Self-Photography Tips And Tricks For Solo Adventurers
Embarking on a solo adventure is one of the most gratifying experiences you can have. It's a chance to explore beautiful landscapes and immerse yourself in the magic and wonder of the natural world.
But capturing those moments on camera can be challenging when you’re the only one around. So today, I’m sharing all my favorite tips and tricks to help you master the art of self-photography in the great outdoors.
So grab a cup of your favorite beverage and let’s dive in!
Pre-planning and Getting Started
Before heading outdoors, you’ll want to create a plan to help simplify and streamline the self-photography process. Start by creating a shortlist or mood board of photo ideas you want to try.
Pinterest, Instagram, and editorial magazines are great sources of inspiration for locations, poses, and outfit ideas. Also, think about any props you may want to use.
Get Your Photo Gear Together
Here’s what you’ll need to capture your photos:
Camera: Whether it’s a DSLR, mirrorless camera, or a smartphone, make sure it’s charged and ready to go. Also, if you’d like to capture any aerial shots, bring a drone with photo-taking capability.
Tripod: A sturdy tripod is essential for steady shots and self-portraits. Look for a lightweight, portable one that’s easy to carry.
Remote Shutter Release or Timer: A remote shutter release or your camera’s timer allows you to take photos without pressing the shutter button. This is great for self-photography because it eliminates blur due to camera shake and gives you time to pose for the picture.
Intervalometer: An intervalometer is a device that connects to your camera to capture images during set intervals. For example, you could program it to take one photo every three seconds for two minutes. This is a great way to capture bursts of images, increasing your chances of getting that perfect shot.
Lenses: If you have a DSLR or mirrorless camera, bring a few different lenses to capture different perspectives and depths of fields.
Creative Lens Filters: Creative lens filters are a great way to take your images to the next level. Some popular effects include prisms, lens flares, and diffusion for a dreamy, nostalgic vibe.
Extra Batteries and Memory Cards: Running out of battery or storage space can ruin your photo-taking plans, so always have backups on hand.
External Lighting or Speedlight: If you plan to shoot in low-light conditions, consider using a portable, battery-operated lightbox or a speedlight attached to your camera to help keep the exposure balanced in your images. You can also use them to fill in shadows on bright sunny days or to illuminate your face and body when the sun is behind you.
Scout Your Desired Locations
Visit a few locations and take some time to explore the area. Look for interesting angles, unique features, and ideal places to set up your tripod. Don’t forget to check out the lighting and how it changes throughout the day.
Get Creative with Natural Light
The first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset is known as the golden hour. During this time, the sun casts orange and red-toned rays of light that awash the landscape in a warm, flattering golden glow. This is a great time of day to take photos for a glowy, ethereal effect.
For a mystical or dreamy feel, try shooting during the blue hour. The blue hour is the short period (typically 20-30 minutes) just before sunrise or after sunset when the sun is below the horizon and the sky is filled with a soft blue light. The blue glow created by this light is soft and almost magical.
If you’re aiming for a sunny day vibe, you’ll want to shoot during midday. Look for shaded areas to avoid harsh shadows and overexposure. If you plan to shoot in an area with little to no shade, you can use an ND (neutral density) filter to reduce the amount of light entering the camera.
And don’t count out overcast days. The clouds in the sky act as a natural diffuser creating a softbox effect. This results in soft, flattering lighting. Plus you won’t have to worry about harsh sunlight shining in your eyes.
For a creative touch, try introducing some lens flare into your shots by positioning the camera slightly toward the sun, allowing a bit of lens flare to peek through. This can create visually striking artifacts in your images, such as circles, rings, starbursts, or an all-over haze.
Try Different Angles and Perspectives
Don’t just focus on eye-level shots. Get down low, climb up high, and try different angles to add interest to your photos. Play with perspectives to create depth and dimension in your shots.
Incorporate Yourself into the Scene
Here are a few ideas for using your tripod and remote shutter to capture stunning self-portraits:
Silhouettes: Position yourself against a bright background, like a sunrise or sunset, to create a dramatic silhouette.
Action Shots: Capture yourself in motion—walking, jumping, or even twirling—by using a fast shutter speed. Use a slower shutter speed to introduce a bit of blur for creative appeal.
Interaction with Nature: Show yourself interacting with the environment, whether it’s sitting on a rock, reaching out to touch a tree, or simply admiring the view.
Use Props and Foreground Elements
Incorporate natural elements like flowers, leaves, or branches into the foreground to add depth to your photos. Props like a hat, backpack, or even a favorite book can tell a story and make your photos more engaging. Including pets and animals in your shots is another great way to add some interest to your photos.
Experiment with Composition
Follow the rule of thirds to create balanced compositions. Place points of interest along the gridlines or at their intersections. Most modern cameras and smartphones can display gridlines. Also, don’t be afraid to break the rules sometimes for more dynamic shots.
Using the rule of thirds is a great way to create a well-composed image.
Edit Your Images with Intention
Post-processing can enhance your photos, but try not to overdo it. Adjust elements like white balance, contrast, and saturation to bring out the best in your images.
Popular editing programs include Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for desktop and Snapseed and Picsart for smartphone. If you're not skilled at editing images, YouTube has plenty of useful video tutorials that you can refer to.
Get Creative With Overlays and Actions
Overlays and actions are great ways to add a creative touch to your photos. An overlay is an image, element, or texture that can be added to an existing image to enhance its look and feel. They can include text, graphics, patterns, light effects, or other visual elements. Some examples are smoke, water, dust, sky, stars, clouds, bubbles, leaves, lens flare, and haze.
Flare overlay by Happy News on Creative Market
Actions are a series of preset commands that can be added to one or more files in Adobe Photoshop to automate repetitive steps and speed up the editing process. I like using actions to resize and save batches of images to my external hard drive.
Other uses include color grading, sharpening, and flattening images. If you’ve never used actions or overlays, I recommend watching tutorials on YouTube (that’s how I learned to use them).
Be Patient and Enjoy the Process
No one gets everything right all the time. If you happen to make any mistakes, or if things don’t turn out the way you want, embrace it as a teachable moment. Sometimes great photos come from imperfect situations.
Stay Safe and Respect Nature
Always prioritize your safety. Be aware of your surroundings, especially when you’re caught up in the moment taking photos. And remember to respect nature—leave no trace and tread lightly to preserve nature’s beauty for future adventurers.
With these tried and true self-photography tips and tricks, you’ll be ready to capture some amazing solo outdoor photos in no time. Now get out there and make some magic—I can’t wait to see what you create!
