Who takes your photos? Is the most common question I get on my social media channels and a lot of people get confused when I said that it’s often my best friend Tripod. While not all my shots are taken the same way I wanted to share with you my little tutorial on how to take good photos of yourself when traveling solo, with or without a tripod, as I take most of my Instagram pictures solo.
Usually, solo travelers rarely show up in their own photos unless they have an Instagram husband. There’s even a saying (that actually makes me mad), that behind every pretty girly Instagram account there’s a boyfriend or husband behind it. While quite often it’s true, it doesn’t have to be the case.
You CAN take pretty pictures of yourself
While I do have a husband, he rarely travels with me and when he does, he prefers to take his on photos than photos of me. Since I prefer to be in my own photos, especially after I decided to start a travel blog.
Remember! Taking a good picture is only 40% of a successful photo. Learning how to edit your photos properly will make you a successful photographer. If you’re still learning how to edit your photos, you can take a look at my Lightroom Presets: https://themeforest.net/user/jkdevstudio
How to Take Good Photos of Yourself?
- Use a mirror or reflective surface
- Ask people to take a photo of you
- Use a tripod
- Use gopro with accessories
- Use wide-angle lens for close-up shots
- Put random parts of your body in a shot
- Get a drone
Use a Mirror or Reflective Surface
First, let me tell you that by taking photos of yourself I don’t mean these bathroom mirror shots that almost every celebrity decided to put on their social media channels recently. Unless your bathroom looks like this one below I’d never recommend you doing this
How to Take Photos Using a Tripod?
You basically have three options: either set the timer for 10 or 20 seconds and run in front of the camera or purchase a remote controller for your camera or phone. You could also set your camera to burst mode.
Burst mode is a camera setting that allows it to take lots of photos in a short time. How many depends on your device, but even an iPhone can take 10 frames per second! You’ll have more photos to go through when choosing the right one, but I think it’s worth it!
If you’re taking pictures with your smartphone, I recommend this wireless remote because you can actually go quite far away from the camera. I tried the most popular one on Amazon (this one) and it doesn’t properly work unless you care only about your head in the shot.
Use Wide-Angle Lens for Close-Up Shots
If you simply refuse to be that selfie stick person (like myself), you can get yourself a wide-angle lens. This way you will be able to balance a camera on a flat surface nearby, strike a pose and snap a selfie. This technique works perfectly if you need a close-up shot like this one with a Moomin.
Ask Strangers to Take a Photo of You
While it might seem like the most obvious option, it’s not always the best one. In my case, photos taken by other people turn out to be bad, with either my head or legs chopped off. Unless you explain to a person what exactly do you want and tell them to hold the camera in an exact position, your photo will probably be useless.
My Tip: Find people with a tripod, they usually know how to take a decent photo. Hold the camera the way you want it and show them a point of interest.
“And then there is the most dangerous risk of all — the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.”
– Jonathan Doe