Getting travel photos with no other people in them, especially at popular or famous landmarks, can seem almost impossible. But, if you think about it, if you try to get there when most other people don’t think to, or don’t want to go, you’re obviously going to be one of the only people there.
For me it’s easy, because I’m an overly ambitious, semi-neurotic, wanna-be photographer who will literally scale a mountain in the middle of the night just to get the perfect photo. I’ve figured out every possible factor that goes into getting those travel photos with no people in them that will make you wonder if I actually photoshopped it or not.
I didn’t. It was really that empty (you can see it on my Snapchat if you don’t believe me!), I just had a few tricks up my sleeve in order to get them. There’s really no secret, but I do have some tips!
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1. Go Early AF (or No Cool Travel Photos!)
Trust me when I say, I am NOT a morning person. At all. But, I know for a fact, and have photo-evidence of no-people at popular places, when I’ve gotten there either before or as they’ve opened. If there’s an opening time, look it up online and plan to get there a few minutes before hand in case there’s still some other early-birdies trying to get the photo-worm as well.
It also helps (me) to set multiple alarms, especially if you label them with things like “GET THE F UP OR NO COOL TRAVEL PHOTOS!” and “Call the taxi NOW!”
2. Avoid Weekends and Holidays
This should be a travel photo no-brainer, but it’s meant to be more like food for thought when you’re booking your trip and making plans. Don’t forget to look up holidays and events in the country you’re going to as well as your own.
If you can travel during the week, or at least extend your trip into the beginning of the week, do it, because that’s when everyone else will be going home.
3. Don’t Go During High-Season
There’s usually a good reason why people travel during high-season, and that usually has a lot to do with the weather. Granted, you may need that good weather to actually get your perfect travel photos, but if you plan things correctly, and have some patience and tolerability, you can probably still get that perfect shot, except with no people in it.
I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and just went to India during the “rainy season”, but guess who was patient and waited for the clouds to clear along with any other people in the area? This girl.
4. Don’t Only Aim the Token Travel Photos
What makes many travel photos so appealing is that there’s an easily-recognizable landmark in the photo, which many people think you can only get from the exact spot that millions of other people have also taken the photo from.
My tip is to go as far away as possible from that token travel photo op spot, and to experiment with unique angles and lighting as well.
5. Be Patient Young Jedi
Most of my travel photos with no people in them are made possible by my ability to stubbornly wait until every last person is out of my photo frame before I take the picture. Being patient is totally worth it to get those awesome people-free travel photos, but keep in mind that it also has to be in conjunction with getting there early, and choosing less-preferred areas and angles.
6. Use Your Head…Literally.
You may notice that the majority of my photos are of some stunning landscapes…and the back of my head. I’ll admit, I include myself in my photos as my signature way of standing out from the rest of the Google images out there, but sometimes I also position my head just perfectly over that person who won’t move out of the frame, or that crowd in the distance that’s right smack in the middle of the token landmark I’m trying to snap.
Oh! I should probably mention that I use my iPhone to preview the photos that I take with my GoPro before snapping them. So I can see if there’s a person in my photo, and then I can either wait for them to move, or block them with my big head before I take the picture.
7. Use a Fast-Action Camera for Travel Photos
Not going to lie, I really wish that I owned/knew how to use a DSLR camera sometimes, but not when I’m on an ambitious ass mission to snag perfect travel photos with no people in them. Yes, a DSLR would probably take a very nice high-resolution photo, and I was told you can edit people out by putting together multiple frames of the same shot…but in my opinion, it would also take a long time to set up, position, etc. etc.
Some of my best travel photos have come from being able to whip out my camera (which it usually a GoPro Hero 4 Black, or my back up Hero 3 Silver), turn it on, and shoot the photo before the cluster of slow walking people appear from behind the bush or column they’re strolling past.
I also just use my iPhone 6 a lot to take spur of the moment photos, since the quality is pretty good, and all it takes is one swipe to turn the camera on.
8. Use Angles to Your Advantage with a “Selfie Stick”
Many of you aren’t going to like this, but, “selfie sticks” can work literal wonders when you’re trying to get travel photos with no people in them. This is of course, if you use them incorrectly. What I mean is that instead of thinking of, and using “selfie sticks” to take a photo of your face, use it to raise or lower your camera in order to adjust the angle enough so that it crops people out of it.
You don’t even have to be in the photo, you can use a selfie stick solely for the purpose of taking good travel photos with no people in them simply by raising it up as high as possible over the other people or crowds!
9. Ask People to Move (Politely)
This one also might sound a bit obnoxious, but if there’s literally just a few people standing in the way of you and some perfect people-free travel photos, don’t be afraid to politely ask if they’d mind stepping over a bit for one little second.
Sometimes all it takes is for you to show extreme frustration and forced patience by starring at them with your camera ready in hand, but for the sake of positivity, let’s just stick to politely asking them to move.
10. If All Else Fails, Incorporate the Crowd
These are all just tips I’ve come up with based on what I typically do to get my perfect travel photos without any people in them, and as you can see, most of the time it works, but there are definitely some times when it’s just not going to happen.
Sometimes I don’t always listen to my ten alarm clocks, or have time to wait for every last person to meander out of the photo, but I’m not going to just not take travel photos because there are people in them. Instead I try to get creative, and incorporate the people or crowd in a way that will add to the photo.
Sometimes the colors of people’s clothing can make a neutrally colored photo pop, or catching someone’s off-guard expression can make the whole photo more memorable. And if worst comes to worst, you can always crop them out!
Other Posts Ya Might Dig:
How to Edit Your Travel Photos Using Snapseed
How to Use a GoPro to Get Awesome Solo Travel Shots
GoPro and Travel Photography Gear Guide
Photography Gear I Use:
Pinterest Pins in case you’re Pinterested 😉
Great blog! Very informative and interesting blog for beginner travellers. Thanks for such an interesting blog, lokking forward for more.
Hey Alyssa! Awesome blog post! I think a lot of people could benefit from these tips and tricks you share!
Could I possibly use this blog in a post about Travel Tips and Tricks?
All credit would go to you of course!
Sure, thank you for asking and crediting 🙂
Working with a travel agent company now to begin some part-time work with them, and hoping to incorporate a travel blog to go along with that and my own personal adventures. Suggestions or ideas on where to start with the blog? Websites, fees, a couple things “I need to know”???
That’s awesome!! I only haven’t done a how-to-start post because I hold Blogger Bootcamps a couple time a year…but I wrote a lot of the info on the About section here!
Such an inspiration! Loved reading quite a bit about your adventures! <3
Thanks Tom! Glad you enjoy!
I love this list! You are so right, the early bird gets the worm. I also have no problem waiting until I get the exact clearing I want. Sometimes it’s a pain if you are traveling with other people but a photo is worth a thousand words right?! I might have to try that selfie stick because I only have the one for the GoPro. Using it for the iPhone would be helpful.
Thanks girl!
Amanda @ Cupcake N Dreams
Yes the selfie stick is definitely helpful to get photos of yourself if you’re traveling alone!
Nice article, I’ve always been fan of ur page and ur snapchat. Thanks for all the advices 😉
Awesome tips! I never would have thought of using a selfie stick. Now I want one. lol I can practice right here in my home town with my kids before I take my next trip. Thank you so much! Just found you via pinterest and cant wait to explore more of your site. I have a feeling I will be back many more times. 🙂
Thank you so much Jenn-lee! I really appreciate that!
Great photo tips! Is the selfie stick you use for your iphone or GoPro? If its for the GoPro are you able to use the bluetooth to take pictures or do you still have to use a phone app?
Hi Lisa! It the stick has an attachment for a GoPro or an iPhone. I know the remote works with iPhone, and I also know that the new Hero 5 has the option to “connect a bluetooth device” but I honestly haven’t tried that feature yet (and prefer using the app anyway!) 🙂
That is called Intelligence 🙂 very impressive & informative tips.we wants our photography with no people sometimes but its so hard to find till I read this post this is so helpful All I can say thanks TO YOU ALYSSA RAMOS.I am from India nice to hear from you about India as well.
Happy Travel 🙂
Thank you so much Vinita! I have much love for India!
thanks for sharing your travel life! great tips and really nice read!
Thank you Johnny!
Wow are these all taken from a GoPro? They’re really incredible. What kind of post-production do you do? Great tips for avoiding the crowds in photos! Here in Fiji, one of the most annoying things is actually coconut trees that are too tall and leave nothing but what looks like a big giant stick in my shots because the coconuts & leaves are out of shot! Sounds silly but it’s actually quite annoying.
LOL!! That’s so funny about the palm trees!!! Yes I mostly use GoPro for my shots, the only one that’s not GoPro on there I believe is the one of me standing far away…that’s just with an iPhone 🙂
Thank you Alyssa!! If only I had these tips early to get that perfect shot at Abbey Road in London. I will get it next time I have the chance. Going to try these in Italy next week.
Yes!!! Let me know how it goes 😉
I’ve always wondered how my fav instagrammers get those perfect shots without people in them. Now I know! I still want to know though how you get over the awkwardness of taking the pictures. It can take a few takes to get the perfect shot. I always feel rushed and awkward!
I TOTALLY feel you!!! I’m literally like an incognito ninja most of the time…I see the shot I want, I get my gear ready, wait until no one is around (even if briefly) then get in the shot and take as many as I can as quickly as possible hahaha!
This is awesome !
Definitely on board with the whole “going when no one else goes for that perfect shot” idea. Just recently checked out Devil’s Den in Florida and arrived in the pouring rain. But as soon as the clouds cleared, photos were prime!
Nice article! In addition: taking a long exposure makes every single moving person disappear (bit you ll neef a tripod and an big stopper) or make two or more shots an layer them in Photoshop!
These are great tips! I lack patience sometimes, so I should really try to work on that! I feel like if there’s a photo and I only have one shot to get it I accidentally make a derp face. I can’t pose under pressure! You’ve done an excellent job capturing yourself in these places without anyone! Thanks for the tips!
LOL a “derp face”!!! I totally know what you’re talking about!! That’s why I usually only take photos myself, and of the back of my head LMAO!!! Also, my patience partially comes from me wanting to avoid people watching me do the “selfie stick pose”…haha
Hi Alyssa mm…how do you promote your page at first?? How do people know you? It seems hard to get people’s attention:(
Can you give me some tipss please thankyou！
It is very hard! You have to really stand out amongst the hundreds of people trying to do the same thing as you, and you must really have quality content! I used my social media to build my page the most, as well as my articles that I write for major publications like Huffington Post and Matador Network. I still work just as hard as I did in the beginning to continue growing my site, my business, and my brand, and I always remain dedicated and honest to my audience, which is essential for a successful travel blogger!