Whether to share locations in landscape photography is a frequent topic of discussion in landscape photographer communities. People get frustrated when they ask where a photo was taken and the photographer won’t tell them. Are they gatekeeping, or are they trying to protect the natural landscape?

We have all seen it unfold on the internet, whether it be a comment on a social media post, a discussion in a Facebook group, or maybe you are the landscape photographer receiving direct messages asking where a photo was taken.

When these requests for locations occur, they are often prompted by a beautiful image of a lesser-known place the photographer shared. The photographer did not geotag the spot or maybe tagged it with a broad location, like Arizona or West Virginia. And the questions start: Where is this? How do I get there? What is the name of this place? And so on.

In many cases, if the photographer didn’t tag the specific location, the answer will be, “No, I cannot disclose the location of this photograph” or something along those lines. From here, the cries of gatekeeping or trying to keep locations from others arise, and the debate unfolds.

What Is Gatekeeping?

Today, the term gatekeeping usually has a negative connotation. Essentially, it means controlling or limiting access to something. When a person is not told the location of a particular photograph, some people will accuse that photographer of “gatekeeping” the location by not sharing. But are they?

Why Not Share A Location?

Not all locations are created equal. Some have had infrastructure built to help accommodate large numbers of visitors. A park service has built parking lots, trails to sustain foot traffic, toilets, and more. These areas, with their infrastructure, can help minimize the damage people could do while exploring an area.

Many areas have sensitive flora, wildlife, or even dirt when it comes to cryptobiotic soil, which can suffer harm that would take years to recover from. Areas with infrastructure built for visitors help keep people away from those more sensitive areas or at least contain the damage we do simply by visiting locations.

Some of the lesser-known areas a landscape photographer might photograph lack these protections. A high volume of visitors could alter the environment beyond repair—flowers could be trampled, sensitive soil disturbed, or even outright vandalism, with people carving their initials into rocks and trees near the area.

This is one of the primary reasons a landscape photographer might choose not to share locations on their posts or why they might not tell you the exact location of a photo. They aren’t being elitist, they are trying to protect sensitive areas and keep them from being overrun with people when the infrastructure and environment might not support it.

Many practicing landscape photographers have stories to tell about areas damaged by over-visitation. Some have learned the hard way and been the ones that shared a location, or they are at the very least familiar with watching the popularity of a location change the environment around it as word gets out.

Can I Never Share?

People often wonder when to share and when not to share. There isn’t really a set rule, but I highly recommend erring on the side of caution and being deliberate about when you share a location.

One only has to look at my social media feed to see I vary how and when I share a location. If an area has infrastructure built and maintained by a park service, I am more likely to share an exact location.

For example, if I am at one of my favorite local areas to photograph and take a picture of one of the more popular waterfalls, I am much more likely to mention the exact location. The park service has built infrastructure to help minimize the impact of people visiting. There are designated parking lots, marked trails, areas marked as restricted (which are unfortunately ignored all too often), and restrooms for visitors. These are easily found areas, with or without my photograph.

Meanwhile, there are other places in the region that I do not tag because the infrastructure is not there to support a high volume of visitors. In those cases, I might tag the county or the state, but do not provide specifics. Even when people ask me in comments or via direct message, I decline to comment on the specific location.

Are We Limiting Access?

If you look at the definition of gatekeeping, it says controlling or limiting access to something. Are we landscape photographers really limiting access by not sharing a location? No—everyone has access to the same tools and information we used to find lesser-known locations.

Using my local area again as an example, several of the locations I have found were done through studying topographic maps, reading trail reports buried deep on the internet, or possibly seeing another photographer’s photo and sparking my own research on the spot to help find it.

For me, exploring and finding new places is part of the fun, whether I’m following something interesting on a topographic map or spending hours scouring the internet for some old, obscure reference to a spot that might be worth checking out. As with all things landscape photography, learning to enjoy the process pays some of the best rewards in the end.

Take the Opportunity to Educate

If you are a photographer who does not share locations, be prepared for people not being happy when you don’t disclose a location. Many are quick to accuse of gatekeeping because some don’t understand the why behind it.

Instead of being annoyed if someone asks for a location, take a moment to tell the person asking why you are not comfortable sharing. Explain the consequences of publicly sharing certain locations and the detrimental effect on the environment of that location. Explain how not disclosing locations can help protect the beauty we are trying to photograph.

I often find this a good opportunity to mention some of the key Nature First principles or direct a person to the Nature First website so they can learn more about them. It is a very helpful resource, especially for those who might not have grown up with Leave No Trace principles.