In 2003, I started taking pictures during my gaming sessions, and I’ve done it ever since. It rocks.
Why does it rock? Because years later, you and your group (which may have changed by then) can look at them and remember the good times you had together.
It’s also interesting to watch people change, and reflect on what was going on in your life at the time.
So, in a nutshell, it rocks forthe same reasons taking most pictures rocks — but it might be something you hadn’t thought of applying to your gaming before, and I highly recommend it.
Hmm, I’ve thought about this occaisionally, and never done it. I do remember one time playing D&D with my cousins and being worried about my dad taking a picture from behind me (and thus from behind the GM’s screen).
It does seem like if the ideal of gamers as real friends is met, then yea, you should want pictures.
Lately though, I’ve been taking a lot fewer people pictures. Mostly I found that really, I don’t look at them much, and no one else is interested in them (since they don’t know the people).
But yea, it would be a good idea to take some pictures. With the player’s permission for sharing them, they could also be useful for pointing prospective new players to: “See, we’re not really all that weird.” Or maybe you are pretyy weird (but then somehow, I suspect you would end up not showing the pictures, or maybe you would). But what you choose to highlight in the pictures could convey a lot about the game (gee, lots of pictures of minis on a battlemat with the dungeon drawn in, some showing the same battle over several pictures, or gee, there’s nothing but a couple dice on the table).
Frank
I found a disposable camera in my pack left over from a SCA event, took it out during a game to finish the roll, I only got a few pictures of some very paranoid looking gamers before they made me stop.
It might have been diferent with a mixed gender group, but with all guys they just don’t see the point of takeing pictures, and can only assume you’re up to something.
Disclosure is an excellent point — I’ve always asked my groups if it was okay to put their pictures online, and no one’s ever had a problem with it.
I’m not fussed if no one else is interested in them, either — I’m interested, and my groups usually turn out to be interested as well. That’s good enough for me. 😉