Without any preamble I say with certainty that solo traveling is not for the faint hearted! Especially as an African woman !
A lot of people have not experienced the world because the friends they made travel plans with fail to follow through with the travel plans and a good number of people will rather not travel than travel solo.
They let fear of the unknown cripple them from experiencing the joys of travel and meeting different kind of people all over the world.
This post isn’t about how to travel solo (would definitely write on that later 😃 ) but it’s about a recurring question I get all the time : how are you able to take such beautiful photos as a solo traveler (I’ve had some people make innuendos that I travel with a plus one who takes the photos and claim solo traveler )😒. Wish that was the case all the time.
The interesting thing is as a solo traveler the least of my concerns is who or how to take beautiful pictures. Why ? Because technology has evolved which affords us to take pictures and videos like you were traveling with another person !
So here are three ways a solo traveler can take photos effortlessly:
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The use of tripod , gimbal(with built in Bluetooth remote ) even timers on our phones takes away the stress of photography for a solo traveler . I use these two devices for my photographs . I bought them on Amazon here and here
Iwalk gimbal stabilizer for iPhone. This one has extendable tripod so serves as selfie stick and tripod. Cool huh 😃
A picture taken with my gimbal
2. Nothing beats the human touch so for me even though I take along my dependable tripod , I rely heavily on fellow travelers to take that breathtaking pictures for me ; I get it that a lot of people are timid but trust me in all my travels regardless of language barrier not once has anyone turned down my request to take a photo of me when I asked! I repeat never ever has anyone said no when I requested for a picture to be taken of me . On the contrary,people even offer to take pictures of you when they see you’re alone . Fellow travelers understand the struggle and are as just as eager to help you get a good shot. The waiters at the places you eat too take great pictures! Ask them nicely and sure you will get great pictures.
Lol the waiters at this restaurant are pros, they were falling over themselves to take my photo for a shout out on TripAdvisor 😃.
Abena Yalley at SevenHillsRestaurant, Istanbul
Another beautiful photo from one of the waiters
Lol but I have a criteria for choosing who I give my phone to take a photo of me ;I’m more likely to ask someone with a DSLR camera slung around their neck because then it means they understand angles, perfect lights and everything that makes a good picture. My travel gallery isn’t just a collection of pictures, it’s a collection of stories of those who took the pictures of me and the circumstances behind the pictures.
This picture inside the Hagia Sophia mosque, Istanbul was taken by a couple from Kazakhstan ! They didn’t speak or understand English but they understood good photography so I gave my phone to them and they took it away directing me to pose and all.
isn’t travel a beautiful experience?😃
3. When I went to Santorini (read all about it here ) , an American of Jamaican descent who was part of my group tour told me she’s just content taking selfie’s of herself when she travels alone ! She just has to make sure to position herself in a way to capture the beautiful surroundings she’s at .So yes you can do selfie as a solo traveler and that will be just ok! What matters is you’ve lived in the experience and had the most of your travel !
4. Hire a Photographer!
Another option not even limited to solo travelers is to hire the services of a professional photographer at your destination for a day to take memorable photos of you ! So not only do you have photos but they’re professional, edited and captures the most scenic views.
How do you get the best professional photographers ? Go to my favorite travel website : Trip Advisor! Say you’re going to Venice , just type in “ hire professional photographers in Venice” and boom you not only have options, you have options with reviews.
As I always advise on anything travel : PLEASE RESEARCH! Research! Research! Research!
This picture isn’t a selfie but it has a story so I will share ; I had just gotten to Balat, a down-to-earth neighborhood of narrow cobbled streets and colorful houses, where hip cafes and cutting-edge galleries sit next to old-school neighborhood grocers. I had been sight seeing and taking dope photos of the place but i needed a picture that had me in it so I stood in a corner for a minute, and tapped the next person who came along my way to take me a photo ! Again language barrier so spent about a minute opening my camera to show him what I wanted of him.
we took lots of photos and after he directed me to a place to get nicer artistic shots where I met the Colombians 😃
My point is don’t let your friend’s inability to follow through with a planned trip stop you from experiencing the world ! Pack your bags and your tripod , be open minded and just go ! You will never regret a solo trip , never! If you’ve left your house , town or country please do yourself a favor and meet people and have the time of your life taking the best photos of your life !
So are we ready? To solo travel ? And get the pictures too ? Absolutely! 😃😃😃
If you enjoyed reading this article, please comment and share on all your social media platforms, it will definitely be of benefit to someone!
Everything sugar, spice and sweet…
AB
