“When I take a photo of myself on my mobile, I capture my soul with every click. I call them, “soul selfies”. And let me tell you…. I look great!”- Anthony T.Hincks.
Photographs are the memories in hard copy that stays with us long after the vacation is finished. It captures the happy moments that we have spent on the trip with our loved ones, enjoying that thrilling adventure sport or trying out that new cuisine or just strolling at the beach. Right from boarding the flight to checking in into the booked hotel room near by, every moment is safely preserved. Later, long after the trip is over when we sit together and see the photographs, the only thing we can get is to smile and lots of nostalgia about the trip. The magical moments of the weekend getaway at a couple-friendly hotel nearby keep gushing right towards us through these photographs and we can feel the urge to go on a similar vacation. That is how we get motivation in life. These are the blissful moments that will always be there with us till we die. Hence, photographs, selfies, candid pics, etc. are extremely necessary when you are on a trip. When we travel with our friends and family, we have a company with us. Hence, taking a photograph is not a big problem. But when we travel solo, then our options are limited. We can only take selfies on our mobile. But, thanks to the changing technology and creativity of photographers, even solo travelers can take excellent photographs apart from taking selfies. Even though, taking selfies needs a lot of expertise or else your face will show up as a big potato in the entire frame. Let’s look into some tips to ace that traveling photo during your solo trip.
1-Ask for some help
If you are traveling solo, then the best way to take a good photograph is by asking someone for help. A fellow traveler or the staff of the hotel that you have booked on an hourly basis might prove fruitful in clicking a very good photo of yours. Make sure to be very particular in asking the right person for this job. Do not end up asking for help from someone who looks very homeless or looks like just out of the prison. Instead, try to take a very informed decision and ask someone who seems to be a bit friendly like you and mostly a friendly local. Many locals are always willing to help tourists. There might be other solo travelers like you as well. Asking them for help might be even a better idea. But they might be not capable of taking a photo. Hence, try to align the camera to the appropriate shot before handing over your phone or camera. Line up the proper frame that you desire and take the photo from a distance so that you can crop it later. If only you are asking for help, ask them for multiple pics together.
2-Tripod and remote
If you are too shy to ask someone for help, then you can always use a tripod to click the photographs. Whether you are using DSLR, GoPro, or a phone, a tripod always helps. You can also time your clicking or can use a wireless remote to click a photo. Imagine you are on a relaxing holiday with your partner at a couple friendly hotel at Delhi during winter and you want to click a memorable cozy photo together. At that particular time, a tripod will come to your rescue.
3-Use a selfie stick
A selfie stick is a true helper of clicking some amazing selfies. You can mount your phone or camera into it and get on licking your photographs from different angles. Whether it is looking outside the window from your hotel room or enjoying that splash on the pool or watching that great monument, a selfie stick will surely get the perfect photo of yours at the right angle.
4-Shots other than the face
How would you feel when you check all your photographs long after the trip is over and the only thing you could see on those in your face, just your face, nothing else? So, try to focus a bit less on your face when you take solo pics during your travel. Try focusing a bit more on body parts of your body rather than just face. Your hand reaching out for that hot coffee on a chilly wintry morning or your beautiful legs sitting on the hotel lobby where you have booked your room on an hourly basis, these are some unique photo trends that can add some character to your photo album. It will make the album complete. One of the recent trends of taking photographs during solo traveling is a turnaround photograph. A distance photo of yourself with backward-facing along with a nice background is the thing of the present. You can never go wrong with it.
5-Some unique gestures
Doing some unique gestures does not mean holding the Taj Mahal with your fingers or trying to catch the moon, no, those styles are outdated. Just, go out and do something fun and unexpected. Like, trying out that unique cuisine and photograph with the chef, Thanking the hotel staff with whom you have spent quite a good time while staying at the hotel room on an hourly basis or engaging in some adventure sports. Imagine you staying at a Hotel in Mumbai in Juhu area which is sea facing and a photo with you looking at the sea right from the balcony. It will bring back all the memories when you happen to see the photo later in life.
6-Capture the location
When you are on a trip, you get to visit beautiful snow-laden mountains, flourishing forests, long roads, and many picturesque locations. So, clicking only your photo neglecting all these locations is kind of narcissistic. So, make a habit of capturing some of these breathtaking locations in your camera. Try to manage to keep yourself at the center of the frame like that of the rule of thirds and keep the location in the other two thirds. That will turn out to be remarkable.
7-Use the Burst mode
Many cameras and smartphones have a unique option to shoot multiple photographs together at a go. That is Burst mode. It will take a bunch of photographs in quick succession. It works well of you are doing some adventure sports or road trips.
8-Take your time
Most of the time, we travel with friends and family. Yes, traveling with a company is indeed a very good thing but then, you have to put their wishes first. You can’t take all the time in the world to get that perfect picture. You can keep them waiting. But when you are traveling solo, you got to put effort and take your time in getting that perfect picture clicked without feeling embarrassed.
Life is a one-way ticket. Might as well live it to the maximum. Going for a solo trip, staying at a hotel, and clicking the best of photographs through these tips can make a trip enjoyable and memorable. As said by Aaron Siskind
“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”