How can I take good solo travel photos of myself at landmarks?
Asked 6/10/2011
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I’ll be traveling alone and want some “touristy” photos of myself in front of landmarks. My crop-sensor Canon with an 18mm lens isn’t wide enough for a flattering arm’s-length shot, and I also have a point-and-shoot. I’ve considered renting a wider lens, using a wide-angle adapter, asking other people, or setting the camera down and using the timer. What works best for getting decent solo travel photos of yourself?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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Forget holding the camera at an arms length if you also want the picture to be good. Everything will be distorted, and you will have a silly look in your face, probably also with strange lighting.
If what you are aiming for is a picture of you in front of the famous landmarks, then I would simply ask a stranger. Try to look for one carrying a camera, as that would indicate that he is also a tourist, and therefore not a local pocket thief. Also, if you fear that the person might run off with you camera, find one that seems to be part of a group, or find a couple.
In this case hand them your point'n shoot instead of the dSLR because:
- People not used to a dSLR get nervous about how to use it, even in fully automatic mode (I had one failing to get a photo because he pushed the ISO select button instead of the trigger buton as I showed him).
- If the person should decide to run away with the camera (unlikely), then the loss would probably be smaller than if it was the dSLR.
Be prepared, you will probably not get very remarkable shots, as most people don't know how to compose a picture properly, for example, they will place you bullseye in the photo. But you didn't ask how to get great photos, you asked how to get touristy photos.
Originally by user4559. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4559
15y ago
0
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The best options are to avoid arm’s-length shots and instead use either a stranger or a self-timer setup.
A handheld selfie with a wide lens usually gives unflattering perspective distortion and awkward framing. For better results:
- Ask a stranger to take the photo, preferably another tourist, a couple, or someone in a group. If you’re concerned about your gear or simplicity, hand them the point-and-shoot rather than the DSLR.
- Use a tripod or place the camera on a stable surface like a bench, rock, or the ground.
- Use the self-timer or a remote release if you have one.
- Choose a reasonably wide focal length and use a smaller aperture such as around f/5.6 or narrower to give more depth of field.
- Compose a little wider than needed so you can crop later.
- For focus, pre-focus on the spot where you’ll stand, or estimate the distance and set focus accordingly.
In practice, a tripod/self-timer or asking another tourist will usually give much better “I was there” photos than trying to hold the camera at arm’s length.
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