Tips for Selfie Safety While Visiting Yosemite

For many, a trip to Yosemite is not complete without taking the perfect selfie. And as wonderful as it is to have these special memories, there are things you need to consider. Especially if you’re planning on taking a risky selfie.

Tips for Selfie Safety While Visiting Yosemite

Use good judgment

Yes, those cliff shots you see on social media are incredible and garner countless likes, but ask yourself this: “What if I fall? Will those likes matter?”

No photo is worth seriously injuring yourself. Or worse, risking your life.

Make wise decisions. While no person should live in fear, asking what-if questions when it comes to taking risky photos is not only smart but necessary.

 

Do not make decisions based on current weather conditions

Upon approaching a cliff or peak, you may feel it’s safe to position yourself for “the perfect selfie”. There’s no breeze (or possibly a minimal breeze), nothing that you deem dangerous, and you’ll end up with a great photo.

Still, even with seemingly perfect selfie-taking weather conditions, you should always remember this: the breeze can change at any time.  Be it a slight shift in winds or a large gust of wind passing through, there is no way to predict what will happen at any given second. Furthermore, even the slightest shift in the breeze can throw your balance off and result in serious injuries.

 

Think about others

It’s not only important to think about your personal safety but to consider the safety of others as well.

Avoid jeopardizing the well-being of your family and friends taking the selfie with you. And consider the stakes for the people who would be responsible for rescuing you should you have an accident while taking a risky selfie.

Yes, they’re called “selfies”, but even when you put your own life at stake for that selfie, others can be affected.

Folks, there are plenty of photos you can take that don’t involve standing at the very edge of a cliff. Take those. There are over 800 sq. miles of land rich in trees, waterfalls, rivers and lakes, hikes, mountaintops and landmarks to photograph within Yosemite National Park. You don’t actually need those risky cliff shots to photograph something magnificent.

In short, take a page out of  Milo’s book (the beautiful pup pictured above) and make smart decisions when taking photos (i.e. selfies) in Yosemite.