to some Virtuals on other geocaching websites.

 

I often geocache solo - probably more than half the time. On a 2 1/2 week trip this month, I got 50+ caches (and assorted Waymarks and Challenges) nearly all of them by myself. I did have my camera on this trip, but often when geocaching I don't have it. I don't own a tripod for the camera. I do have a GPS, but sometimes I just cache with my Droid smartphone. So most of the time I can't take a photo with me in the picture and often I can't take a photo with my GPS either because the camera is the GPS (my smartphone).

 

I've generally ignored any specifications that myself or my GPS appear in the photo. I've never armchair logged and I log my caches in order on the date I found them so it's clear I was actually caching in the area that day. In my logs I'll sometimes note I was by myself. But I received a complaint from a CO after I logged 3 of his Virtuals on my trip this month; I posted photos for all 3 as required, but only 1 photo had me in the picture. He let the logs stand, but asked that I follow the logging requirements in the future.

 

1) Have you had an issue with CO's nitpicking your photos because they were missing you and/or your GPS?

 

2) If you have had an issue or otherwise do not wish to appear in your photos for whatever reason, what's your solution? Put a signature item in the photo as your stand-in?

 

I also almost exclusively Geocache and do Challenges alone as well and have commented on the "take a photo of yourself or your GPS" requirement in the context of Challenges (that the Challenges forum).

 

I've never armchaired a cache or challenge either and I know when I have found a cache (or completed a challenge) and when I didn't so I've also never posted a Found It or Completed log when I know that I didn't "find the cache" or complete the challenge.

 

In the case of virtual caches, I suppose the point of posting a photo with with yourself or your GPS in the photo is to provide evidence that you did, in fact, visit the location. Granted, arm chair logging does exists, but I tend to believe that most geocachers are honest and if some posts a found it log on a virtual, and the photo they provide doesn't includes themselves in the photo, that they actually did visit the location. Apparently, however, there are some that want to be absolutely sure that someones isn't getting an additional smiley face they did not deserve. I haven't had any issues when I took a photo at a virtual when I wasn't in the photo but I've tried an "arms length" photo a few times and the results are not very good.

 

However, in the case of Challenges, I don't quite understand why nearly every challenge requires us to be in the photo. Since challenge completions do not count as finds, I think that there is way too much emphasis on having others prove that they completed a challenge, so that only those meeting the criteria will get "credit" for completion and presumably have their "Challenges Completed" count incremented by one.

 

Suppose there is a "take a picture yourself of a waterfall" challenge. Yes, I could complete that challenge by trying to take a picture of myself with my camera held at arms length and the waterfall in the background (and likely out of focus) and get credit for completing the challenge. Without the requirement of me (or my GPS) being in the photo I could likely take a much better photo. As I've said before, to me, it's not about how many challenges one completes, but about how one completes challenges. I'd much rather see a few nicely framed photos with a brief description of the experience of how the challenge was completed, then a bunch of logs with nothing more than "challenge completed" and a quickly snapped out of focus photo because that was all one was obligated to do to get credit for the completion.

 

Yes, there are some that are going to armchair challenges and upload photos they've downloaded from the internet but, that effects no one other than the integrity of the person doing it.

[+hzoi]

 

1) Have you had an issue with CO's nitpicking your photos because they were missing you and/or your GPS?

 

2) If you have had an issue or otherwise do not wish to appear in your photos for whatever reason, what's your solution? Put a signature item in the photo as your stand-in?

 

#1 Nope. Never had a problem.

 

#2 I use a personal trackable:

 

 

So, you're saying that's not what you look like in real life?

 

I follow it for virtuals, they're still allowed to have that rule. I have a separate camera, and I either take a picture of the better looking half of hzoi (preferred) or flip it around and take a self portrait (not always the prettiest result but it gets the job done).

 

For earthcaches, in January 2011, photos were no longer allowed for proof of finding earthcache logs unless they actually contribute to the learning process of the cache. So, at least 4 out of 5 times when I see this, it's an older earthcache that predates the rule change and just hasn't been updated. (The other 20% of the time, it's optional, but worded in a way that still makes it appear mandatory.) Sometimes I take the photo, sometimes I don't, but every time I see this, I notify the cache owner that they can't require photos anymore.

 

Of the 15 earthcaches we found this weekend, 13 still required photos (2 said "please"). I let each owner know of the updated requirements. Looks like two have updated their caches so far.

[+secretagentbill]

I've run into this problem a time or two. When I lost my GPS and replaced it with an Oregon 500, it has a built in camera and I was using that for taking caching photos, but of course the GPS can't be in the photo. Now that I have an iPhone, I sometimes use it and have the same problem.

 

Sometimes you can find a window or mirror. Then you might be able to get some of the location and a reflection of you and your phone/GPS/camera.

 

Another one that might work is to use your shadow to project you and your phone/GPS/camera onto the location.

 

But if the CO is going to email you to scold you about not being in the photo, they just might not like the shadow / reflection idea... But really the only reason they want to see the GPS is probably to know that you were there for caching and not pulling an old vacation photo or Google Image. So holding a trackable or one of my wooden nickels should be fine.

[AZcachemeister]

I own one virtual, and a photo of yourself at the site is one of the three ways to 'verify' your visit to the site.

Many cachers have posted pictures that were not of themselves at the site.

As far as I can tell, all such photos were unique, so I have had no reason to question anyone's visit to the site.

If it ever looks like anyone has copied someone else's picture, I wouldn't hesitate to delete that log.

[+terrkan78]

I would sigh and skip the virtual that demanded a photo of me, for the very reason that I don't want to receive an e-mail from a peeved CO. It's the reason why I almost always skip webcams and earthcaches (I know earthcaches can no longer require photos of me, but most that I come across have it listed as either a requirement or a strongly worded request - I don't want to irritate the CO by ignoring their "requirement"/request, but neither do I want my photo on there).

 

I like the idea of using an item in place of me in the photo - I've never noticed that being done. I might try that.

[+lamoracke]

always ways of disguising yourself...take a picture of you standing away from the camera with your GPS out. Maybe have your hood drawn. Have your face disguised by a statue or another cacher's hands. I think I have done a pretty good of this during my cache. It started as a joke at first, but have kept up the tradition throughout my caching time, sort of Mr Wilson from Home Improvement.

 

Wish the virtual challenge pics would show in our galleries.

[+kunarion]

2) If you have had an issue or otherwise do not wish to appear in your photos for whatever reason, what's your solution? Put a signature item in the photo as your stand-in?

I did such a cache on vacation last year. It requires a photo of the cacher and answering some questions, including hypothesizing, in one's own words, why the river flows through the sand at the angle it does. I didn't want to do any of that, so I said so, and posted some nice photos of the spot, mentioned how nice the place was, and thanked them for the cache, for my DNF log.

[+jellis]

I try to get myself in the pictures for virtuals. But since Earthcaches can't require you to have yourself or gps in the picture, I do them sometimes but I am always at the locations.

I have rings on my thumbs that are pretty distinct and was once challenged on it. Not for a cache but for a picture in a magazine article about caching. I raised my hand and they saw the rings were mine in the picture.

Edited May 30, 2012 by jellis

[+Ambrosia]

I hate how pictures taken at arm length look, but I've had to do it. I did an Earthcache without a gps, so I just took a picture of myself with my camera. Didn't have any issues, but I know the owner, so no problem.

 

I know you can't require pictures for Earthcaches anymore, but I usually take my picture, anyway. Most of the owners in this state haven't seemed to have caught up with the photo change yet, and I don't want to get into an argument if I don't have to. Of course, maybe I should, to help educate them.

[+OZ2CPU]

today the ONLY camera people got with them in the field is the one inside the GPS or their phone.

so taking a picture of the GPS/phone you are using is hard to do..

 

when you visit a special requirement cache / virtual / challenge

and if one IMPORTANT part of the task is a PICTURE,

why not PREPARE and bring correct equipment for the job ?

and perform the photo task exactly as required in the assignment ???

ok the main goal is often just to veryfy you have been there..

But a cool performed picture is alot more fun for you to do, and later for you to look at

and also for others to look at, and see if they can top it :-)

remember the main part of this hobby is to have as much FUN as possible, not to get a higher score of finds.

[+JL_HSTRE]

when you visit a special requirement cache / virtual / challenge

and if one IMPORTANT part of the task is a PICTURE,

why not PREPARE and bring correct equipment for the job ?

and perform the photo task exactly as required in the assignment ???

 

At least for me, the specific wording of a photo requirement (or if the requirement is a photo vs answering questions) is usually not known to me until I pull up the cache page at the location.

[+jellis]

With all the talk about what you take with you when you cache, and with smartphones and digital cameras, I wonder why anyone wouldn't have a camera of some kind with them. You can get some for under $100.

Edited May 30, 2012 by jellis

[cezanne]

With all the talk about what you take with you when you cache, and with smartphones and digital cameras, I wonder why anyone wouldn't have a camera of some kind with them. You can get some for under $100.

 

I do own a camera, but I only take it with me for geocaching at special occasions. In particular, when going for a bicycle trip, I do not want to have too much to carry and too much to worry about when ending up in heavy rain. Also when going for longer hikes, I try to avoid items that are not necessary. As I am not enjoying taking photos that much, a camera does not belong to my standard equipment.

 

Cezanne

Edited May 30, 2012 by cezanne

[+Max and 99]

today the ONLY camera people got with them in the field is the one inside the GPS or their phone.

 

 

A slight exaggeration, but I know what you mean. I use a designated camera.

[+dprovan]

You pays your money, you takes your chances. If you don't want to follow their rules, then you should expect some complaints. No big deal either way. Personally, if I absolutely wasn't going to follow their rules, I just wouldn't bother to log the find, but you can continue daring them if you want.

[+Harry Dolphin]

You pays your money, you takes your chances. If you don't want to follow their rules, then you should expect some complaints. No big deal either way. Personally, if I absolutely wasn't going to follow their rules, I just wouldn't bother to log the find, but you can continue daring them if you want.

 

Ya hit the nail on the head. If you cannot meet the requirements, why bother? If the EarthCache tells you to take the water temperataure, and you neglected to bring along a thermometer, don't complain. If you need to take a photo, bring a camera. And stop complaining.

[+Ambrosia]

I have a camera surgically implanted to myself. But I don't always have a gps.

[+lakeman&tagalong]

I am not really sure why cachers should have any issues with posting a photo on a virtual or why it was an issue on the earthcaches. Yes it takes a bit of time to post it but it also takes time to do puzzles and multis. The choice to do these is made by the cacher and if they don’t feel they can comply then they should not do the cache. Cachers can choose 1-1s or 5-5s. No one forces them to do a particular hide.

We travel some and really enjoy doing earthcaches and learning a little but do look at them before downloading to see if they will be interesting or something we may not be able to complete.

We always carry a camera to virtuals and earthcaches. Most are good locations or something we want to add to our photo collection.

[Blue Square Thing]

I am not really sure why cachers should have any issues with posting a photo on a virtual or why it was an issue on the earthcaches.

 

I think the issue is more likely to be posting photos of yourself on the public internets. Some people don't want to do that - for perfectly valid reasons.

 

Personally my issue is having to post a photo of a gps - I rarely have access to one and usually don't use one. Particularly not for earthcaches and virtuals.