Photography Tips For Solo Travellers Who Want Great Photos

Travelling solo doesn’t mean you have to miss out on great travel photos. Learning how to photograph yourself confidently and creatively can elevate your travel memories and your content. With the right tools, a bit of planning, and a willingness to experiment, you can come home with stunning shots. Who needs a travel buddy when you follow these photography tips for solo travellers?

Photo Tips For Solo Travellers

Looking back on years of photos of solo trips I had taken, I realized that I didn’t have any photos that had me in them. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely camera shy and hate having my picture taken, but it definitely would have been nice to see myself in the odd picture.

Once I came to this realization, I had to figure out ways that I could get myself into pictures without having to ask every person passing by. The following are the tips I learned that work for me:

Use A Tripod: Your New Travel Best Friend

A lightweight, packable tripod is one of the best investments you can make as a solo traveller. It frees your hands, keeps your shots steady, and allows you to compose your frame exactly how you want. While I don’t make a habit of carrying my tripod around with me, I do use it when I’m in the comfort of my hotel room or on the hotel grounds.

What to look for:

• Lightweight but sturdy
• Adjustable height
• A Bluetooth remote or timer function
• Compact enough to fit in your daypack

Mini tripods are much easier to carry around when you’re travelling and are great for café shots or low-angle views. Full-size travel tripods let you capture wider landscapes and portrait photos with ease.

Master Your Camera Timer Or Bluetooth Remote

Most smartphones have timer settings (3–10 seconds), but pairing your phone with a Bluetooth shutter remote gives you much more control. It lets you snap pictures effortlessly and take multiple poses in one setup. No frantic rushing into frame required!

Just One Tip: Hide the remote in your hand, behind your leg, or tuck it into a pocket.

Take Burst Photos For Natural, Effortless Poses

Burst mode captures multiple photos in a few seconds. This makes it easier to get candid, movement-filled shots rather than stiff, posed ones. It’s also much quicker than taking one shot at a time and you’re more likely to get at least one picture that you’re satisfied with when using burst mode.

Make sure you continue changing your pose throughout the burst shot. Try walking toward the camera, adjusting your hat, reaching for your coffee, turning around, or interacting with your surroundings. You’ll get dozens of options to choose from in a single attempt.

Use Objects To Prop Your Phone

If tripods aren’t permitted (or you didn’t bring one), use your environment creatively to prop your phone up with. I admit that I’m really bad when it comes to carrying my tripod, so this is the method I typically use. Propping your phone up with an object will take longer than it would if using a tripod and there’s a greater risk that your phone will fall, but it works.

Just One Tip: Use a secure angle and test it with a few shots to ensure the frame is level.

Learn The Rule Of Thirds

Turning on your phone’s gridlines helps you compose visually pleasing photos. Position yourself slightly off-centre for a more dynamic shot. Placing horizons or buildings along the grid lines adds balance and guides the viewer’s eye naturally.

Make Use Of Reflections, Mirrors, and Shadows

Solo travellers often rely on creative angles. Look for mirrors, windows, puddles, shiny surfaces, and shadows to capture unique compositions that feel artistic and intentional.

These reflective or shadow shots also help when you want to stay in frame without doing a full portrait.

Shoot During Golden Hour

Shooting during golden hour is a tip that the pro’s use. The lighting can make or break a solo photo (or any photo for that matter. Taking photos during the golden hour, shortly after sunrise and before sunset, offers a warm, flattering, and soft light that makes every scene look magical.

There’s also a bonus to shooting during the golden hour. There are fewer crowds early in the morning which means you’ll have better photo opportunities and a more relaxed shooting.

Ask Strangers: Photography Tip For Solo Travellers

I find asking someone to take my photo is nerve-wracking and the chances of getting a good shot are pretty slim. Having said that, there are ways to increase your chances of getting a good shot:

• Choose someone holding a camera or already taking photos.
• Show them an example shot on your phone.
• Use burst mode—they’ll press and hold the button, giving you multiple options.

Most people are happy to help, especially when you give clear direction.

Use Apps To Improve Your Photos

Photos always turn out better when using editing tools to enhance, brighten, or balance photos.

Snapseed is my go-do app, but there are other popular options which include:

• Snapseed – detailed edits and filters
• Lightroom Mobile – professional-level adjustments
• TouchRetouch – remove unwanted objects or photobombers
• Lens Buddy – automatic photo shooting with adjustable intervals

Embrace Candid Moments: Solo Photography Made Easy

Not every travel photo needs to be a posed portrait. Candid shots such as sipping coffee in a café, admiring street art, walking through a market, or watching a sunset, not only feel more natural and authentic, they will help to tell a more personal travel story.

Set up your camera, hit the timer or interval shoot, and let the moment unfold.

Practice Makes Perfect

It’s not uncommon to feel self conscience when it comes to taking selfies. But the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel, and the better your pictures will be. As the old saying goes – practice makes perfect.

Photography Tips For Solo Travellers: Final Thoughts

Even if you’re camera shy like me, taking great photos as a solo traveller is absolutely possible. With a few tools, simple techniques, and a willingness to experiment, you’ll be able to document your adventures beautifully and confidently.

The best part? Even if your picture isn’t perfect, you’ll be able to look back at the memories you created throughout your travels.

SAVE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS