One of the questions I am frequently asked is “who takes pictures when traveling alone” or even “don't you travel alone as you say?”. There is more than one answer to this question, although it is no longer a secret. I wanted to explain in practice how the photos with me in my last Egypt trip were taken. If you're ready, here we go: Self-portrait tips when traveling alone!

Ways to take your own photo while traveling
Ways to take your own photo while traveling

Asking Others to Take Your Photo

This seems like the easiest and first solution that comes to mind, right? However, it is mostly useless, the person you gave the camera either cut half the view and took the pavement, or simply put your head and filled the photo with the sky.

There are 3 different methods I use to avoid such situations:

1. Choosing the right person to whom you will give the camera

The first is to choose the right person to whom you will give the camera. Do a little eye scan in the area you want to take a photo of, and pay attention to who takes what kind of photos. In the past, I used to give my camera to those who had a DSLR camera, but over time I learned that most of the people use those cameras as decorations, they carry huge cameras around their necks without knowing the proper framing. That's why I started looking at photographing angles, regardless of the camera. You may not always be lucky with this method, as there is no guarantee that you will find someone who takes the photo you want.

The girl who took my photo below was visiting the Egyptian Museum with her family, and she had her parents take her photo at every corner and have it taken again, not liking it. I probably thought he had a good eye, but the account at home doesn't always match the market, so was I a little tired and I wondered if it was a photo without energy.

My photo taken by someone visiting the Egyptian Museum
My photo taken by someone visiting the Egyptian Museum

2. Offering help to someone trying to take a picture of themselves

The second method is to offer to help someone who is trying to take a picture of themselves. He's trying to take a picture of himself, he's alone like you, and he can't get the picture he wants. Then offer to take a picture of you. After taking a few beautiful pictures of her in the frame you want, you can say that you want the same pose yourself. There is a high probability that a good photo will emerge, as it will take your photo by looking at the sample photos in front of it. Of course, keep in mind that there can always be bad luck.

3. To describe the photo to the person who will take the photo

The third and most secure method is to describe the photo to the person who will take the photo. I apply the same method to my husband and very successful results are obtained. Even if you don't have a husband, before you give your camera to the person you want to take the photo, you first take an empty frame to describe the frame you want. Then you describe it as "I'll be standing here in this frame, all you have to do is press the shutter button". In this method, you can usually capture the frames you want or close to what you want. Here's an example, not bad at all, what do you think?

In all 3 methods, the automatic settings of your camera will facilitate both your work and the job of the person taking your photo. It is not necessary to ask anyone to deal with the manual settings of a machine they have bought for the first time.

Taking Pictures of Your Hands or Feet

Taking Pictures of Your Hands or Feet
Taking Pictures of Your Hands or Feet

You want to have a piece of yourself in the photo, you want to show that you are there, but the photo did not turn out the way you wanted? Try the easiest method: take photos with your hands or feet in the photo. Sometimes a photo of your hiking shoes holding a ticket or on a mountain?

By the way, you should not miss the taste while taking foot photos. Especially the barefoot photos you will take on the beach can attract the attention of foot fetishists.

Using a Selfie Stick

Selfie at the Library of Alexandria
Selfie at the Library of Alexandria

It may not sound very cute, and even repulsive at times, but one of the easiest ways to take pictures alone is to use a selfie stick. As someone with a big head and a big nose, I try to use the selfie stick only with a gopro. Since it takes pictures from a much wider angle, I get a much better image than close-range selfies, according to myself of course.

Above you can see my selfie taken with the Gopro Hero 7 in the Library of Alexandria.

I use the Benro Selfie Tripod BK10 as a selfie stick, which I can also use as a monopod. Market price is around 150 TL.

Taking Pictures with a Tripod or Monopod

If you're traveling alone and want good photos, I think the best solution is to use a tripod or monopod. A lightweight tripod suitable for travel will save your life. So you can take your photos wherever you want and at any angle.

You can use your phone as a remote control for your camera or gopro so you can be sure of how your photo will look before you take it.

The biggest problem of this method is that you leave your camera on the tripod and go to pose, especially in crowded and security-related places. It is useful to act by considering the risk of not being able to find your machine when you return.

I took the photo below with a tripod in Cairo's Coptic Quarter. Since the entrance of this church is always very crowded, I tried to catch the time when the crowd behind me was the least by using my phone as a remote.

Taking pictures with a tripod
Taking pictures with a tripod

However, when shooting in such a crowded place with a tripod, you start to attract people's attention after a while. It is best to apply this method in more secluded places.

I use the Benro Mephoto RoadTrip Air Travel model as a tripod. It was around 450 TL when I bought it, but now I think it has a selling price of around 1000 TL.

Utilizing Mirrors or Reflecting Surfaces

What solutions does desperation make people find, right? Joking aside, if you want to take part in the photo yourself, making use of mirrored or reflecting surfaces can be a good solution.

Photos Without Yourself Are Also Good, Try It!

Photos Without Yourself

We've all become megalomaniacs on social media. I pay attention, photos with me in it always get more likes. But you may not always be able to take your own photo, so enjoy the moment and the frame. If you want to add a piece of yourself, you can consider taking photos of your belongings.

Learn to Use Drone

A photo taken with a drone
A photo taken with a drone

Technology is advancing day by day and it is getting easier to take a picture of yourself. I have not developed myself in this regard yet. My husband has the job of using a drone, so drone photos can only be taken on trips with him.

Equipment I Use to Take Photographs on Travels

  • Iphone 8 Plus Phone: I have been using this phone for 2 years, I take many photos with this phone except night shots. Portrait mode is one of my favorite modes.
  • Huawei P30 Pro: After some problems with Iphone, I switched to Huawei. It is quite successful in terms of price performance. It uses Leica as a lens, which gives it a serious advantage. However, video performance and front camera performance do not satisfy me.
  • Sony A 6000 Camera: I have been using Sony A 3 as a camera for about 6000 years. Being mirrorless and lightweight makes my life much easier on travels. I use it with the fixed lens on it, but it might be good to get a lens for wide angles.
  • Gopo Hero 9 Action Camera: I have been a Gopro user for a long time, as the new model comes out, I sell the old one and buy the new one. Hero 9 is very successful in shooting stable video, so it is a must for my travels.
  • DJI Spark – DJI Mini Drone: My wife likes technological toys like drones more than me. Even though it has been 1 year since I bought this tool, I still haven't used and practiced it. However, I can say that for Spark and Mini, they are very practical for travels with their size as a toy.
  • Benro Selfie Tripod BK10 Selfie Stick: You can also use a 20 lira product sold on the street as a selfie stick. But I use this stick with my phone and gopro and both are very expensive tools, I don't feel comfortable if I don't connect those tools to equipment I can trust. That's why I prefer slightly higher quality products.
  • Benro Mephoto RoadTrip Air Travel Tripod: I bought this tripod purely to have a quality product that I can carry with me on travels. It's the same as a selfie stick because I had a tripod weighing 50-60 pounds before, and in a light wind it crashed to the ground with my phone on it, what happened to the phone. I am advancing here with the philosophy that nothing is more expensive than cheap. It's a little heavy, though designed for travel. However, the lightweight tripod doesn't stand up to the wind, so despite its weight, I carry it with me on all my travels.

I hope you were interested in my writing tips for taking your own photo on travels. I'll leave the link below for a few more articles about photography and video, enjoy reading!

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Stay on the Road!

"Does he who reads a lot or travels a lot?" I started by saying, I am still looking for an answer. I travel after my dreams and share my experiences on my blog, newspapers and magazines. I love to travel, read, write and dream.

4 Comments

  1. The photographic eye is something quite different. You have to spend time and energy to capture the best shot. I support photo tours. As a result, much nicer memories remain.

    • Sevil Mert

      Photography skills and perspective both develop over time, it is necessary to work hard to develop them.

  2. I had a fight with my best friend just because of this :))) I'm taking her, she's more elegant and beautiful than she is, but she didn't care at all when she was taking me :)) Selfie is the best for me...

    • Sevil Mert

      I also argue with my husband from time to time, just because you're not looking at what he's taking 🙂 That's why the best thing is a tripod or selfie as you said 🙂

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