Taking Pictures of Cache acceptable?

[exquisitelyl]

I was wondering, are we allowed to take pictures of what is in the cache? Is there anything else I need to know about taking pictures of the cache and stuff?

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Its usually not a good idea to take a picture of a cache location or of a special container that the CO wants to be a surprise for those that find it. I see no problem with a picture of contents that do not reveal the above.

We take pictures of neat containers and hide techniques but we don't post them to the cache page......we post them days or weeks later to a different cache page far from where the photo was taken ( ex found this neat hide sometime ago ), this way I keep a record of these in my gallery without giving anything away ( sometimes I post them on my own cache pages ).

[+on4bam]

I was wondering, are we allowed to take pictures of what is in the cache? Is there anything else I need to know about taking pictures of the cache and stuff?

 

You can take all the pictures you want but be VERY careful with posting them. Never post any photographs that give away info on the cache location or, if it's a special kind of hide, how the container looks.

Edited January 8, 2016 by on4bam

[+Touchstone]

I would just add to the above, the following from the Terms of Use of the site:

 

You agree not to:

 

...

 

Publish on our websites the solutions, hints, spoilers, or any hidden coordinates for any geocache without consent from the geocache owner.

[Keystone]

If you find a standard container with cool contents, like a themed cache, it's fun for some people to take pictures of the trade items. If you do that, move the cache 20 feet away to a stump, log, flat rock, park bench or other surface to arrange the photo. Shoot the photo away from the direction of the hiding spot. As a cache owner I appreciate seeing photos like this, since they mislead people searching the gallery for dead giveaways. It's the "anti-spoiler"!

[+WarNinjas]

It kind of depends on the CO and the hide. If it is a really creative container then I wouldn't post a pic of it. If it is a common found container I wouldn't really worry about it. The contents should be fine. As the CO of many hides I don't worry about it. I just want the finder to have fun. If they want to post pictures I am more then happy to see them. Other CO worry more about it.

[+Bear and Ragged]

And, if it's a multi or puzzle cache, if you use a phone to take the photo the coordinates may be revealed in the photos meta data, and then available as a spoiler...

 

If photographing the contents, make sure that any Trackables tracking numbers are not shown.

[+Geeky Gal]

When I started I took pictures of all of the hides I had. I printed them out and made a photo journal. Now I sometimes upload them on tumblr or instagram. I do not put the GC code or anything about the cache. I usually just pose one of my mini Funko Pop figures with it.... I know I'm weird.

[+Tassie_Boy]

As someone who has a "different" container is say it very much varies on a cache by cache basis.

If the cache is a 1 star difficulty the sits out in the open with geocaching sockets plastered all over it then go ahead.

If it is just an ordinary plastic container that's well hidden then take it away from the gz.

BUT if it is a container camouflaged in such a way that the camouflage make up part of the hide..... I will find you ?

[+dprovan]

It kind of depends on the CO and the hide.

Because it depends on the CO and the hide, my answer to anyone asking is, "It's not appropriate to post a picture of the cache." If they're asking the question, they clearly don't have enough experience to judge whether the CO or the hide are such that they should post a picture, and they shouldn't guess.

[+WarNinjas]

It kind of depends on the CO and the hide.

Because it depends on the CO and the hide, my answer to anyone asking is, "It's not appropriate to post a picture of the cache." If they're asking the question, they clearly don't have enough experience to judge whether the CO or the hide are such that they should post a picture, and they shouldn't guess.

Very true.

[+briansnat]

A good rule of thumb is that posting photos of uniquely camouflaged containers (fake birdhouses, fake rocks, fake sprinklers, etc.) in your log is not acceptable. Similarly, posting photos of caches sitting in their hiding places is a no go. As for run of the the mill cache containers, snap away, but take measures to ensure that that the background doesn't pinpoint the hiding place.

 

As a cache owner some of my favorite log photos are of happy finders holding my cache. I've also posted hundreds of photos of cache containers over the years and have yet to have a single cache owner object.