How to pose in travel photos

After spending most of 2022 travelling and taking photos, I’ve found myself with a few poses that I always come back to for travel photos.

Being in front of the camera takes practice, and I still feel embarrassed taking photos in public sometimes. It usually takes me a day or two into the trip to warm up, but once I feel comfortable, I have so much fun!

Watch the YouTube video here:

Here are my top 10 poses to level up your travel photos:

1. Move your arms

My number one tip is to create movement. Not only does moving help you loosen up and be more comfortable, it also makes the photos look more candid. I love swinging my arms around with continuous shooting for this pose.

Bridestowe Lavender, Tasmania

Ubirr, Northern Territory

2. Hold your dress

Hands up if you don’t know what to with your hands while posing. Guilty. Holding onto your dress creates fun shapes and keeps your hands busy.

Mount Cook, NZ

South Island, NZ

Glenorchy, NZ

3. Twirl with a dress

Hold your dress and twirl around to create floaty movement within your photos. Continuous shooting works well for this pose too. Just remember to take your Apple Watch off!!

4. Arms in air

Turn around and throw your arms in the air. I love this pose to show off an amazing view. Very wanderlust.

Queenstown, NZ

Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

5. Hold a prop

Cameras, hats, flowers – keep your hands busy by holding a prop. If you’re feeling shy, do the classic ‘taking a photo of you taking my photo’ to obscure your face.

Bridestowe Lavender, Tasmania

6. Shield the sun

Shielding the sun is another cute one when you don’t know what to do with your hands. It’s also practical when the sun is directly in your eyes. Win-win.

Talia Beach, South Australia

Port Macquarie, NSW

7. Back of the head

Not gonna lie, approximately 90% of my photos are shots of the back of my head. I tell myself this is to draw attention to the scenery, but sometimes I just feel awkward or don’t feel like smiling. This is an easy one to do in public, or to warm up for other poses.

Mount Cook, NZ

8. Walking away

Pretend to walk away and look back at the camera. I love this one for a more candid look.

Port Willunga, South Australia

9. Side profile

Mix up your poses by shooting from a side angle. This works well for walking across a street, or even sitting down.

NZ Alpine Lavender

Bath, UK

10. Silhouette

This is more of a photography style than pose, but a great way to show off the location without drawing too much attention to yourself is with a silhouette shot. Achieve this by shooting with the light in front of you.