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    Black women of every age and income bracket can and should consider solo traveling and living abroad either permanently or semi-permanently.

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How to take great photos on Solo Travel: 5 things to do!

June 27, 2022
The photo was taken by Guide in Ubud Bali, Indonesia

Read this blog post and learn how to get good photos of yourself on solo travel. Here are 5 tips and tricks.

I am often asked how I take good pictures of myself while on solo travel. Here are the 5 methods I use to get good pics of myself on solo travel. They are all relatively low cost. Many just require your mobile phone. I use an iPhone XR for most of my pictures.

1. Master the Selfie

You can get really good photos of yourself if you master the art of taking the Selfie. Always take Selfies in front of amazing backdrops.  Practice taking selfies at home and outdoors. Determine the best light and best facial expressions.  For example, take your photo with a smile, without a smile, smile with your teeth, and without, with your mouth closed or slightly closed.  Figure out what looks you like by practice.

Here is a selfie I took at Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.

The selfie may yield lower-quality pictures but if your backdrop is on point, it will still be quite nice.

2. Bring along a remote Tripod with Bluetooth (my favorite)

Another way you can get good photos of yourself is to travel with a Selfie stick with a remote wireless shutter. I always travel with a Selfie Stick, 40-inch Extendable Selfie Stick Tripod with Wireless Remote Shutter.  I never leave home without it! It is small enough to fit easily in my personal bag or backpack.  It allows me to take great selfies as well as posed pictures. I also like this smaller tripod with a flexible stand and Bluetooth Remote that I can sit on a table to take photos as well. It’s amazing! I can wrap it around a tree branch, or the top of a chair, and get a perfect shot. It is very lightweight and takes u very little space.

Again, practice makes perfect so take some time to take photos in your leisure time. Figure out what poses and facial expressions work and then go for it! One of my favorite poses using my selfie stick tripod is the back of the headshot. Here is a favorite from a solo trip to Tulum Mexico that I took with my selfie stick tripod.

3. Take a Tour and ask your Guide

Another way you can get good photos of yourself is through tours. I love tours when I solo travel! It’s a great way to learn a lot about a city or town in a limited period of time. I regularly do guided tours with Viator and GetYourGuide, guided individual tours, and walking tours through Airbnb Experiences. All are great ways to get quality photographs if you have a tour guide with a good eye.

If you buy a guided individual tour ask your guide to take some photographs. They are usually happy to do it. You’re not always going to get the best photographs this way because most guides are not photographers. Make sure you set up the photo exactly where you want it taken, gauge your light and then just have them point and shoot. Guides make better photographers than random strangers or fellow solo travelers on your tour. They usually have experience taking pictures and usually have a better eye for a good shot. Here is a favorite photograph taken by a guide on a tour in Bali, Indonesia.

4. Ask another solo traveler

Yet another way I get good photos of myself is by asking another solo traveler. I look for someone else taking selfies traveling on their own and ask if they would be willing to take a couple of pictures of me in exchange for me taking pictures of them.

I don’t like to just walk up to random people and ask them. Instead, I will pick someone with a nice camera also trying to take a snap with a tripod, or a couple taking pictures of each other. I often zero in on younger women because younger people have a better grasp of photo technology. and young women know how to get a great snap for the gram! I will offer to take a picture for them in exchange for one of myself.

I try to assess carefully who I ask to ensure that someone doesn’t run off with my camera. Most of the time I only ask a stranger to take a photo of me on walking tours or a day trip booked through a reputable tour company. I like to use Viator and GetYourGuide, Walking tours are also a great way to make new friends while traveling solo and to get a good snap!

Here is a pic from my solo trip to Thailand that another follows solo traveler on a tour took for me.

I find this to be the method that will yield the least predictable result. So be careful. You need to pick the spot, the light and just have the person point exactly where you selected and shoot and you STILL may end up with a lackluster result.

5. Book a photographer

The final way I get good photos of myself on solo travel is by booking a photographer. This is the most expensive method but the one most likely to give you the best result! Another great thing about using a photographer is many of them will also share history, cultural intel, and restaurant recommendations with you during your photo shoot. I have gotten great information about restaurants, activities, and historical facts during photo shoots. You can find a photographer on a tour website like Viator, GetYourGuide, TripAdvisor, or Airbnb Experiences.

Be careful to READ all reviews to ensure the best outcome. Also, ask for referrals from fellow solo travelers whose photographs you admire.

I’ve gotten really great pictures this way. Prices can range from $25-$65 and up.

Here are a couple of photographs from shoots I did in Queretaro, Mexico, Florence Italy, and Venice, Italy. These photo shoots were all booked through Airbnb experiences and I love the results.

Pro Tip: Do NOT provide a review until you get your edited photos. No matter how much you like the initial photographs. I recently had a photographer take several months to send me my fully edited photographs. I had no recourse because I had already given her a good review and Airbnb was not very helpful.  Lesson Learned.

Final Tip

Take your photos early or during the golden twilight hour! The best time to take your own photographs is early in the morning or right at sunset. My favorite time is early morning before key spots get crowded and the sun is still low. The golden hour is also nice but there are likely to be more crowds so I stick to early morning.

Practice practice practice. Practice taking pictures and posing. When you’re at home, practice setting up your tripod with your phone camera and taking selfie shots and posed shots. Be patient with yourself.

Don’t take your eyes off your things when shooting in public. Always keep your eyes on your phone and never put your purse down when taking photographs in public. I suggest carrying a nice cross-body purse or waist bag that you can keep on you throughout your photo shoot.

There you have it! My five tips on how to get good pictures of yourself while Solo Travel.  Don’t forget to subscribe to this website and to my YouTube channel for video blogs (vlogs), video shorts, and more tips and tricks to make your Solo trip memorable and fun!

Thank You For Reading!

Subscribe to this website and GET YOUR FREE DIGITAL TEAM CARRY-ON PACKING GUIDE FOR THE FLY 40+ WOMAN!

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Check out these solo travel blog posts:

3 WAYS TO BUILD A SOLO TRAVEL MINDSET

10 SOLO TRAVEL MISTAKES TO AVOID!

4 MORE OF MY FAVORITE SAFETY APPS & GADGETS FOR SOLO TRAVEL!

7 SAFETY TIPS FOR WOMEN OVER 40 TRAVELING SOLO

This post may contain affiliate links to things like tours, hotels, Amazon associates, and products. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.

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Blog Posts  / Female Solo Travel over 40  / Solo Female Travel  / Solo Travel  / Solo Travel Tips  / Travel  / Travel Planning  / Travel Planning

Anne Marie Archer
I am on a mission to make solo travel accessible and fun for everyone, especially Black Women over 40, and to dispel the myth that women over 50 can’t be fashionable, comfortable, and still travel #TeamCarryon.

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  • About Me

    Anne Marie

    Hi I'm Anne Marie. I Quit my high six-figure income job, jumped off the hamster wheel, exited the American Rat Race, packed up my house and moved to Mexico in May 2021. Now I am embracing my love of solo travel while working as an HR consultant and connecting Black Women Coaches to those who need them via The BlackWomen Coach™ Directory (www.blackwomencoach.com). I have traveled to over 40 countries and I want Black Women over 40 to embrace solo travel! Stop waiting for your girlfriends, husband, boyfriend to get on the road. Go see the world and live your best authentic unapologetic and free life right now.

    We each have this one precious life – you owe it to yourself to live your life to the fullest NOW!

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    This week’s OOTW is the same 2 pc set from last week but in another fave color - Navy Blue.  I also found this on Amazon.  I paired it with my leopard Bom Dia sandals from Louis Vuitton and my fave Bucket Leopard Bag from Love Cortnie for another casual comfy look I could wear this from day right into happy hour! 

Great for travel or a day of site seeing. 

You can find the link to this outfit on my found it on Amazon list, link in bio. 

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    Just sitting here with two of my favorites. My @lovecortnie  Orange KeKe and my fave cocktail. To learn more about my favorite handbags for solo travel check out my YouTube video on my #YouTubeChannel Link in bio. #CocktailsAndHandbags #reels  #ReelsOfInstagram #instagramreels  #cosmo
    Finally found the perfect Cosmo in Mexico 🇲🇽 #cosmo #vivamexico #drinks #libation
    Did you know the #1 cause of death for US travelers is motor vehicle crashes (per the CDC).

Not human trafficking. Not abductions.
Not terrorism. 
Auto accidents. 

Here are some tips to be safe in motor vehicles on travel. 

I spent 15+ years overseeing global security in the international development sector.

The most important thing to remember when traveling alone, especially as a woman, is to practice situational awareness and common sense. If it feels wrong even for a minute don’t do it. 

I share solo travel safety and security advice based on my 15+ years of experience in the downloadable 
Bald Girl Will Travel: Guide to Travel Safety & Security for Solo Female Travelers

At $10 it’s a bargain and it will tell you what you need to know about traveling alone as a woman and doing it safely. It’s been recently updated. 

Grab it at the link in bio. 

Don’t let Social media personalities scare you. You can be safe anywhere in the world. 

Life is short. 
Book the trip.
You’re welcome

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    This week OOTW is a red 2 Pc set  I found on Amazon.  I paired it with red/navy Nike air maxes for a more casual comfy look. What I love about these is I could throw on some heels or throw on some espadrilles or sandals to completely change the look.

Great for travel or a day of site seeing. 

You can find the link to this outfit on my found it on Amazon list, link in bio. 

Follow me for more outfits of the week for the Fly 40+ solo traveler. 

See ya.✌🏾✈️

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    People see me bopping around the world and they wonder how I did it. 

The hardest part was making the decision to leave but once I decided to leave the United States the rest was easy. But I would’ve never gotten there without the help of my coach a black woman.

I know that I would’ve not taken the steps necessary to change my life and make my life better for myself without working with her. A Black woman that I hired as my executive and life coach. 

I really believe in the importance of coaching and the difference that a Black woman as a coach can make in the life of another.

If you have thought about hiring a coach to improve some aspect of your life I encourage you to do it.  do it today.

If you’re looking for a Black woman to be your coach please check out the Directory I created to connect Black women coaches with the women who need and want their services.

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Visit The BlackWomen Coach™  Directory today At www.blackwomencoach.com.
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    I’m gonna keep saying this until everybody gets it especially US!

Normalize👏🏾paying 👏🏾Black women 👏🏾full price 👏🏾

And frankly that goes double for those of us in the black community. 

Too many of us think that it’s OK to pick  the brains of members of our community especially Black women but when it  is time to pay we think we should get their intellectual magic for free or at a very reduced price.

That attitude really has to stop. 

Some of Y’all will pay the pale people top 💰💰💰but not your own 

Stop it. Their water ain’t wetter. 

And as for the pale people that goes triple for y’all cause #Reparations

Let’s do better.

#PaybackWomen #Normalizebeingblackwomenfullprice

Ps: You can buy the ☕️ mug & T-shirt at my online store. Link at @baldgirlwilltravelshop  #PayBlackWomen #PayEquity #NormalizePayingBlackWomen #Instagram #Instagramreels #ReelsOfInstagram.

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