Learn How To Take Amazing Photos When You Travel Alone
April 7, 2022
Taking photos of yourself when you are traveling alone is a learned skill!
If you’re thinking about taking your first solo travel adventure, then I’ve got some tips for you. Learn how you can take amazing travel photos to share with your loved ones or to start a blog of your own!
When I traveled abroad in Europe back in 2018, I made a commitment to post 100 Instagram photos in 10 months to showcase my solo travel adventures with family and friends.
Through the process, I learned a lot about composition, color, and post-processing (using Lightroom and Photoshop). But what I’m most proud of is how I managed to take the photos I wanted on my own as a solo traveler!
It became very handy when I spent a weekend in Belgium checking out the cities of Bruges, Gent, and Brussels!
Solo Travel Photo Tips For Your First Time Traveling Alone
Before my trip to Europe, I was stalking Instagram accounts with beautiful images of travel influencers and wondered how they took their photos. Okay, it wasn’t that bad…but I really wanted to get images just as beautiful as theirs!
But I was quickly let down when I found out they had the ‘Instagram husband/wife’ snapping the shots behind the scenes.
Since I knew that I was going to be traveling on my own 90% of the time, I was convinced I wasn’t going to get the photos I thought I would and got a bit discouraged. But I’m thankful that this didn’t stop me from trying!
TRAVEL PHOTO TIPS FOR SOLO TRAVELERS
If you want to take amazing photos as you travel alone, you really have to get creative. It pays off to be prepared by learning about your phone camera or DSLR settings first.
Then, you should practice as much as you can in the comfort of your hometown. Find a cute spot at your local park and practice being in front of the camera.
This will come a long way during your first solo adventure!
This is me solo traveling in Granada, Spain. I found a staircase where to set up my camera to take this self-portrait
10 Tips to Start Taking Your Photos When You Solo Travel The World
1) Start with a good camera or phone
To start learning to take photos of yourself before you solo travel, you’ll need a camera with the basic features like self-timer and wide-angle view. The good news is that all cameras already have this incorporated so you don’t have to worry about missing this.
That said, you don’t need the latest gear or fancy, expensive lenses. You can start off with a point-and-shoot, a small DSLR camera or stick with your current camera phone.
My first camera was a Canon Rebel SL1 from a kit! I liked how lightweight and easy it was to handle during my trip!
Once you get your gear, you’ll need to purchase one or two SD cards. Look for cards that are either 64 GB or 128 GB, and with a speed at least 120 MB/s.
My favorite SD cards are from SanDisk!
2) Get familiar with AUTO MODE, SELF-TIMER and EDITING
Once you got your camera or phone ready to take photos, the next step is to get familiar with two important settings: Auto-Mode and Self-Timer.
→ AUTO MODE
A professional photographer would probably disagree with me and say that you should learn to shoot images in Manual Mode. And although I partially agree, there’s a time and a place for Auto Mode too!
As a solo traveler, you’ll sometimes be stuck in moments when you have to take a really quick picture.
You might not have enough time to figure out your aperture, shutter, and ISO settings so Auto Mode is a great option. It will allow you to take photos of your trip without much hassle. Plus you’ll learn more about your camera with each travel photo you take.
→ SELF-TIMER
If you don’t want to ask a stranger to take your photo, it’s imperative as a solo traveler to use the self-timer option.
Always set up your self-timer to 10 seconds (or more if you have that blessing!) and start it after you’ve set the right frame you want and figured out where you want to stand.
If this method feels a bit restricting to you, consider downloading the Canon Connect App on your phone instead. You can preview and take the photo from there!
Other options for taking your own photos when you travel alone is to buy a wireless remote control or an intervalometer.
→ PHOTO EDITING
Before you post on Instagram or Facebook play around with the settings on the photos exposure, contrast , white balance, and rotation angle.
You can use free editing apps like Snapseed and Lightroom for mobile. Editing travel photos definitely take time to master but with each photo that you do, you’ll learn tips and tricks fast.
Auto-mode, self-timer, and editing apps helped me achieve the look for this photo I took of myself in Spain!
3. Practice framing and composition before your solo trip
Another good solo travel photo tip is that before your trip, you should start practicing getting in front of the camera at home. You can take self-portraits to understand how lighting, position, and color affect your images.
Self-portraits are a huge trend in the photography world this year and there’s no reason you can’t jump on the bandwagon too! It will get your creative juices going but most importantly, it will help you ease into being in front of the camera!
Set your camera facing a wall or in your backyard and put yourself in front. That’s it! It doesn’t have to be perfect. The goal is to just start so get dressed up, do your hair and have fun!
Practice makes perfect so if it doesn’t turn out well the first time, try again! The more you do it, the easier it’ll be to be in your own photos when you travel alone!
4. Research photo spots at your destination in advance
The internet is your best friend! Use sites like Pinterest, Instagram and Google Maps to get a list of photo spots that you like at your solo travel destination.
Once you find a location on Instagram, check out the geolocation tag and follow up on your research on Google Maps. Make a plan to visit that location during your solo trip and find out what is the best time for you to go out there.
Using Google Maps is specially helpful because it’s ‘Street View’ mode shows you what the location is like and you can scout locations were you can set up your camera.
After you get this list down, head to Pinterest and screenshot or save solo travel poses you’d like to ‘recreate’. Head over to my Pinterest Travel Bucketlist board for some examples!
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5. Make a list of poses for solo travelers to master
Hand in hand with the previous tip, Pinterest is a great tool for research. You’ll find thousands and thousands of poses you can mimic for your own travel photos.
Save your favorite ones on your travel boards and study the subjects: How are they standing? Are they facing the camera or away? Is the camera angle high or low?
Write down what you find keep this list handy when you practice your self-portraits. You can screenshot the images or make a list on your Notes app. The key to master the posing is to pick 2-3 poses you like the best and find a way to put your own spin to them!
I implemented the ‘looking away and walking’ pose in Zurich, Switzerland. You can’t go wrong with it as a solo traveler!
6. Buy a travel tripod
If you don’t want to buy an additional item to carry with you, that’s totally understandable! You can use your travel bag to prop your camera or find high-level surfaces (like stairs or hedges) that you can use to set your camera.
But it’s possible that you won’t find a good place all the time. It’s not possible to find stairs, hedges or high places to set the camera everywhere.
So if you prefer to avoid the hassle of running into this, or having to look for a better place for your solo travel photos, then consider buying a travel tripod.
There are many options to choose from but be cautious that cheaper tripods might not be stable enough for heavy cameras. On the other hand, many expensive tripods are too heavy to carry or won't fit into a normal backpack.
So research and consider the tripod that best suits your budget and travel plans!
7. Plan to wake-up early
The best time to take photos of yourself when traveling abroad is early in the morning. It’s not something you want to hear if you’re planning to enjoy the nightlife too but bear with me:
Plan to wake up early at least once during your trip for this purpose!
Depending on your destination the ‘early’ hours will vary! I’ve found it best to go take photos from 6-8 AM. This timeframe works because it’s before work hours for the locals, and also because it’s an unusual time to find tourists around!
When planning your itinerary, set one morning to go to your favorite photos spots just right after sunrise! You’ll definitely have more freedom to set your camera in different locations without worrying about people stepping on it or getting in your shot.
But always make sure you research your photo location in advance and stay alert! Just because it’s empty around the city at those hours, it doesn’t mean you should throw all caution in the air.
You should always prioritize your safety over all!
Waking up early to be one of the first people at Plaza de Espana in Sevilla!
8. Sign up for tours and ask the guide to snap a few photos of you
Solo traveling doesn’t mean you have to travel alone the whole trip so if you’re not feeling like an early bird, there’s an alternative!
Join walking tours for the city you’re visiting and ask the guide to help you snap a few pictures before it’s over.
You’ll most likely have to teach them how to maneuver your camera or phone. Plus you might need to guide them on what angles you want in the frame, but it certainly pays off to have someone’s help!
One of my favorite tricks when asking a guide to take a few photos is to simply ask them to take as many as they can. I guarantee you at least one will come out great! If your camera has a fast-shutter option, turn it on to help them succeed.
If your tour guide is not able to take a few photos, then branch out to other solo travelers in the group! You might be surprised that there’s another photographer in there too!
9. Go to Meetups for fellow photographers
When I was abroad, I ran into a travel photographer that tole me he was part of a Meetups group. I didn’t know they were popular outside of the US!
If you have tried them before, then you know the immense value that they can bring into your social life. And, if you haven’t tried them yet then this would be the perfect opportunity to do it!
Before you leave for your solo trip, look up a few Meetup at your destination and join photography-related groups. Use this time to get acquainted with the type of activities they schedule.
Then once you’re at that destination, join their outings and meet other photographers that can be far more helpful at taking photos of you (and you can take their pictures in return). Ask other photographers if they are interested in meeting with you the next days to take more photos around the city.
10. Hire a photographer through Airbnb Experiences or Get Your Guide
Let’s say you don’t want to purchase extra gear or take your chances with someone who doesn’t know about photography. What do you do?
Hire a professional photographer on Airbnb Experiences to follow you around for an hour or two!
What are Airbnb Experiences or Get Your Guide?
They are basically services you can pay for to make your travel experience more fulfilling. Airbnb Experiences and Get Your Guide offer a variety of activities like workshops, tours, and private artists shows!
But going back to photography— You can pay someone to take professional photos of you while you travel abroad on your own. They may oftentimes also serve as personal tour guides too.
Take your time to research well-established photographers and always be safe when meeting up. In return you’ll get high-resolution photos of you in amazing places, clothes, and poses.
It’s really a win-win!
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