To Post A Pic Or Not To Post. That Is The Question

[+LV Hiker]

I just logged my first benchmarks yesterday and have a quick question. When there is already a photo of the benchmark am I suppose to post another to verify that I was actually there?

 

I went ahead and posted the photos when I logged my benchmarks but it did seem pretty redundant to post practically the same photo. If you check my profile and look at the benchmarks I found you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

Seeing as with a benchmark there's no logbook to sign maybe a photo of me with the benchmark or my GPSer near the benchmark would have been a better idea.

 

Anyway I'll keep an eye on your replys and log my next ones more accordingly.

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

You'll find as many opinions about your actions about as there are benchmarkers.

 

Personally, I like to take pictures of all the marks I visit and post them. Even the marks have been found before and the pictures posted. It adds a certain validity to my find and log. Taking a picture of you and/or your GPSr with the benchmark is a perfect way of 'signing the logbook' that cannot be disputed. You were there. That's not to say that a find logged without a picture is invalid, pictures just help validate them. There are many finds with no pictures.

Edited February 24, 2004 by Kewaneh & Shark

[+Rich in NEPA]

It does tend to take away much of the challenge when a station has already been found and logged, but in those cases I try to give myself a new challenge by finding and adding some information to the recovery that the previous finder missed. For example, even though my photos may be similar to what's already posted, I will attempt to provide a different view or include different reference objects. You'll find that most benchmark hunters are not willing to spend a lot of time or effort at the station. Sometimes they'll post only a close-up of the mark and do not provide orientation views. Sometimes they will log a reference mark instead of locating and logging the station mark itself, or they fail to locate all of the reference marks. Also, I like to carefully check the older historical “to reach” directions and note any changes (for up-to-date directions, road names, highway numbers, the existence of witness posts, blazes on trees, fence lines, etc.) as necessary, and I try to provide measurements and bearings from any new reference objects. Believe it or not, things change significantly in an area over time and there's always something useful that you can discover and describe which makes your visit and your logs/photos unique. In this way even subsequent visitors to a benchmark can feel that they've made an important contribution.

 

Cheers ...

[+Black Dog Trackers]

LV Hiker -

 

My opinion is that the photography isn't an absolute requirement, nor is having a camera. If you say you were there, we'll believe you. There have been 1 or 2 cases of someone faking, but generally the idea is to find the marks, update their location instructions, and to take a good/useful picture or two, not to take a picture only to prove you were there.

 

On the other hand, I really like the benchmark Gallery when people take pictures with the local landscape in the background and I try to do the same. It's a big country and it's interesting to see how the different parts look. In a way, you get a pretty good idea of how a place looks from pictures near benchmarks because they are in an average place, not a famous scene.

 

I have always thought that the pictures of a benchmark with a GPSr is a bit overdone. I'd rather see a really good picture of the benchmark itself, without someone's GPS unit in it. The benchmark buddy things are fun, but get old. Even something you find on the ground nearby would be more interesting.

 

Some people take ONLY a picture of the benchmark itself, and I think that's a bit unfortunate. To most of us, benchmarks are sorta cool to look at, but if there's any usefulness to this at all, a picture of the benchmark's setting area as a locator aid is good. Plus it is fun and a challenge to try to take a really good picture that has the benchmark in view as well as some interesting scenery.

 

One important thing about a closeup disk picture is that it demonstrates that you successfully found the CORRECT marker, instead of just its reference disk, or some other nearby disk. So I take one each, a closeup of the disk and a 'setting' picture.

[+Colorado Papa]

 

One important thing about a closeup disk picture is that it demonstrates that you successfully found the CORRECT marker, instead of just its reference disk, or some other nearby disk.  So I take one each, a closeup of the disk and a 'setting' picture.

I agree wholeheartedly!

[+kc8hnz]

Regardless if someone else has posted already with a pic, I try and provide at least three pics: first a close up of the disk itself, then its setting be it in the side of a building or a monument that protrudes a bit from the ground, and finally one of the surrounding area including as many major referances as I can get into one shot. Mostly, though, I post the pics just to 'show off' what I found, I think that is one of the best parts other then the hunt itself.

[+Prairie Dog]

What if the NGS benchmark is part of a water tower or on the private property of a nearby airport or other potential target for terrorism? In the case of the water tower I took a picture from outside the security fence. What about security issues and terrorism? When is it not a good idea to post accurate coordinates, elevation, and a photo? Any feedback would be appreciated.

[+California Bear]

My brother is currently taking a photography class and went to a nearby power plant to take some photos. He snapped a few, then got into his car and started driving away. He got about a mile-and-a-half down the road when a police car and an unmarked police car pulled him over.

 

They asked him why he was taking pictures of the power plant. He explained that it for a photography assignment for school. They asked to see the assignment paper and what was in his camera bag. He asked the officer if it was illegal to take pictures of the power plant and he was told that it wasn't but it wasn't a good idea to do it. They ran his info through the computer and let him go.

 

In these times of heightened security, law enforcement is getting really jumpy about photography but you do have a right to take photographs that cannot be taken away just because someone doesn't like the photos you are taking.

 

Here is a link to a page about Photographer's Rights and includes a PDF that can be printed to carry with you as a reference:

 

Legal Handbook for Photographers

 

In this PDF is a section called Permissible Subjects. The list includes the things you were talking about: bridges and other infrastructure (water towers are infrastructure), airports, industrial and public facilities (water towers can be placed here as well). As long as you are taking a photograph from a public area (streets, sidewalks, parks, etc.), you may not be stopped from taking a photograph.

 

There are notable exceptions. Military commanders can prohibit photography of specific areas for security reasons. Near where I live is a Naval Wespons Station. The fence around the dock area has signs that indicate that photography is prohibited but the rest of the base doesn't have this signage. You also may not take photos on private propery if the property owner prohibits it but you may take pictures OF private property from a public space. The Energy Department can also prohibit photos of nuclear facilities.

 

All that being said, excercise discretion. If the nation is at Orange Alert, it would probably not be wise to be taking pictures of military facilities or other sensitive areas.

[mloser]

I agree with Rich in NEPA. There is often something to add when finding a benchmark that has already been found. Often the pic posted is only of the mark, sometimes another view will help someone else find it (although I suspect many of you are not looking at the pics prior to hunting... where is the sport in that?!) I too like to find the unfound, especially the reference marks or azumith marks, or better yet, the benchmarks that were posted as "not found" in the NGS database.

As was mentioned, a lot has usually changed since the mark was first described, so it takes some mental work to find the benchmark.