Have you ever been asked for money from a local person to take their picture?

What did you do?

Did you have a guilt-ridden conscience crisis after you walked away?

I am not sure if it is quite the same thing, but I have had a couple requests by people to take their picture and then asked for money after. Because I was never really intending to take a posed photo of them in the first place, I have never felt obliged to pay but in these cases I usually gave them a little. I never walked away with a guilty conscience though.

That's weird...where did that happen?

I ask this because I asked a super body painted guy in Rhode Island to take his picture, but he said: "Yeah, for five bucks." I laughed, and then he said... "No, seriously"

Like...OK buddy, whatever. I walked away with zero guilty conscience.

I don't know if I would have felt the same way in a developing country though.

The last one I remember was a Bedouin goat herder at Palmyra. I was wandering around the near empty ruins when he suddenly appeared and gestured for me to take his pic. I obliged and then he held out his hand.

I never would have given that RI body=painted guy $5 either......no matter how interesting he looked!

I usually dodge the people that ask to have a photo taken because I know they usually then ask for money.....However if I ask a person if I can take their photo, I usually throw a few coins their way.....(in developing countries)....they are usually appreciative of it.....and I don't have a guilty conscience (other than wanting to give them more help!)

This is a really good question...

Personally, I think it sends the wrong message to local people by paying them. As if they are some kind of commodity to be "purchased" or that their pose is a service provided for a fee. Also, if they don't ask for any money, then maybe they feel you are connecting with them from one human to another...and they consider it a compliment that you are taking an interest by photographing them. Perhaps they can feel proud to be a celebrity for the moment. But if you then turn around and offer them a payment, it then feels like a business agreement, or worse - pity. So you take away the "special connection" you just made.

As a budget traveler, I can't afford to be paying for all the photos I take on my trips. What if I pay just a little? Well, in that case, they may feel I under-paid them, etc.

If you pay locals for photos, then they will expect it from other travelers. They will lose pride for themselves, see tourists as walking ATM's instead of fellow humans, and make it more difficult for the rest of us.

I often ask a local for permission to take a photo. I respect their privacy and dignity.