Traveling Solo.

Recently I went to the West Coast… alone. I shared my journey through pictures on Instagram. But many people started asking me—if I am traveling solo, then who takes all of my pictures? 🤔

The answer to that is simple.

1. Strangers!

Literally anyone who is standing next to me or passing by at any given point and time. You’d be surprised to know that sometimes I don’t even need to ask—people will ask me first if they want to help me take a picture. Other times when I ask someone to take a picture of me, they are happy to take my photo. In fact, we are all there for the same reasons… to take pictures! And let me tell you, the large majority of these people actually know how to take really good pictures because they travel all the time. So once you’ve got a stranger ready to take your picture just tell them what you want, the scenery and background that you want and pose! Don’t forget to say—”Thank you so much, you’re awesome!” And move on. It’s pretty simple. It may be very uncomfortable at first, but the more you travel, the easier it becomes. One thing that has really helped me is to not think about it and to just ask someone right away. When we start overthinking it, typically we end up backing out. So just ask people to take your picture immediately. You’ll get better with practice and time and eventually you won’t be thinking about it. No big deal…

Some of my best photos ever were taken by strangers…

In the following photos, I was on a small group tour through the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Even though it was easy to get pictures taken by people in my group, these folk were still strangers and they did a great job! I was impressed and we became great acquaintances. Small group travel is definitely a great option for ensuring that you have help for getting your pictures taken if you are traveling solo.

Strangers however, is not the only solution to getting your picture taken when traveling alone.

2. Use a Selfie Stick

I have also taken great photos using a selfie stick! Before selfie sticks were invented which I am sure you can also attest to this, we just held out our arms as far as it could go in front of us and took the picture. I still do this too! But selfie sticks are more efficient because they get a better range of scenery in your background. So take advantage of them. They are also super cheap! The cheapest I’ve purchased one was for about $5. I took these pictures with a selfie stick:

You definitely want a variety of pictures so  it is important that you master other techniques!

3. Use the timer setting or a remote!

You can also prop up your camera on a rock or somewhere safe and use the timer function. I actually do this method quite often using my iPhone X. I also have a bluetooth remote that I carry with me that controls the shutter for taking the picture –if you don’t want to use the timer. I personally don’t like to use the timer because the count down is just not enough time. The remote is perfect, you can take the photo when you are ready. Here’s a photo I took using a remote:

Using a timer or the remote can be tricky as you are not directly next to your camera when you are trying to take your picture. Sometimes it may be the case that you are also not even facing your camera. Be careful with this! If you are doing this with lots of people around, be aware of your surroundings. Someone can grab your device without you even knowing. I don’t recommend you  doing this when people are around. Instead, just ask someone.

Hope this post gives you some insight! What methods have you used to get your pictures taken when you are traveling alone?

Chronicles of a solo traveler…