This is a guest post by Nick about photography. And while he does take many of the photos for this blog, this post focuses on a specific kind of photo: the ones that he also appears in!
While photography may be an art, getting a stranger to take a good photo of you is a science. And like many of my high school science experiments, it can go horribly wrong. You know the scenario. You’re traveling with the hubs, the lady, friends (or by yourself, more power to you) and you want a photo together to preserve the moment. So you flag down the first person who doesn’t look like a convicted felon and hand them your phone.
You expect to get this:
On Jean: (found a similar bow-back peplum top!) full outfit details are in this post
But in reality, you get this:
You may recognize the style of this particular shot—it’s the work of The Sun Worshipper. This person believes direct sun on your face = best photo. And they’re just one of the many challenging breeds of photo-takers you might encounter on your travels. Some others include:
The One-Shot Bandit
*Clicks once before you’re ready* “Oh it’s perfect! Here ya go!” *Puts in headphones & runs off*
The Artistic Visionary
(look out for their exhibition next month at MoMA)
The Razr Lovr
(this person still uses a Motorola Razr and has never operated a smartphone before *ahem* Dad)
The guide below will help you navigate these murky, blurry, blown-out, stranger-filled waters with a few simple tips that have yielded us some nice couple shots from unlikely sources (I’m looking at you, Carl our 4.1-star Uber driver). The techniques might seem obvious at first, but as with any good photo, the difference is in the details.
The Ask-A-Stranger Method
The trick is to take all decision making out of the stranger’s hands. Their only job should be to hold and tap. In fact, don’t even think of them as a person. For these 60 seconds, they are your human tripod (Editor’s Note: do not look up “human tripod” on Urban Dictionary).
1. Setup
Before you ambush an unsuspecting tourist, take some test photos. Frame it exactly how you want it. Then position your travel buddy in the shot, making sure they leave a space for you. Soft, even lighting is optimal, so look for an evenly shaded area if it’s really sunny out.
(Gear Tip: Stick with a smartphone. Asking a stranger to use your DSLR rarely works out.)
2. Scouting (aka harmless stereotyping)
Remember, you’re not looking for an artistic visionary. All you really need is someone with a functioning finger. But it also helps if they’re not in a hurry, younger, have a smartphone or camera of their own (indicators of technological competency), and are not insanely tall. I also avoid the guy who looks like he’s on a photo safari. Sometimes tourists with the biggest cameras know the least about good photography.
Bonus Tip: Scout for people struggling with their own selfie or couple photo, offer to take it (of course, impress them with your technique), then nonchalantly ask them to return the favor.
If your only option is someone way taller, ask them to hold the camera lower. Or else, this:
3. Instructions
Once you’ve spotted your prey friendly volunteer, lure them in by struggling to take a selfie while loudly cursing your ancestors for your short t-rex arms. Or, just politely ask if they’d mind snapping a quick photo.
Once they’ve agreed to help, show them the exact framing of your shot on the screen. It’s best to use fixed objects as clear reference points to help define the composition (i.e. “keep this tree in the upper left and this chair in the lower right”).
Or, leave the framing up to them—if you want to discover chins you didn’t know you had.
4. The Hand-off
This seemingly simple step is the most critical. You don’t want to just hand them the phone. Instead, gingerly pivot your body out of the way, keeping the phone stationary with your shot still framed. Let the person come forward and take the phone right where you’re holding it. It helps solidify the importance of the framing.
5. Tap Like Crazy
Ask for several shots. To some people “a lot” is two photos. So to get your point across, wildly gesticulate like you’re playing Candy Crush (Editor’s Note: Nick has never actually played Candy Crush and has no idea if this analogy is accurate). It also helps to say, “Please take a bunch. We’re going to try different poses,” so the person knows why you want them to keep snapping. Because if you’re like me, you only look acceptable in 1 out of every 25 shots.
6. Try Again
If the photos are just a little off, don’t be afraid to ask them for another round. But if it’s beyond hope, wait for them to leave, then go back to Step 2 and try harmless stereotyping scouting again.
Setup and scouting time—the opportune moment to practice your poses and duckface.
On Nick: old JCP sweatshirt (very similar), J.Crew chinos, Sperry shoes (similar)
The Old-Fashioned Tripod Method
Sometimes there’s no one around or you just don’t feel like asking others. Thankfully, someone invented this non-human camera stand thing called the tripod. And there are many super-compact ones, or selfie sticks that double as tripods, available with bluetooth remotes. The phone tripod kit we use is compact and versatile, however the bluetooth remote disconnects sporadically (but it does work for Boomerang, which not all remotes do).
A Few Tripod Notes:
– The downside of a light, compact tripod is it can also be unstable, so even a slight breeze can knock them (and your phone) over. Weigh it down with some clothes or prop it up against a tree if it’s windy.
– The combo of bluetooth and having your camera app on for extended periods of time is a huge power suck, so definitely bring a mobile phone battery. We like this one with the charging cables built right in.
Simple Photo Editing
So you’ve managed to get 100 photos of yourself, and a handful of them aren’t terrible! Don’t get too excited and go on a posting frenzy just yet. There’s a good chance your pictures could benefit from some light photo editing. VSCO is a great free app for mobile editing (Jean likes adding just a little bit of the C1 filter). And even the Instagram editing tools have gotten pretty good.
Easy edits made within the VSCO phone app
Since you weren’t able to control the brightness of the image when it was taken, you’ll at least want to play with exposure, and maybe the highlights and shadows. Add a little contrast, clarity, and sharpening if you’re feeling adventurous, but don’t overdo it.
And there you have it. With just a little awkward social interaction and some causal ageism, you can get strangers to take better photos of you. Good luck and happy snapping.
We hope you enjoyed the read! Let us know in the comments any requests for future guest posts!
I made the mistake of reading this post at work and I got some funny looks for giggling at my desk. This was informative, funny, and brilliantly written. Thanks Nick! You guys are very lucky to have each other.
Ellie x
http://www.shoestringthreads.com
Great tips! I travel/explore Japan solo quite often so asking others to take my photo has become my specialty. I agree that not everyone with good cameras knows how to take good photos. On the other side, it's also a better bet to give them your phone vs. DSLR, people instantly get scared of mine 😀 Snapseed is another of my favorite apps for editing, especially for food photography! xoxo, nano | http://www.travelwithnanob.com
Loved this post! So helpful and also funny at the same time. Very well written!
100% agree 🙂 Thanks for sharing – helpful tips and it was hilarious to read!
Love love love this post! These are some awesome tips. Fiance and I barely have any pictures together because of this reason. We aren't exactly the photogenic type so having the right angle and lighting is essential for us. We will definitely try these. I would love it if you could also share some tips on posing and editing. Thanks Jean and Nick. You guys are so cute and awesome together
Great Tips! Thank you.
xo. SN
http://www.sahonynatasha.com
Love the expectation vs reality photos =D =D =D and that bonus tip under scouting… makes me think about one particular time when my husband and I were in Maui for our honeymoon. We were on the beach and I took an amazing photo of a couple who fit the "couple struggling with their selfie" situation. They looked at it and loved it. They were reciprocating the love for us and I was expecting the pic to look amazing as well, but… didn't quite look the same. Haha
This post was hilarious and helpful. Thank you so much. Will have to look into a tripod for the phone.
Haha! This was just what I needed! <3 I doubt only 1/25 looks good for you! Probably only 1/25 doesn't look good. Oh silly you!
XOXO //
SINCERELY OPHELIA | NYC Petite Fashion Blogger
Haha I always like Nick's posts. They're funny! Thanks for the tips. 🙂
Haha this is so cute, I love it! I don't have anybody to take picture with so yea… But I will have to get myself a trip pod for sure, thanks for sharing <3
https://www.myblackcloset.com/
Bahaha this was such a cute, funny, helpful post! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Jae || http://www.allthatjae.com
This post was so useful! It never occurred to me to take a few minutes to frame the photo and make it as easy as possible for the stranger that we enlist. My hubby and I don't have enough photos of the two of us but hopefully this will change. Thank you!
xo Elizabeth
stylewich.com
So informative and funny! Love it! Look forward to more guest posts in the future!
Great post! I'd love a little tutorial in photo editing whether on VSCO, or a different app. I've downloaded and then deleted so many because I didn't find them user friendly.
This post was hilarious…loved it!
Thanks for this, loved the tip on searching human tripod! 😉
Wish I had read this before getting every "what you don't want" shot this afternoon in Mexico City. But, thanks to these tips, I have hope tomorrow will be better!
Yes! I second this! Tips on posing would be great!
This was such a fun read! I love the double chins hahaha
You take beautiful pictures! I think if someone stopped me on the street and was this particular, though, I'd ask them to find someone else. Or get a tripod. It would be intimidating to work with someone so particular, and if you're stopping me on my trip to take shots of you in several poses… I wouldn't be into that.
Loved this post! And thanks for the VSCO love! Awesome to know that she uses our filters.
Love this post! And thanks for the VSCO love…nice to know you enjoy our filters!
HAHAH! This post was awesome! Possibly my favorite one (sorry, Jean – your clothes one are lovely too, haha). I particularly liked the "sample" photos of who you might asking to take your pics or how it can go wrong! 🙂 Have experienced them all!
Lighten up! If I read this post correctly, the point is do all the prep work yourself so a passerby just has to tap the phone a few times.