10 TIPS FOR TAKING PERFECT TRAVEL PHOTOS OF YOURSELF

So I’m going to break down how to take those stunning, Instagram-worthy photos if you travel by yourself, as well as ways to go about asking a stranger, who to look for, and what you can do to ensure someone you just met can take a quality photo for you.

Pictures tell a thousand words of stories that we hardly do justice for without graphic evidence.

In a perfect world,
I’d be married to Idris Elba we’d all be able to hire private photographers to follow us everywhere on trips, snapping every
staged candid moment, and making us look like the supermodels.

But alas, ’tis not the case, so listen up my
unphotogenic lovely lilies, a mind-blown you awaits on the other side of this post 

1. IN ANGLES WE TRUST

When near a popular monument, make sure you tell the person to place the camera just a few feet above the ground and angle it upwards. If by yourself, place your camera on the ground against a rock, or anything that can prop it.     By angling it upwards, you can cut the heads off of all the people around you, making it seem like it’s just you and the Eiffel Tower chillin’ in Paris 

When you think of a scenery, think of the thousands, maybe millions who’ve been on those exact grounds you’re standing on, taking the exact same photo, with the exact same, standard angle.

It’s amazing what perspective does to enhancing a photo. Using an angle apart from the “holding my camera directly in front of my face while standing straight” does wonders to the eye.

2. SELF-TIMERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS

Self-timers work great when you’ve got a place to yourself, or you’ve got a lot of time to kill. This usually involves placing your camera a few feet in front of you, allowing you 10 seconds to get in position, and if your camera is in burst mode, I recommend dancing or doing a few fluid movements to give you some variety in your shot selection.

3. LOOK FOR PEOPLE WITH DSLRs ON THEIR NECK

In most cases, if a person has a DSLR around their neck, chances are they will respect a fellow
expensive-camera-buyer photographer and treat it with the same care as they would their own.

Not only that, but there’s a good chance they already know how to work your camera and you don’t have to spend 10 minutes explaining how to push a button 

4. CHOOSE BACKGROUNDS THAT COMPLEMENT YOUR OUTFIT

Maybe this is just for my ladies, but when your outfit coordinates with a monument, or wall, the photo will pop even more.

5. LAUGH AT THE CAMERA, INSTEAD OF SMILING

LAUGH instead of smile. Smiling is weird. And awkward. And weird.

Save the smiles for things that matter in life (looking at you). Laugh out loud towards the camera to produce the most genuine smile your face is capable of.

Your face muscles will look relaxed and the “smile” in the end that’s generated from the laugh will end up looking more natural.

But sometimes you just look obnoxiously happy, and sometimes, that’s perfect.

6. LOOK FOR A COUPLE TAKING AN AWKWARD SELFIE

Use this method when you know exactly what kind of picture you want. Because when you offer to take their picture, you’re going to frame it and arch your back in a manner that shows you know what you’re doing. When they see their photo and are amazed by the vision you had for it, kindly ask if they can mimic your movements and take that exact same shot.

With them having an example to look at, and remembering how you positioned your body to get that perfect angle, you’ll have a better chance of getting exactly what you want!

And they’ll definitely take the time to produce a photo you’re happy with, since you went out of your way to do that for them.

7. NOT EVERY PHOTO NEEDS TO BE A CHEESY ONE

Am I deep in thought?

Am I lost in the moment?

All very accurate assumptions and the beauty of the photo is that the interpretation of it is left to the eye of the beholder.

Switch up your style from the normal hand on the hip and angled shoulders, and show people what an enigma you truly are.

Patterned backgrounds, bodies of water, and large monuments all make great backdrops and are iconic for “look at me, I traveled”!

It also helps to use accessories to keep your hands occupied.

8. TAKE A SHORT VIDEO

While this might be a longer and more complicated method to capturing a quick photo, it’s a great way to get a variety to choose from.

Much like the burst method where your phone can take up to 10 shots in one second, this is also a great alternative, because when you upload the video to your computer, pause the frame you like, then take a screenshot of the screen, crop and edit accordingly, and upload it as a photo!

9. ASK STRANGERS TO TAKE AT LEAST 3 POSES OF YOU

First off, no one is immune to theft while traveling, and if you travel solo, you run the risk of placing your camera into the hands of a thief.

But there’s a foolproof way to make sure the person you’re about to approach isn’t going to run off with your hundred to thousand-dollar DSLR.

If a person has kids with them, specifically a toddler in a stroller, you know for sure they aren’t running off with anything.

You take my camera sir, and I’ll take your baby and put a ransom on that @$#. But don’t worry, I don’t discriminate. This applies to kids, spouses, and pets as well.

So now that you’ve found your photographer and you’ve made eye contact with his toddler
in case they want to crawl off as an accomplice to this potential thievery when you’re ready to strike a pose, now what?

Kindly ask them to take 3 separate photos. WHY?

The first picture will be blurry, the second you won’t be ready, and the third will be just perfect. You’re welcome 

10. DON’T BE AFRAID TO SHOW SOME PERSONALITY!

It baffles me that there are some people who go on these amazing trips and don’t have ONE picture of themselves from the trip! 

But anybody can grab a picture from Google and say they went somewhere. Being in the picture is not only undeniable proof that you were there, but it conveys so much more.

Your mood, your expression, and your body all change daily, and you get a chance to see how all of that looked while on a trip, to laugh or gawk at later.

So embrace the moment! Be silly! Have fun!

You’re in gorgeous, foreign territory, even if it was the crappiest time of your life (which is like impossible lol), so make that picture hold thousands of memories you won’t be able to adequately retell with words.

Thank me Later!