How To Coach Bae To Take the Perfect Travel Photo

Guest Writer: Stephanie Maisonneuve

While many of us have mastered the art of the selfie, there are times when you want that perfect photo that only another can take. This is especially true when you’re traveling. Travel selfies are great, but it’s important to mix it up a bit. With that in mind, if you’re traveling with bae, who’s better to take that shot than the one who knows you best? Forget asking random strangers to take your picture (it’s very likely they won’t know your angles like bae would and you can’t really boss them around as much). So, if you want to capture some great moments, but you’re not sure about your significant other’s photography skills, we put together 5 tips to help you, help them, to help you!

Sunlight is everything

If you’re outside, the sun can either be your best friend or worst enemy when posing for a picture. When taking an outdoor picture, surprisingly, cloudy days make for nice settings for photos because the amount of sunlight is constant, and not too bright where it may ruin the image. However, if you’re on a sunny, tropical island somewhere, you definitely want to reflect that in your photo, so make sure the sun is behind your partner in crime when they’re taking the shot. With that said, you also want to avoid having the sun shining directly in your face; otherwise, there’s a good possibility the hard dark shadow cast from the sun may ruin the picture. The best thing to do is to move around a bit and find the right position with just the right amount of sunlight to make your picture pop.

Shoot at eye level 

When posing for a picture, the height of your photographer in relation to you is very important to the result. It is important to remind bae that they need to shoot at your eye line. Professional photographers recommend shooting at your eye level or slightly below because it has a drastic effect on how you will appear in the picture. So if they’re taller or shorter than you are, they may need to make adjustments in how they position themselves in order to capture the best shot. Unless it is intentional, you never want the camera to look down on you or up at you.

The simpler the background, the better

While you definitely want the beauty of your surroundings to be captured in any picture you take while you’re traveling, when you’re posing for a picture, you should be the main subject of the photo. When looking for places to shoot, have your partner scout out places that aren’t too busy, and where the focus can be directly on you. You don’t want to stand in an area where people are constantly walking back and forth because it can be stressful on the person who is taking the photo, and completely ruin the shot. You and bae may have to even go early in the morning to popular attractions to avoid large crowds from photobombing you. When taking pictures, the simpler the background, the better. So make sure bae is on the lookout to capture that perfect shot.

Have them get up close and personal

The more you fill the frame of the picture, the better the image will look. When getting your picture taken, it is important that the photographer is not so far away that you get lost in the frame. While you definitely want them to capture the environment around you, this is YOUR picture, and you are the star. To get the best shots, have bae hold the camera in the portrait position. The reason for this is because people are typically taller than they are wide. Additionally, closer shots make your picture more intimate and captures your energy effortlessly. Close shots can be taken for both headshots and full body shots. Just keep in mind that the closer your boo is to you, more of you is cut out of the picture, so adjust accordingly.

Your pose matters

Finally, while you’re not taking the picture, it is up to you bring personality to the photo. While distance and camera positioning are up to bae, your pose and knowing what angles look best on you is up to you! One trick is to NOT look directly into the camera. Try looking slightly away from the camera for a more professional effect. Subtle turns of your head can have a dynamic effect on the photo in a great way. It’s also important to know your “good side.” That’s the side of your face that looks best when photographing (yes, everyone has one). Now, remember to relax and have fun, and don’t forget to tell bae to snap, snap, and snap away. We need at least 100 shots per pose. Ok, ok we’re kidding. No, not really.

For more tips on how to get bae to become your VIP (very important photographer) check out the hashtag #travelgram to get ideas ahead of your trip on how to take the best travel photos.

Photo credits:Yonko Kilasi, Jakob Owens, Spencer Dahl, Philipe Cavalcante, Eye for Ebony

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