Ask anyone who’s done it, and they will tell you that solo traveling is hands down the most freeing and independent experience. It has had profoundly positive impacts on my life, from instilling more confidence in me to making me a more self-reliant badass. But there’s one major downside… we all know it, and I’ll just say it: It’s hard to get those great traveling shots of yourself with no travel buddy to take them for you. Here’s my tips on how to still get amazing photos while seeing the world on your own!
1. Use a tripod!
Can’t stress enough how buying a tripod has revolutionized my travel photography. I have a Canon DSLR that I set up with my Vanguard VEO 204AB Aluminum Tripod and take the photos through an app on my iPhone. I can set up the frame exactly how I want it, and see the camera’s view from my iPhone app so I know I’m getting a good shot.
2. Self-Timer is Your Friend
If you don’t want to splurge on a tripod, you can always use a self-timer on some sort of stable object in the scene. Set up your phone or camera on it, and run into the shot to get yourself in the photo. This isn’t as effective as the tripod setup, but it sometimes works.
3. Stop Caring What Others Think
At first, its kinda awkward that people walk back and forth by you while you’re having a solo photoshoot with your tripod or self-timer. Some people may look at you funny, or even laugh. You just gotta learn not to care. Those who judge you for that are a-holes and I guarantee they probably don’t have awesome travel photos of themselves because they’re too busy worrying what everyone thinks of them. Would you rather have a couple minutes of (unwarranted) embarrassment or leave Paris with NO photo with the Eiffel Tower? Shamelessly take photos for as long as you want, you’re never gonna see these people again anyway!
4. Ask People to Take Your Photo
If all else fails, you could ask someone else on the scene to take your photo. I put this last on the list because it rarely works out well for me. If I’m at a waterfall and I ask someone to take a photo of me with it, they end up taking the photo of the ground or the trashcan nearby than what I want in the shot, which is obviously the waterfall. If you can, ask somebody who has a fancy camera since they probably know how to frame a shot and make you look good. Tell that what you’re looking for, and don’t be afraid to ask them to take more than 1. You might only visit this place once in your life!
Hopefully these tips help you out to take bomb photos of yourself on your next solo trip!
