Photos: when a selfie does not work

I look for couples who are taking selfies and offer to take their pictures…..then they return the favor. Have some great shots from Amsterdam.

I hate pictures of myself and always decline when someone offers to take a photo of me. On my recent trip, I was always offering to take photos of a couple when I say one taking a picture of the other. I sure hope some of my photos were good enough for them to frame. And I was a little surprised at how quickly people handed me their phones. I was thinking, I would sure make a good phone thief. 😊

The last 3 I remember are the 1) Slea Head loop in Dingle, 2) the path of the gods in Amalfi, and 3) Iguazu falls in Argentina.

1) A frame worthy picture of my rental car; 2) actually frameworthy; 3) a beautiful picture of the stranger's son

I can't remember a time when I've asked a stranger to take one. Occasionally they offer and a very good one was taken of us in Santorini, but so often they're a disappointment because I find there is less personality in a posed photo than a spur of the moment selfie.

Looking at the traveI photos on our walls, none are of us staring at the camera. I prefer shots we get of each other doing something. I drive my wife crazy because I take a lot of photos of her from behind waking into the scenery. I think it's much more personal, but all she sees is her butt.

We do it all the time and everywhere we go. Some have been framed and some have been used on our Christmas cards throughout the years. When I see someone trying to take a selfie I will often offer to take their photo, and most people are happy to reciprocate. Only one time did someone ask me if I was going to steal their phone. LOL

I will usually offer to take a picture when I see a family or a small group, and the person trying to take the photo is going to be left out of the picture.

The last thing I want is a picture of me, and so I never ask people to take my photo.

80% of our photos with a person in them are of my husband (much to his displeasure). He'll occasionally turn the tables on me so we get some photos of me either laughing/goofing around or looking like I'm posing for a mugshot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYekAmN2AAg

In front of the Treasury at Petra was a recent great one. And actually the couple asked me if I would take theirs and then they took mine. Tom and Nike from the Netherlands and it turned into a delightful 20 or 30 minute conversation afterwards. Then we took a selfie all together - another fun travel memory that is about people as well as place. And yes, it was a good photo - but I won’t frame it. :)

Allan had a thread a while back about being in photos and, having recently digitized most of my old pictures, I pointed out that I have found those I am in are the ones my kids and other family like the best. They love that I travel and they love seeing me enjoying my travel. The photos of an empty beautiful place just aren’t as meaningful to them. The “empty beautiful place” photos are the ones I enjoy by myself.

I think people and their selfies get a bad rap because of this overwhelming attitude that people have, that others are just showing off. I've probably written this before, but we take a daily selfie because my mom one asked if we were really there. She said all she was seeing was scenery, and nobody having a good time. She lives vicariously through our trips and so we began posting daily photos, including one selfie on Facebook for her benefit.

We have a couple of photos that strangers took for us that ended up in our travel books. One was on the Rialto Bridge in Venice, another in the Schonbrunn Garden in Vienna.

Two weeks ago I was at Pisa for the Luminara of San Ranieri. I was standing on the bridge over the Arno River (to view the 100,000 wax candles) behind a couple trying to get a decent photo of themselves. I offered to take their photo, and she invited me afterwards to stand in the prime spot next to them for the evening!

One thing I have noticed when people share photos, is the lack of photos of the photographer. I’m guilty of it too. However, like TexasTravelmom said, other people want to see you in the photo. And if you think you won’t look good, just remember that 10 or 20 years from now, you will look back on your photos with you in them and think “ dang, I looked good!”

A young man and his elderly looking female companion took a photo of a friend and I at a local beauty spot years ago; but when I said if you give me your camera I'll take one of you and your mother for you, he got very annoyed and said "That's not my mother, that's my wife."
Kept my mouth shut for a long time after that.....

We do the trade off thing when someone else is taking pictures. I always go 2nd...and ask if they want heads chopped off or not. 2nd because I just gave them an idea

I had an amusing experience on a RS tour.
One couple ended up having somebody take their photo at every interesting spot on the trip. They chose me at one of the first spots, and I carefully arranged the photo to include the best portion of the view, and both of the people.
After looking at the photo, the guy complained bitterly that I hadn't centered them in the photo. They never had me take another photo. 😁

Arrived early at the Louvre. First through security so decided not to skip Mona Lisa (as I had initially intended). A Canadian couple caught up with me. They were first through in a different line (they had prepaid tickets, I had a pass) but had a couple bags to check. We took photos of each other "alone" with the Mona Lisa - at least ten minutes in front of the influx of visitors.

My partner and I were admiring the Eiffel from the Trocadero on a wonderful sunny October Sunday afternoon and a young couple noticed me using my camera. They asked me if I would take some photos of them using their camera. They were really happy with them and offered to do the same for us using my camera and the portraits turned out to be some of the best photos we've ever had taken of us together. I used one of them for a large framed canvas print I had made at Shutterfly which turned out near perfect. Sometimes strangers can turn out to be wonderful (and talented!) people.

The last time i asked someone to take our photo was in Sausalito, Ca, with the SF bay behind us. My friend was visiting from Washington State, it turned out so well i did frame it. I always look for someone in their 20s or 30s, they usually always take good ones.

When I'm asked, I always ask if there if they have a vision in mind that they want in the photo. Some have no clue, while others do. I always wait until they've checked the photo to make sure they're happy. I don't mind a do- over.

I have one framed; but its a tad off topic because I know the person who took the photo, still l like the story and the moment is one of my favorites when traveling.

I stood in the the middle of Maidan in 2016 and asked a friend to take a photo.

A gentleman in his 60's, not expensively dressed, but still well dressed for a day out for a walk; he approached me and began criticizing me .... in Ukrainian .... took a minute to figure it out but my belt buckle wasn't centered, my shirt needed a button done and tucked in a bit better, my Aggie cap was a bit crooked and on and on ...

With all the corrections made, I put my arm around him, pulled him close and that is the photo I got; my favorite of all my holiday photos.

I worry about him every day.

I carry a DSLR and look for others who also have such cameras. I often suggest that they take our picture, and that I will take theirs. Since most are decent photographers, the pix are often quite good.