How to Take FOMO worthy Selfies on a Solo Trip
Are you excited about your upcoming solo trip!? Great! Are you worried about how to get awesome pictures when you’re alone? Good news, you don’t have to miss any of your favorite photo ops! In this post, I will show you some of my favorite photos from solo trips, and explain how you can use these techniques to get great photos on your trip. You don’t need any fancy equipment. A smartphone with a camera is all you need to get great pictures.
Use the selfie mode on your camera:
Stand in front of a beautiful scene you’d like to capture, then turn on front facing camera. Look at the screen and pay attention to the background. I moved the camera around a bit in order to find the best shot for this photo overlooking downtown Miami.
Use the timer feature and a rock:
To get this picture, I set my camera to selfie mode (front facing camera), and added a 10 second timer. I leaned my phone against a rock, hit the button, and hurried into place at Capital Reef National Park in Utah.
Use selfie mode and take video:
For this one, I set my camera to selfie mode and leaned it against a rock again. This time, I skipped the timer. Instead, I turned on the video camera to capture a video of the entire jump. Then I chose the best frame from the video. Note that when you use the video camera, the quality isn’t as good.
Ask a stranger:
When I was at the Grand Canyon, many strangers asked if I wanted help taking my picture. But that’s not always the case. If you have trouble asking strangers to take your picture, look for people trying to get a group photo/selfie. Offer to take their picture, then ask for them to take your picture in return.
Make friends:
If you’re staying at a hostel, chances are good that you’ll go sight-seeing or out on the town with some of the other guests. Use this opportunity to get pictures of you and your new best friends. Clearly, I need to use this option more often. I had to cheat and use a picture from World Domination Summit in Portland, OR. A group of us stayed at a hostel together, but we knew each other before the conference.
Take pictures without you in it:
Finally, who says you have to be in every single picture? Sometimes it’s better to capture the moment without people in the photo. Sometimes you’ve already tried all of the above options, and didn’t quite get the shot you wanted. This picture was taken at the Sunshine Skyway South Fishing Pier on a road trip.
Bonus:
Having trouble finding a rock to lean your phone against? Try a small $10 smartphone tripod like this one. The legs can bend in any direction, and it’s small enough to fit in your carry-on suitcase.
I have never used a selfie stick, but if I ever do, I’ll let you know how it goes.
What are your favorite ways to take pictures while travelling solo?
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