The difficulty of taking your own picture while traveling solo

I encourage people to travel solo for the freedom it allows and the openness to others it promotes. But there’s one thing I don’t like about traveling alone: when I return home, almost all my photographs are of scenery and other people. In other words, the pictures of my trip are missing just one thing– me!

Now, I don’t consider myself narcissistic or vain (who does?), but it would be nice to have more photos in which I am actually pictured.

Here are a couple things I’ll remember when taking pictures on my next solo trip:

1. Create your own Narcissus gallery. When there’s no one else around, sometimes your only option is to turn the camera on yourself. I always feel like a bit of a dork doing this– which is appropriate, since it’s kind of a dorky thing to do– but that’s never stopped me before. If the choice is between feeling vain and having a photograph, or remaining humble and not having one, take the photograph every time.

2. Figure out your camera’s timer. If your camera was purchased any time after the flash-bulb era ended, it probably has a timer. Find a perch for your camera, set it, and strike your pose. Or if you’re too cool for a fake smile, act natural and create that “fake candid” look that I so much enjoy.

3. Ask a local to take your picture. This is probably the most obvious tip for taking photos of yourself, but it’s also the hardest. For the shy, it’s often difficult to approach strangers, and even harder to ask them to do the little chore of taking your picture too. And oftentimes, particularly in more remote locales, people will not really be familiar with how to use a camera. (Scroll down a bit here for a head-chopping illustration).

But asking someone else to take your picture– though difficult for some– is a great way to strike up a conversation, and can lead to much more than a simple snapshot. For example, after thanking your amateur photographer, ask what recommendations they have on food, accomodation, and sightseeing. They’ll usually be more than willing to tell you about the best their country has to offer.