How to Take Photos of Yourself When Traveling Alone

Traveling solo is one of the best things in the world. The freedom, the spontaneity, the unexpected moments, and even the challenges – I love everything about it. But there’s one challenge I wanna help you overcome with this article: how to take photos of yourself while traveling. Sure, you can take selfies, but I’d like to help you take it up a notch and make photos of yourself as beautiful as those of those the places you visit.

An avid solo traveler myself, I’ve figured out how to take photos of myself while traveling. Most importantly, I do it without lugging around a bunch of gear, as I like to pack light. This guide is everything I’ve learned: the tools, the mindset, and the tricks to actually enjoy the process of taking your own travel photos.

Why It Matters to Take Photos of Yourself When Traveling

Some of the most meaningful photos are those of the place, but also the ones of you in that place. After all, it’s your trip, you’re a part of the story. Personally, taking a photo of myself always reminds me of those photos parents took of my brother and me in new places when we were little. Nowadays, I prefer just taking photos of the place, but I’ll take a few of myself as well. It kinda pays tribute to those childhood trips with my folks.

But it doesn’t have to be just about memories or an homage to your childhood travels. As I’ve mentioned before, self-portraits can be powerful, even healing. Taking photos of yourself can also be a tool for reflection, healing, or simply capturing who you are in that moment.

[Related Reading: This study explores different reasons for taking selfies. No, it’s not narcissism]

How to Take Photos of Yourself While Traveling – Your Options

1. Use a Tripod or Phone Stand

If I had to name my MVP for solo travel photography, it’s a tiny travel tripod. Mine fits in my backpack’s side pocket and has bendy legs. I bought it on AliExpress a million years ago for about $5. But it only holds a smartphone. If you want something sturdier yet still compact for your camera, you can get a higher quality option like a Gorillapod. It costs around $70 so it’s still not too expensive, in my opinion.

If you forget your tripod, you can always improvise. Use what’s around you–your backpack, a water bottle, a ledge. I recently propped my film camera on a concrete bench and leveled it a bit by adding a random stick under a lens. Whatever works.

2. Use Your Camera’s Timer or a Remote Shutter

The 10-second timer is a classic, but you can aso experiment with interval mode. That’s when your camera takes a photo every few seconds, so you can move, pose, breathe, and get shots that feel more candid.

If you’ve never tried walking slowly into the frame while the shutter clicks away–try it. It feels weird, but the results will surprise you. And if you’re stuck on how to pose, these posing tips are super helpful.

Other than a timer, you can use a Bluetooth remote. They’re tiny and super cheap, and they exist for both your camera and your phone, regardless of the model. When you shoot with your phone, you can also use your Bluetooth headphones as a remote shutter, which is what I often do.

3. Embrace Burst or Interval Modes

As I mentioned, you can experiment with burst mode for those “mid-movement” shots like jumping, dancing, or twirling. You’ll get a ton of frames to choose from, and one of them is certainly bound to be the one. Do it a few times and you’ll start to get the hang of what works for your body and energy.

4. Use a Mirrorless Camera with Remote App or Smartwatch

Many mirrorless cameras allow you to use a remote app. You can frame the shot, check the focus, and hit the shutter from your phone or smartwatch. I personally haven’t used it as I shoot on a DSLR, my phone, or a film camera. But if you have this option, it will be useful for solo travel photos. Just make sure to hide your phone out of the frame. And needless to say – don’t take these kinds of photos in places where someone can easily snatch your camera!

5. When to Trust a Stranger (and How)

Sometimes, you just have to ask someone to take your photo, and that’s okay. From my experience, people are usually happy to help, and so am I. I usually look for another solo traveler or someone taking pics of their friends. You can show them a reference photo if you have one, and say something like, “Could you frame it like this?” Most people actually appreciate the direction. If you use manual settings, make sure to set everything up beforehand, so they just have to click the shutter.

How to Pose Naturally When Taking Photos of Yourself

This part can feel hard if you’re used to being on the other side of the lens. I used to take a lot of self-portraits, so I got used to posing. But I haven’t done it in a while, and now it feels challenging again. I just don’t know what to do with myself.

So, I had to re-learn how to pose for my latest vacation and I’m sharing some stuff that worked for me. First, try small movements like tilting your head, walking toward the camera, flipping your hair. Props help if you don’t know what to do with your hands: coffee cups, hats, jackets, sunglasses. Or if you travel to a place full of cats like I recently did, you can take photos of yourself playing with them.

Other things that help:

• Shift your weight to one leg to avoid looking stiff.
• Don’t stare into the lens every time. Look to the side, down, or at your surroundings.
• Movement: walk, spin, or do something with your hands.

Gear Tips for Solo Travel Photography

Here are some gear recommendations, and it all fits in one pouch:

• Mini tripod or phone stand – light, foldable, sturdy.
• Bluetooth earphones – always in my backpack because I love listening to music, but also useful for taking photos remotely.
• Mirrorless camera with Wi-Fi app (if you’re a mirrorless shooter).
• Optional: Clip-on lenses for your phone if you want more variety.

Conclusion

If you like traveling alone, it’s great if you want to appear in your own travel story. Taking photos of yourself while traveling might feel silly at first, but you’re a part of the journey as well, aren’t you? You’ll start to see not just beautiful places but your beautiful self in those places. I hope this guide helps you enjoy taking self-portraits or selfies as much as you enjoy traveling!

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