I love traveling solo and shooting photos with my tripod on my own. I'm not a professional photographer—every shot is purely based on "feeling." My only requirement for travel photography is to avoid clichéd tourist shots. Many friends ask who takes pictures of me while I'm traveling. I proudly say I take selfies. Selfies can be addictive—only I know which angle makes me look my best (or most slender), and now I’m even reluctant to let others take photos for me. It took me several days to compile experiences from my past three solo trips and share some tips on solo travel selfies for anyone who might find them useful.
Equipment
Some say great portrait photos often depend on the model first. That’s true—goddesses don’t need tips to look good in photos. But I’m just an average-looking woman, and we’re all ordinary people, so you can rest assured this guide is for everyone.
First, a tripod is always a great partner—and my boyfriend. A tripod stabilizes your camera/phone and lets you adjust angles freely. Some find tripods bulky and inconvenient, and worry about safety. Others prefer a more relaxed approach and may not want to carry one. But some people will carry any gear for that perfect shot. I, as a woman, carry a 0.8 kg tripod everywhere without issue. As for safety, you’ll have to assess the local conditions. In India and Sri Lanka, robberies are rare, and there are lots of people around, so I didn’t worry too much. But in South Africa, where thefts are more common and areas less crowded, I was extra cautious.
Camera and Phone
In Sri Lanka, I used a Lumix GF1 + Zuiko digital kit 14-42 F3.5-5.6—a seven-year-old camera. In India and South Africa, I used a Sony A7ii + Voigtländer 40.4 and an iPhone 6s. By the way, my Voigtländer lens only has manual focus, and the smallest aperture is F16. But I love its wide aperture and unique bokeh. Many say it’s weird to use a manual lens for selfies. Haha. As for the iPhone
6s, I paired it with an 18mm wide-angle lens to get a wider shot.
Who Presses the Shutter?
For the iPhone and Lumix, I use the timer, while for the Sony A7ii, I use Bluetooth remote shutter control. The photo quality from the phone may not be great—my gear is limited—but it’s enough for what I want to capture. After all, solo travel selfies are all about feeling.
Solo Travel Selfie Tips
Do selfies need tips? Yes, actually. Remember that viral video of a Japanese girl teaching people how to find the right angle for selfies? If you don’t want another generic travel photo, spend a little time planning—it only takes a few extra seconds. You don’t need advanced photography knowledge or skills. Look at great photos, follow your instincts, and you can create good compositions. If you already have a “photographer’s eye,” even better.
1. Choose Your Location
iPhone rear camera, 18mm, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa
iPhone rear camera, Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa
First, when you arrive somewhere, look around for a suitable spot. This could be a place that highlights you or creates a stunning backdrop. Whether you stand in the middle, left, or right of the frame; close-up or far away; high or low angle—you can experiment. I think the easiest way to take a selfie is to make yourself small with a grand environment—like you're in a movie scene (laughs).
Blend in with the environment
F3.5, 14mm, 1/250s, Galle Fort, Sri Lanka
By coincidence, my clothes matched the color of the stone wall, creating a harmonious feel. I used the timer, ran to the center quickly, and clicked.
This spot helps highlight you
F16, 40mm, 1/320s, Udaipur City Palace, India
The background castle is mostly ivory white. That day I wore a red dress and swished the skirt— I think the photo really highlights the subject.
iPhone rear camera, 18mm, Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, South Africa
Compositions with a small subject against a big environment not only have lower demands on the model's looks (you can't even see my face!) but also add depth to the photo, giving that “filtered” effect.
2. Make Use of Tools or Plants Around You
35mm, unspecified settings, Sigiriya Lion Rock, Sri Lanka
Pick up a dead branch, act a bit childish, and instantly get a Japanese aesthetic.
F1.7, 40mm, 1/1000s, Chennai, South India
Stick your lens into a pile of leaves, use them as a foreground, focus on yourself, and create a forest-themed vibe.
F1.7, 40mm, 1/125s, Chennai, South India
I sat down leaning against a tree trunk (this one should be a shrub—I have thighs as thick as it is). I love taking photos in the shade of trees, where the scattered shadows of fallen leaves create a uniquely beautiful atmosphere.
3. How to Pose?
At this moment, all you need is courage—pretend you're a supermodel and let your imagination guide you into striking various poses.
Profile face
My favorite pose—it makes your face look slimmer, you know what I mean.
F4, 14mm, 1/30s, Kandy, Sri Lanka
F2, 40mm, 1/8000s, Mandawa, Rajasthan, India
iPhone rear camera, 18mm, Muizenburg, Cape Town, South Africa
iPhone rear camera, 18mm, Bokaap, Cape Town, South Africa
Back view
Beethoven was most beautiful from the back—if you don’t want your face in the photo, go for the back view.
40mm, parameters unknown, Tiruvallur, South India
F2, 40mm, 1/640s, Udaipur Lake City, India
F2, 40mm, 1/400s, Udaipur City Palace, India
Looking back
Another small move that makes your face appear slimmer.
iPhone rear camera, Marundeeswarar Temple, Chennai, India
F4.5, 14mm, 1/640s, Nuwara Eliya tea plantation, Sri Lanka
Exaggerated movements
Hair flicking
F2, 40mm, 1/500s, Udaipur Lake City, India
Be the protagonist of your own photo—don’t worry about what others think.
F4.5, 14mm, 1/1000s, Nuwara Eliya Post Office, Sri Lanka
Make some quirky hand gestures
F4, 40mm, 1/320s, Udaipur City Lake, India
I once studied Bollywood dance for three months—it comes in really handy for photos.
Walking
The most natural, easiest, and most graceful pose.
F5.6, 14mm, 1/2000s, Matara, Sri Lanka
iPhone rear camera, 18mm, Muizenburg beach
F4, 14mm, 1/60, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Iphone
Rear camera, 18mm, Bokaap in South Africa has appeared in my photos countless times!! This place is so dreamy, a must-visit when you come to South Africa!
4. Backlight Handling
When backlighting occurs, I usually go straight for a silhouette.
F1.7, 40mm, 1/1250s, Monsoon Palace, Udaipur, India
Or alternatively, turn the photo black and white in post-processing—it looks amazing!
F4.3, 24mm, 1/1300s, Colombo, Sri Lanka
5. Random Focus
Because of selfies, close-up portrait photography becomes tricky. When taking timed selfies, using an auto kit lens often leads to focusing issues. So I call these photos “random focus.” Usually I set it to the widest aperture, hoping to achieve shallow depth of field even in a selfie situation (but it’s really tough).
Just the hand in mid-frame
F1.8, 20mm, 1/1600s, Kogalla, Sri Lanka
Originally I hoped this photo would focus on the whole person, but it ended up focusing on just a hand. However, the effect turned out great—I really like this one.
Full body in mid-frame
F2.2, 20mm, 1/2500s, Galle Fort, Sri Lanka
This one is truly one in a million—it’s one of my favorite photos. It’s rare that the entire body is in sharp focus.
Focus on object
F4, 14mm, 1/60s, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Sometimes I focus on an object, with myself as the background, which adds storytelling to the photo. (Though I’m not sure what story that is.)
Manual focus close-up
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the globally famous Follow Me To couple. You can take inspiration from them or create a new pose for your own travel series. My vintage lens is manual, so when taking close-up portraits, I have to keep trying different distances to get the focus right.
Parameters unknown, 40mm, Farm in Chennai, India
F4, 40mm, 1/320, Udaipur City Palace, India
Sometimes I’m lazy, so I use my iPhone for close-ups.
iPhone front camera, Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), Jaipur, India
But a solo Follow Me shot can look a bit lonely, haha.
6. Adjusting Parameters
Generally, if I want to capture a wide landscape, I stop down the aperture. But since my vintage lens only goes down to F16, sometimes parts of the photo look a bit blurry when zoomed in. In Sri Lanka, using an auto lens is a bit more convenient.
When there are many people and vehicles
You can use a slower shutter speed then
F18, 14mm, 1/4s, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
F22, 14mm, 1/10s, Kandy, Sri Lanka
This shot didn’t come out too well — by the time I wanted to retake it, it started pouring. But I’m sharing it anyway for reference. When there are a lot of people around, you can try this method to create a sense of motion. A low ISO and small aperture allow for a slower shutter speed.
7. Post-processing
Actually, post-processing is really important—it defines your photo’s style. The professional photographers I met while traveling all carry laptops and edit their travel photos daily using Photoshop or Lightroom. But for someone like me who’s always on the move, bringing a laptop is just too cumbersome. So, I usually edit my photos with apps. For apps, I often use Snapseed and the filters in VSCO Cam.
8. Clothing
With my rather average-looking face, I have to rely on my outfits. I love red (which is why I changed my name to “赫赤旅孩”), and I enjoy wearing red dresses. A bright piece of clothing can add a lot more vibrancy to your photos.
Or, you could match the local ethnic color scheme—wear traditional attire to enhance that exotic vibe and better blend in.
I have a lot more composition ideas, such as trying to take more straight-on shots. Of course, aside from selfies, I also love doing portrait photography of locals. Recently, I added an 85mm prime lens—photography really is an expensive hobby. In the end, I hope the tips above can provide some inspiration for your travel selfies. If an ordinary girl like me can capture photos with feeling, I believe anyone can. But I worry that once you get used to taking selfies, you might not be comfortable having others take photos for you—because they never quite get the angle right, hehe.
P.S. After all, selfies come with many technical limitations. The settings are just for reference, and do be careful when using tripods.
----
Just got back from a four-month journey, having traveled through four Central Asian countries, Iran, and the Caucasus region—tons of stories and photos to share soon.
Feel free to check out my Facebook page: 赫赤旅孩
https://www.facebook.com/hakcekwanderer
Most of my Instagram posts are selfies
http://www.instagram.com/hak.cek