If you love to travel, the chances are that you enjoy taking photos of the places you visit too. Not only can it be fun to capture these kinds of travel memories on camera, but the photos you take will give you precious chances to look back on, and relive your travels, long after you’ve made it home.
If you mostly travel solo, taking photos of yourself with all the wonderful scenery you encounter can be challenging. Without a trustworthy travelling companion to photograph you, you’ll have to get creative when it comes to capturing yourself on camera.
Luckily, taking beautiful, social media-worthy travel selfies is actually much easier than it looks. Try these tips to up your solo travel selfie game!
Get a good camera
For many photography enthusiasts, acquiring a decent camera and ensuring it’s fully charged and ready to go is one of the most important stages of preparing for any trip. Alongside thinking about preparing for your journey, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a great camera to take with you.
While many travel photographers and influencers invest in high-end cameras with all kinds of fancy features, like expensive DSLR cameras and the like, there’s no need to do this if you consider yourself to be more of a casual photographer.
In fact, a quality smartphone might be all you need to take beautiful photos. Many newer smartphone models are equipped with powerful camera lenses that enable them to take high-definition photos. These smartphone cameras often allow users to customise their settings to account for different lighting conditions and shooting environments, too.
If you’d like something a little more sophisticated than a smartphone yet you’re not quite ready to fork out for a DSLR, consider looking at high-quality, semi-pro digital cameras. Usually, these will give you better-quality images than an average point-and-shoot model. Additionally, flip-out or front-facing LCD screens may be handy if you’d like to use your camera primarily for taking selfies, or for vlogging.
Don’t over estimate the importance of prioritising models that are relatively lightweight and durable too, as this will mean you’ll have less weight to lug around with you – some cameras can be pretty heavy for travelling!
Use a tripod
A few years ago, the only tripods you could purchase were large, professional-grade contraptions that were not only bulky and heavy, but also cost a fair bit too. These days, however, many lighter and more affordable tripod options have made their way onto the market. Some miniature tripods can even be small enough to fit into your pocket!
When choosing a tripod, be sure to choose one that’s stable and secure enough to hold your camera. Always check the maximum weight that the tripod will be able to support before you go ahead and make the all-important purchase.
It’ll also help if you can choose a model that can create the appropriate height and positioning you’ll need for your desired photos; if you’re fond of experimenting with funky angles, for example, consider a flexible gorilla pod with bendy legs you can use to attach your tripod and camera to different objects like tree branches, fences, and lamp posts, for example.
Try a wide-angle lens
Taking travel selfies is often a tug-of-war between showcasing yourself, and capturing the beauty and vibrance of your environment. Fortunately, however, wide-angle lenses give you the ability to take close-up selfies without sacrificing any crucial surrounding details.
A wide-angle lens is a lens with a short focal length and a very wide field of view. Photographers employ wide-angle lenses when they need to capture much more of the background scene in a picture than they’d ordinarily be able to with normal lenses, as in landscape or architectural photography.
Time your visits to key spots wisely
Less-than-ideal environmental factors like big crowds, harsh lighting, and unfavourable weather conditions can spoil your selfies, regardless of how good your camera is.
Conversely, the right photography conditions can seriously elevate the quality of your images, so be sure to time your visits to your chosen picture-worthy locations carefully. Timing is especially important for spots that regularly draw crowds like famous historical landmarks, natural attractions, or other tourist sites.
Early morning and late afternoon are usually good times to shoot, as the day’s regular crowds either won’t have arrived yet, or will likely be heading home already. This will help you to buy some more time and space in which to set up your shots properly, meaning you won’t have to worry about bumping into people, having your gear stolen, or being judged by nosy passersby.
Ask for help
Regular solo travel will soon encourage you to become more comfortable at interacting with strangers, as you’ll inevitably have to ask them for directions or help at times. If you don’t feel like lugging a tripod around, or it’s too crowded to set one up, you may have to depend on the kindness of strangers for a good photo or two instead.
It’s entirely possible to entrust your camera to a stranger and come back with pictures that still look great – trust me The key is to be extra-judicious about the person you ask. Someone carrying a good camera or a tripod of their own, for example, is usually a good choice; since they’ve shelled out for quality photography gear themselves, it’s probably reasonable to assume they’ll be more likely to respect your property, as well as knowing how to use it properly.
Before you approach the other person, compose your desired shot in your mind. Once they’ve agreed to take the picture for you, set up your camera in the exact position you want, so all they’ll have to do is click the shutter. It may also help to tell the other person exactly what you’re going to do in the shot too.
Though the idea of setting up and taking your own travel photos can be intimidating, it’s not difficult if you know what you’re doing. With a little imagination, a lot of resourcefulness, and just a few clever tricks, you’ll be able to capture valuable memories of all your adventures.
What are your top tips for capturing the best travel selfies on-the-go? Share your tips with other readers by commenting below.