Peter wrote:
A lot of close-up pics end up on open websites, indexed by google, so if you fly with somebody who you should not be seen with, be careful
After landing at Shoreham, my wife was putting her make up, the guys were sitting at 5m !
In the scenario you describe, I will be the one putting some make up 
I got pictured once standing on a wheelie bin cleaning a wing, I had absolutely no idea someone was looking at the hangar peering through a fence. I’ve also seen a picture where someone had gone into the hangar and must have moved covers to make the reg visible.
Generally though I’ve not had any problems with interacting with spotters, most have been pleasant.
Peter wrote:
Should we set up a Spotters of Spotters website?
Maybe a large mirror?
Capitaine wrote:
Maybe a large mirror?
That is not far from how anti-paparazzi cloths work, if you land at night
Earlier this year when I diverted into Beccles after a bird strike, the place was full of spotters because there was an air race on. I am still disappointed that nowhere can I find any spotter pictures of my heroic emergency landing (joke!).
I have nothing against spotters, I have been one as long as I can recall. In c.2015, I booked a club PA-28 flying session at Humberside just because it gave me closer access to take pictures of the Canadian Lancaster. Well, obviously, it was flying so worthwhile without the Lancaster.
I never saw a picture taken by those guys so I wonder who they were. Local guys apparently. And all guys, even though one looked like a woman on 2nd sight… This was 3 years ago in Alpnach.
I think spotters must have private websites, because I happen to know that some pilots are very active in contacting spotters (who posted pics on public websites) and harrassing them to remove photos showing any faces.
It follows that the “movement” must have gone largely underground.
How they distribute the URLs and logins, I have no idea and have no interest in Probably using the same methods as are used for other, ahem, online activities 
They are probably not that hard to find or sign up to. A huge amount of them end up on sites like flickr and ABPic. I’m quite appreciative of spotters who take pictures of my plane with $thousands worth of camera and lens so I don’t have to :-)
Yes I think you must be right. After all, there is no way to distribute a “secret” site secretly. That’s how the police bust the really dodgy sites: by impersonating some pervert. And it isn’t difficult to prevent google indexing tail numbers, etc.
This guy on flickr seems to have a photo of every plane in existence, among ones of his girlfriends
Don’t forget the Darkweb, do they have a plane spotter community?
Personally, I don’t have any problems with plane spotters. I think every single person with interests in aviation, is good for us. It would only annoy me if I couldn’t use a picture of myself due to “copyrights”. At least the German law protects the rights of the photographed persons very well.
