Get you (the photog) in some pics

You (the photographer) need to be in some pics

What are the best and easiest ways to not be absent in your family vacation photos if you’re the photographer?

OK my first answer to this problem is just to hand the camera off to your wife/partner/friend once in a while and make sure you get into the action. If that’s not going to work I think we can all guess on how to make a family portrait where no one is behind the camera: 1. Self timer/Intervalometer 2. WiFi/Blutooth triggering

Here’s also the moment I need to talk about carrying a couple of different tripods. I know that sounds like an awful beating but I really think it’s the best solution. The first, tripod, is your go-to semi-pro kinda thing. I love a small professional travel tripod like this MeFoto travel tripod I own. It can extend up to about 5 feet and hold anything I want to throw at it. The second, is my mini-tripod for my phone which you can find here (Manfrotto Pixie). The reason that I want everyone to carry tripods is easy, there are just too many images you might want that necessitate one. I love the big tripod for video, nightscapes, as well as family photos and I love the pixie for the exact same reasons, except it’s for all those times you just don’t want to bother with a “real” camera.

Ok so your camera is on a tripod and you’re trying to get a good record pic, usually you’re set up in front of some sign and you need a quick and easy way to trigger -

My first choice is the time-lapse feature or intervalometer. What this setting will do is shoot a picture at whatever pace you set. For instance, the intervalometer on my Fuji Xt-4 can quickly be set to take a picture every 3 seconds for 10 total frames. That means that we can try as a family for 30 seconds to get a perfect pic and I don’t have to return to the camera to reset each time. There’s also no countdown so it feels pretty quick. If you have a modern camera that includes this feature it’s a life saver. You can also use it to shoot images of yourself from a distance. Let’s say you want to get the family 100 yards from where your tripod is set up. Use the intervalometer set for say 100 frames and simply let it shoot as you all walk into position. If you get back to the camera before it’s finished you can usually just push menu to stop the sequence and all of your images will be saved.

The second trick is to use your phone to trigger your camera using the wifi or blutooth.. This technique can be great if you need to time the image to an action or a joke. For instance, you can get into position, ask everyone to make a silly face, and then start snapping by tapping your phone as many times as you like. I love shooting through moments like these so I get a big variety of images that include all laughter and funny reactions.