How To Get The Best Photos When Traveling Solo
One of the things I'm asked quite frequently is, "Who takes your pictures?" As with most solo-travelers, that is one of the new modern-day dilemmas. You want to have some mementos of your travels, but there is no one with you to memorialize you in the moment.
When I'm traveling, I typically have a lot of pictures of the scenery and the sights. If someone else is with me, I capture a ton of photos of them. But if I want pictures of myself, I have to be really intentional.
Both of these pictures were captured by me with a camera and a tripod.
I take some of my photos myself with my Canon, a tripod, and a remote or with my phone. However, I rely on the kindness of strangers for most of my photos.
100% of the people I ask to take pictures of me have done it, but there is a trick to who I ask and when I ask them, and I'm here to share my tricks for getting the best pics from strangers.
Know what you want your pic to look like before you hand your camera or phone to someone else. Do you want a landscape or a portrait shot? What do you want in the background? How much of the background do you want? Do you want them to wait until there are fewer people in the shot?
If possible, get the camera set up exactly as you want it, and figure out where you want the photographer to stand and where you want to stand BEFORE engaging with "Kind Stranger Photographer." And give the photographer all the details that you have in your head. They'll do it, but they can't read your mind. This is also helpful if the photographer is a little camera shy. I've had people tell me that they are willing, but don't know how to take good pics. If I walk them through exactly what I want, it takes the pressure off of them, and they relax.
Pick your Kind Stranger Photographer carefully. My go-to demographics are A: Female B: Under 35 C: Not fully engaging with others if she's with a group. D. Bonus points if she's scrolling through Instagram at the time. She probably has a good idea of how to take the perfect pic for the gram. Disclaimer: There are a ton of people outside of those categories that are great photographers, obviously. But this moment calls for a quick judgment call, and you can't tell instantly who a professional photographer is (and if they will be annoyed or not by the ask), but people in this demographic typically appreciate a good photo moment and will try to get you looking your best. I actually made a travel friend like this. She was so intent that the pics be flawless that we talked until we got rained out.
If someone volunteers to take your photo, take them up on your offer unless your spidey sense says something is off. They feel good for doing a stranger a favor, and you get an image you wouldn't have otherwise. I agree to this 90% of the time, but I also calculate if I can chase them down for my camera if they take off with it.
Edit the photo. Kind Stranger Photographer doesn't have your eye or your vision, so take the good photo they gave you and make it great. Throw it in an editing program and spend 20 seconds tweaking the pic before using it anywhere. I like to use Lightroom. I use a preset and maybe adjust the light a little, and BOOM: better than a selfie.
You should now have a pretty decent picture. I'm not guaranteeing you it will look like a professional photographer took it, but you will definitely end up with better photos than you had before.
Bonus tips for people who want to take their own photos:
Set your tripod at the site as early as possible. I like to beat sunrise if I really don’t want anyone else in my shots.
Be patient. If you want photos at a very popular spot you may have to be patient to avoid them being cluttered with people.
Know when it’s time to move on. Sometimes you’ll never get the shot you want, no matter how patient you are. And if you’re set up with a tripod, you’re probably in the way of other people trying to take pictures. At a certain point you’ve gotta cut your losses and try a different angle or a different site.
Both pictures were taken by strangers, with a little direction from me.
These tips are also handy if you're the best photographer in your friend/travel group, and you want to start getting better pictures.
Next time you're out and about, you'll be better equipped to get a picture that you're actually in.