My usual subject is gardens, without people. So yes, I generally don't take pictures of people. Occasionally from the back, no faces. I think it's people's faces that matter most to them and so to me. Also, the longer I travel the fewer photos I take. When I bring the equipment it's to work on a particular subject, a garden or gardens. And I take pictures of friends.

I love to take pictures of people and it is always a delight when I can bring a smile to their face by showing them their picture. I agree that one should not be rude and take pictures when someone does not wish it to be taken, although from afar, I see no harm. I am also delighted to pose with people or for people who want my picture. We all know that we are different from one another and if I can make someone happy by posing for them, I'm delighted to make them smile and share a smile with them. I also love to offer to help out families or couples by offering to take their picture with their camera so they can all be included in the picture.

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Well, thank you joannay. I think we've all gained an interesting perspective from your comments.

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Crash! <i>sound of Dog's head thudding into the wall</i>.

Ahhh, that's better.

I hate having my photo taken, and I'm afraid that includes afar. But my especial bete noire is the wretched guy (why is it always a guy?) with a videcam held out in front like he can't see anything unless he gets it on tape. Sorry, but I'm feeling especially sour on the snap-happy right now because I had to go to Dubrovnik thanks to the vagaries of the bus schedules and I got an overdose of homo touristicus groupus magnus. (Voyager of the Seas, capacity 3,114 passengers, was in port.)

"...homo touristicus groupus magnus."

So then, by definition, those in a large group. I think you're on to something here, behavior condoned and encouraged while protected in a large group.

I suspect then, conversely, that the behavior is far less practiced by travelers on their own. Just guessing.

I would definitely tip in Rupees. Someone in one of the hotels I stayed in left American Dollars as tips. Since I was one of the few people staying at that hotel at the time, everyone new I was American. So one of the hotel staff, I'm assuming the one with the short straw, shyly approached me and asked if I would exchange the dollars for Rupee's since it was hard for them to do it. Although I am currently not living in the States, I couldn't help but do it.

you should tip ppl in their own currency so tht they stay happy

This topic always amazes me! I agree that you should always tip in local currency when possible; however there are times, i.e. when you arrive in a country, when you do not have appropriate denominations of local currency - the ATMs at airports do not dispense small change. In these infrequent instances I will use some dollars and try to tip extra for the trouble. Once I have local currency I will use it and will also exchange for dollars, which I have done a number of times.

No, not "when possible", always. I think it's our responsibility to make sure we have "appropriate denominations of local currency". It's easy to do, one just needs to want to do it. There are always easily accessible currency exchange booths at international airports or we can get change at any shop before leaving the airport. In many places foreign currency is not inconvenient, it's useless to precisely the people who need the tips the most.

Joannay, your comment is precisely why I don't normally enter into this type of a thread. Have been on the road for nearly 40 years and on this forum since 2003, I never apply "always" to any situation.

Airport transportation for my last three trips to Tanzania, Egypt and Peru was pre-arranged and all three taxi drivers requested payment in dollars. As they asked for payment in dollars I also assumed that I could tip in dollars. Furthermore, arriving in the middle of the night, which happens more than I like, is not conducive to making a lot of stops in the airport. I don't know where you travel, but many places we go it is difficult to get small change from shops as the tend to hoard it. Having said all this we do all we can to use local currency.

Enough said, I am out of this thread.

Since gpotvin is gone, then to whom it may concern: I would not normally say "always" but we're speaking of India, not Peru. We will never know now who's the more experienced traveler but if the previous poster had spent much time in India then they'd know about the difficulties changing dollars might cause the people they'd most likely be tipping and would also know that to use the word "always" in this context is appropriate. One can "always" buy a little something and get change for tipping.

And, by the way, I'm not sure I see much difference between my word "always" and their word "never". Hmmm.