6 Steps to Better Travel Posing
Jordan and I have spent a lot of time traveling and taken a lot of photos. I don't know if we're exactly experts, but one things we're pretty good at is getting great posed shots while traveling, which is especially skillful when you realize I only have one pose -- smiling. On our last trip to Egypt I got the idea to share some of the things we picked up along the way and hopefully at least one of these ideas will help you next time you're out and about.
1. Pay attention to your clothes. Just like in regular posed shots, clothing can make a big difference. When packing for a trip take a minute to think about how you’ll look in the photos. I’m not saying to pack a fancy wardrobe (I traveled for a year with just a couple shirts), but choose a color that flatters you well and that will stand out or complement your surroundings.
No matter where I am in the temples of Angkor, you can spot me easily because I'm wearing hot pink!
If you do want to look stylish, but are concerned about space, I’d suggest packing a couple scarves so you can quickly change your outfit and add variety.
I wore the same shirt every day on our trip to Egypt.
But you don't notice because I distract you with scarves.
It's like a super power.
Also, keep in mind that accessories like your raincoat, umbrella and bag may end up being the star of every photo you're in. So choose wisely.
It rained every day we were in Paris. Luckily my umbrella and coat matched and brought color to what would have been drab photos.
2. Wait for your moment. You've probably experienced being somewhere just at the same time as everyone else. Trying to get a photo in these circumstances can be difficult and stressful. The thing to remember is to stop and wait. Enjoy the surroundings, people watch, and before too long you'll probably experience an ebb in the flow and a quiet moment will be yours to get the shot you want. Even in really busy places, just waiting a minute or two can be the difference between a great shot and a ho hum shot.
A minute either way and this shot would have had more tourists than just me.
3. Try a different angle. Sometimes the crowds are just too big to get that ideal photo. If that’s the case, try a different angle. Try getting up on a ledge and shooting up or down. Try moving your feet and walking around to the back or the side. You’d be surprised at how many people never make it past the entrance.
The front of Angkor War is always swarming with people, but in the back there is no one, and it looks just as cool back there.
This view going up minimizes the number of extra people in the photo with me.
Don't forget to look down as well.
Sometimes you just need to embrace the crowd: the Mona Lisa is more interesting in context.
4. Get the spacing right. When you’re trying to capture a monument or building, spacing is key. In my experience, people tend to stand exactly in the wrong place, getting photos which highlight neither the person, nor the background. Stand close, or stand far away, but try not to stand in the middle.
Okay photo. Neither me nor the background looks exciting.
This zoom is much better at focusing on my face and the view of Budapest behind me.
With me far away you can see the emptiness and size of this church in Zagreb.
5. Look beyond the typical travel backgrounds. When you’re out and about is the best time to find new and exciting backdrops for a great profile shot. Keep an eye out for graffiti, interesting walls, flowers, etc which may not be a well recognized landmark, but can make a terrific posed shot.
Jordan looks tough against this wall of chains.
This wall of graffiti makes a bright and colorful backdrop.
6. Embrace your inner tourist. The best advice I can give is don’t be embarrassed to stop and take a photo. Whether you've traveled far, or just down the road, photos are a giant reason why we remember special moments. Don’t be embarrassed to stop and get the shot you want. You can be pretty sure that no one is going to remember a lone tourist stopping for a photo, but for years after you will be able to remember that one moment.
I'm sure that guy in the background won't remember me from any other tourist who stopped to immortalize eating ice cream in the steps of ancient Egyptians.
I hope you enjoyed this read! Definitely don't leave if you you're new to digital scrapbooking. We have some incredible stuff thanks to have some of the best designers around. (I may be a little bit biased, but it's the truth. ;) I particularly want to highlight our great collection of digital scrapbooking papers.
Blog By
About Me
Hi There! I’m Marisa Lerin and you’ll see me around at DigitalScrapbook.com a lot. I started this site in 2010 soon after I discovered a new love in digital scrapbooking. DigitalScrapbook.com has gone through some significant changes since that time and it’s grown into this lovely community site you are seeing now. I am daily surprised by the turn of life’s events that has led me down this path. If you're new to the site, welcome! Here are a few tidbits about me that I hope will help you get to know me better!
I’m originally from Minnesota, USA, but spent a good chunk of my childhood living abroad (in Bolivia and Hong Kong). I returned to Minnesota to attend university, got married and then moved overseas again (Korea, then Jordan and 1 year of traveling). My designs are heavily influenced by these many nomadic years. I am currently back in the USA, now living in the great state of Oregon!
I have no official training for what I’m doing, since I decided very wisely (haha) to study physics in university. I am always learning new things about digital scrapbooking, and this community has been immensely helpful for that!
If I manage to stop digital scrapbooking you will probably find me watching TV, reading or baking. I also enjoy writing for the blog here at DigitalScrapbook.com where I talk about whatever happens to be catching my fancy at the moment.
Monthly archive
- November 2012 (9)
- December 2012 (37)
- January 2013 (17)
- February 2013 (13)
- March 2013 (20)
- April 2013 (26)
- May 2013 (29)
- June 2013 (9)
- July 2013 (8)
- August 2013 (13)
- September 2013 (16)
- October 2013 (14)
- November 2013 (16)
- December 2013 (12)
- January 2014 (15)
- February 2014 (9)
- March 2014 (15)
- April 2014 (11)
- May 2014 (4)
- June 2014 (9)
- July 2014 (8)
- August 2014 (7)
- September 2014 (8)
- October 2014 (13)
- November 2014 (6)
- December 2014 (3)
- January 2015 (13)
- February 2015 (14)
- March 2015 (14)
- April 2015 (13)
- May 2015 (12)
- June 2015 (11)
- July 2015 (10)
- August 2015 (8)
- September 2015 (7)
- October 2015 (10)
- November 2015 (8)
- December 2015 (10)
- January 2016 (7)
- February 2016 (6)
- March 2016 (8)
- April 2016 (7)
- May 2016 (8)
- June 2016 (8)
- July 2016 (6)
- August 2016 (5)
- September 2016 (8)
- October 2016 (8)
- November 2016 (11)
- December 2016 (7)
- January 2017 (6)
- February 2017 (12)
- March 2017 (10)
- April 2017 (7)
- May 2017 (9)
- June 2017 (9)
- July 2017 (10)
- August 2017 (7)
- September 2017 (11)
- October 2017 (8)
- November 2017 (9)
- December 2017 (8)
- January 2018 (8)
- February 2018 (8)
- March 2018 (8)
- April 2018 (4)
- May 2018 (9)
- June 2018 (9)
- July 2018 (4)
- August 2018 (5)
- September 2018 (13)
- October 2018 (19)
- November 2018 (18)
- December 2018 (14)
- January 2019 (23)
- February 2019 (20)
- March 2019 (17)
- April 2019 (14)
- May 2019 (17)
- June 2019 (14)
- July 2019 (8)
- August 2019 (3)
- September 2019 (14)
- October 2019 (17)
- November 2019 (16)
- December 2019 (6)
- January 2020 (14)
- February 2020 (20)
- March 2020 (16)
- April 2020 (18)
- May 2020 (19)
- June 2020 (16)
- July 2020 (8)
- August 2020 (5)
- September 2020 (8)
- October 2020 (10)
- November 2020 (10)
- December 2020 (7)
- January 2021 (4)
- February 2021 (9)
- March 2021 (8)
- April 2021 (7)
- May 2021 (7)
- June 2021 (7)
- July 2021 (10)
- August 2021 (7)
- September 2021 (8)
- October 2021 (5)
- November 2021 (7)
- December 2021 (6)
- January 2022 (5)
- February 2022 (7)
- March 2022 (9)
- April 2022 (6)
- May 2022 (7)
- June 2022 (4)
- July 2022 (2)
- August 2022 (1)
- September 2022 (3)
- October 2022 (6)
- November 2022 (4)
- December 2022 (6)
- January 2023 (4)
- February 2023 (5)
- March 2023 (6)
- April 2023 (5)
- May 2023 (5)
- June 2023 (5)
- July 2023 (5)
- August 2023 (5)
- September 2023 (5)
- October 2023 (4)
- November 2023 (4)
- December 2023 (5)
- January 2024 (4)
- February 2024 (5)
- March 2024 (2)
Recent Comments
Great tips! The Mona Lisa picture made me smile-- our strategy was to get to the Louvre right at opening and make a beeline for that first, so we managed to get a selfie with us and the portrait before all the rest of the tourists showed up. :D
Wow. Super tips and great photos to go with. Thanks for re-posting!
Fantastic article. Thank you! These tips are so helpful, especially the 'spacing' one -- I take the boring 'middle' shot all the time but your examples perfectly illustrate the right way to do it. The wardrobe and accessory advice is great! I'm going to go repack right now!
great ideas!
have to pack scarves for the next trip! :D
Great tips, enjoyed reading this a lot, thanks!
well done !!!
Bummer! I just got back from Hawaii and I should have read this post BEFORE I went!! Great ideas!
I've never thought about considering my wardrobe for vacation photos- good tips!
Heading out on a trip next week to visit close friends. Will be trying these tips!
Thank you for sharing these neat tips I will have to try them on our next outing.
You gave some good tips I had not thought of before. Thanks.
Really great tips! Thank you Marisa
fantastic tips! thanks!
I find myself coming back to this post again and again. It's such good advice!
Thank you again :-)
Thank you Marisa, this is very helpful for me to know, especially when I'm out in nature and to be mindful of the clothes, surroundings, and angels. Also 'wait for your moment' and 'embrace your inner tourist' are things that I hadn't realized I was doing (or not doing for that matter) but now I'm aware I had actually done that and missed photos as a result. Thanks for pointing these out as they are really important for me and I'm sure anyone who has missed a photo opportunity for those reasons will appreciate these helpful reminders :)
Great tips! Thanks for sharing :-)
Isn't it funny how sometimes you learn more from a friendly person than from a course on photography. I love how you incorporated not only photography tips but also packing and travel tips. I hope I can use some of your tips for my upcoming trip to Hawaii.
Thanks Marisa - great tips and I would NEVER have noticed it was the same shirt !!!
I really enjoyed this article and will try to incorporate some of the great tips… I always overpack - I need to take more scarves and less clothes!! LOL
These are not only great photography tips but fabulous packing tips as well!
Thank you for sharing :-)
wow, those were some really great tips .... some of the things i do, but some I never even thought of.
I love your travel photos. I would love to travel, but my husband doesn't like it...*sigh*. I see you had a chance to see the Mona Lisa. I actually got to see her when I was very young and was only about 2 feet away from it. She was at the local art gallery where I was taking art lessons. Its kinda a funny story - one of the kids I was with reached into the booth to touch the painting and set off all the alarms. We were escorted out of the gallery by about 20 armed security officers. We were only 11 years old at the time and didn't understand what the painting meant to the world...
Great tips! Thanks so much for taking the time to write this post.
I've been a photographer for over 20 years and never learned these things in photography. We were taught how to make sure no one "extra" would be in your shot or you just don't get it. I also have never traveled much but plan to do some very soon durring the next year so thank you so much for this. Is it to soon to tell you I love you? LOL
love your pictures and advice! thanks!
Thanks so much for the tips!
The photographs are beautiful! I especially love the ones from Angkor.
Thanks! Great tips, great photos, great trips!
great travel trips, Marisa! and your pictures are wonderful! i will try the scarf trick!
Thank you so much for the great tips - going to use it for my everyday photos too :)
Great suggestions. Thanks
Great ideas. Thanks for sharing them!
You look so pretty in pink xoxox Beth
Thanx for the awesome tips! Your photos are amazing!
totally bookmarking this post! wonderful tips for all sorts of photography! and, oh, the places you've been...amazing!
Thank you Marisa for all the tips. This is one thing that I am working on this year - to take better photos!
Your travel photos are amazing!! And love your tips, especially about changing an accessory, totally didn't notice the same shirt, awesome idea!! Thanks!
Thank you for these amazing useful tips! I will definitely use your scarf tip for my trip to Indonesia next week! Then I can try to travel lighter;).
Wow! What great pictures... Thanks for the tips. Now, if I just had somewhere to go...
Thanks so much for the tips. Gives me many ideas. :D
great pictures, and great tips! I never thought about my wardrobe before. I'll keep that in mind the next time I pack for a trip. :)
These are great tips! I would have never thought about the wardrobe aspect! I need more bright scarves. :) The last tip is probably the one I need to work on. I don't like other people watching me take a picture, which is silly.
Thank you for the tips. Love seeing all the art at yhe places you've been.
Loved reading the tips and looking at the beautiful photos. Your camera takes beautiful pictures. The places you have been are amazing...I could only hope to go to one of those places in my lifetime..you both are so lucky!!
great tips! thank you
What GREAT suggestions! Every one of them was an "Ah-HA"! moment, for me. I always marveled at those great photos of yours.