I do not think telling someone to use the search feature is necessarily a bad thing. The way you tell them could be. You may post an answer to a question, and be aware of a previous in depth discussion and not remember where it was posted. To advise someone to use the search feature to find the discussion can be valuable, especially if you can provide them with some key words. There are times, we do not know enough about a subject to even use the search. We do not know what to search for. Offer suggestions.
It is also important to remember that it is very common for the photos to not be available. You can read pages you discovered using the search, and have a question that was not answered. This will prompt you to ask a question that has been ask many times, but not explained in a way you understand.
Simply stated, there is a very different tone in telling someone to search, and suggesting they search.
Wayne