Erin Deborah Waks travels solo a lot—from a month-long trip to Morocco to a solo life in Paris, and short vacations in between. Here's what she writes about how to take photos when you're alone.
When I travel with others, capturing the moment with photos is easy – it just requires a mini-photoshoot from someone. My friends and partner are already well-trained in this.
But when I'm alone, things get complicated. How can I get the perfect photo without a volunteer photographer?
To find the answer, I scoured social media for the best photography hacks for solo travelers and tested a few of them out on a sunny afternoon in Madrid. Some methods earned me strange looks from locals at the café, but here's what worked and what didn't, with a rating from 1 to 5:
1. Self-timer – 4/5
Using the iPhone's self-timer was the start. Three seconds was too little, so I decided on five seconds to get in position.
The results were mixed – Sometimes when I moved away from the camera, the light changed and the photo looked dark. But when I kept a close distance, good close-up photos came out.
Additional hack: using the bag as a mini-ladder. Need to find a safe place, but it worked quite well on a wall or stable surface.
2. Live Photos – 3/5
This iPhone feature takes multiple photos at once. It didn't change much for selfies with the front camera, but when combined with the self-timer, you could choose from several of the same photos.
3. Rear camera – 4/5
Until now, I had only used the front camera. With the rear camera (higher quality), the result was better, although it required some experimentation for the right angle.
4. "Jump over the phone" - 1/5
This is a weird method where you're suggested to jump on the phone. My result? A blurry, weird photo. It wasn't worth it.
5. 0.5 mode / Ultra-wide angle – 3/5
This method allows you to capture more of the background. It worked, but it was more of a selfie for social media, not a photo I would keep as a keepsake. Many times my arms filled most of the frame.
6. Camera turned upside down – 4/5
Placing the phone upside down creates an interesting perspective. It took a few tries to avoid too much ground in the background and get the blue sky. The resulting photo was high quality and creative, especially with the rear camera.
7. Screenshot from the video – 5/5
Best so far: make a video of yourself and then take a screenshot to take photos.
It gives you more freedom to try out poses.
The photo looks more natural and you don't have to pose too many times.
The result was closer than having a photographer by your side.
8. "Pretend to grab the camera" selfie - 3/5
Another hack was to pretend to hold the camera while taking selfies. It worked well for close-ups and crowded places like the Plaza de Mayor, but it was clearly a selfie – it doesn't replace a photographer.
9. Just look for someone – 4/5
Finally, the most reliable method: ask someone to take a photo for you.
Make sure you choose someone trustworthy.
The result can be excellent, especially with landscapes or cultural monuments in the background.
You can offer to return the favor if the outcome is good.
Conclusion:
Most effective: Screenshot from video, rear camera, self-timer, reverse camera.
Less effective: Jump over the phone, some weird selfie tricks.
Last tip: If you don't mind asking someone, this remains the simplest and most effective method for solo photos. /GazetaExpress/
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