Posing for photos is surprisingly difficult. Honestly, posing correctly for location, outfit and body type does not come naturally to anyone. In order to help you advance in your photo-posing skills quicker than I did, I’m giving you access to over 25 easy poses for travel photos that anyone can do.
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If a product is purchased using one of the following links, I may earn a small commission from the brand at no cost to you.
But first, I want to let you know about a couple other blog posts I have that you’re going to want to check out next:
- Cheap Travel Camera Gear For Better Travel Photos
- 15 Easy Beginner Tips To Elevate Your Travel Photography
- 115 Travel Instagram Captions You Need In 2023
Now, let’s dive into the best poses for travel photos.
Posing Basics: How should I pose for pictures while traveling?
It is important to know a few of the basics when it comes to posing. Here are five pro posing tips to remember as we go through the specific poses for travel photos.
1. Pose To Evoke Emotion
A good photo evokes strong emotion. Try to evoke the exact emotion you feel at the time of taking the photo.
Perhaps you feel a sense of awe, happiness, curiosity or seriousness. Show the viewers how you feel. This can be done through facials, lighting, editing and, of course, posing.
2. Keep Your Hands Busy
Keep your hands busy if possible. Touch your cheek, put your hand on your hip, run your fingers through your hair and use props whenever you can.
Of course, there will be times when you have nothing to do with your hand(s). So, when that’s the case, loosen up and let them hang naturally.
3. Point Your Toes
Whenever you’re sitting or have a foot off the ground in a photo, your toes should be pointed. This will elongate your legs and look a lot less awkward.
If you can’t point your toes in the shoes you’re wearing, such as hiking boots, flex your feet. Basically, just don’t leave them dangling.
4. Avoid Touristy Poses
Touristy poses (like jumping, peace signs, or awkwardly standing and smiling) are fun and location-appropriate sometimes.
But, if you want to look like your favorite travel influencer, avoid these poses the majority of the time.
5. Combine These Posing Tips Together
As you browse through the following travel photo poses, you will notice that I often combine two or more of these posing basics together. Once you practice and get the hang of it, combing the tips will become second nature.
Poses For Travel Photos
1. Make triangles with your arms.
This may sound a little peculiar at first, but making triangles with your arms is an industry trick-of-the-trade in the world of photography.
Making triangles brings definition to your muscles, elongates your torso and, overall, brings more life to every photo. It will also help you feel less stiff and more natural, which is the goal.
2. Make a triangle with one of your legs.
The same rule applies with your legs.
Make a triangle with your legs by bending or popping one of them.
3. Hold on to the back of your hat.
I always bring hats on my trips. As you can see, hats make fantastic travel photo props. Plus, they give you something to do with your hands.
Often times, the wind is actually so strong where you are taking travel photos that you have know choice but to hold on to your hat.
Other times, holding the back of your hat can make the viewers imagine that there is wind, and this helps the viewers imagine that they themselves are at the location.
4. Lean against a wall or other nearby object.
This pose is pretty self-explanatory; just be careful not to slouch too much while you lean.
Leaning straight-up gives an element of calm-and-collected to the photo, which looks particularly fitting in luxury travel and beach photos.
5. Run away from the camera.
Again, one of the key ways to producing a high-quality travel photo is to evoke emotion and desire.
Running away from the camera toward an object in the photo will make the viewer want to run toward the view with you, and it creates an exciting feeling of FOMO (fear of missing out).
6. Run toward the camera.
The previous rule applies here, too.
Running happily toward the camera leaves a cheerful and frolick-y impression on the viewer, which is exactly what us travelers feel when we’re at a new destination.
7. Face away at an angle and look back at the camera.
This is, hands down, one of the most flattering travel photo poses.
Plus, this is an excellent pose to use when there is nothing in the photo to sit or lean on.
Take this travel photo pose to the next level by holding a prop with your back arm, such as a hat, purse or beverage.
8. Face away and pop one leg.
Facing the view with your back to the camera and one leg popped is another extremely flattering pose.
It simultaneously brings attention to both you and the view, without taking away from the view.
9. Look up and tilt your head back slightly.
As previously mentioned, the goal with any travel photography is to evoke emotion.
Looking up and tilting your head back will evoke a sense of freedom, which many people feel — or desire to feel — while traveling. You can smile or keep a more serious facial expression here.
10. Focus on the background
This “pose” is more of a camera trick than a physical pose, but I add it to the list, nonetheless.
Focusing on the view rather than the subject shows the viewer exactly what they would see if they were with you. If the viewer was at the location with you, and if you were standing slightly in front of them, you would be out of focus as they look directly at the view.
To get the most blur, you will need a camera lens with a low f-stop. I suggest getting one with an f-stop under 2.0, like the Sigma 28-35mm F1.8 that I used in the above photos.
11. Block the sun with your hand. (Poses For Travel Photos)
Kind of like the wind-and-hat situation, sometimes you actually need to block the sun out of your face.
Not only can this pose cast a unique shadow across your face for an extra element of pattern, but it also makes a seemingly perfect photo location look a bit more realistic.
12. Play the main character.
Indulge in a main character moment while you’re traveling.
Have fun and act sassy if it fits the style of the location.
13. Look up in awe. (Poses For Travel Photos)
You know those moments when you go somewhere incredible and all you can do is look up and mutter, “Wow”? Try to reenact that feeling in your travel photos.
I especially love to use this travel photo pose in busy locations where I don’t want to look like a complete “influencer in the wild.” By looking up at the view like you would naturally anyway, you can sneak photos without bystanders even noticing that you’re posing.
14. Sit with your knees stacked.
Posing while sitting can be tricky.
The best way to pose while sitting is to sit with your knees stacked on top of one another. This pose elongates your legs, forces you to sit up straight and prevents a potentially awkward crotch shot.
15. Rock back and forth for a fake walking shot. (Poses For Travel Photos)
Would you ever guess that I wasn’t actually walking in the above photos? No? Exactly. I was just rocking back and forth!
Just like added emotion to a photo, adding motion is equally important for producing professional quality travel photos.
This posing hack comes in handy particularly when you want to stand in a specific spot of the photo frame but still want to add motion. Nobody will ever know you weren’t genuinely taking a stroll.
16. Face away and look down at an angle.
This simple pose for travel photos allows the view to speak for itself.
Its simplicity is physically flattering, and you can easily incorporate the triangle rule by popping one leg.
17. Throw your hands up. (Poses For Travel Photos)
Throwing one hand (or both hands) up in the air will inspire the viewer to travel and feel as free as you did in that moment.
P.S. if you’re a peace sign addict, this is one pose where you can throw up a peace sign appropriately without looking like a tacky tourist.
18. Throw a jacket or purse over your shoulder.
In you haven’t noticed, props are amazing when it comes to adding a little spice to your travel photos. Props can be as simple as your jacket, coat, sweatshirt, purse or scarf.
If you want an alternative way to hold your prop, throw it behind you over your shoulder.
19. Hold an object in front of you to add foreground. (Poses For Travel Photos)
A basic photography rule is to always have a defined foreground, middle ground and background whenever possible.
An obvious foreground, such as a foreground that is created when you hold an object slightly in front of you, can bring a lot of dimension to the photo, which is very pleasing to the eye.
20. Act like a drama queen.
Embrace your inner influencer, act like a drama queen and just have fun with it.
Even though you may feel silly in the moment, especially if you’re in public, remember that the awkwardness lasts 30 seconds but the amazing travel photos you create will last your entire life.
Who cares what strangers think!
21. Hold food or a drink in your hand. (Poses For Travel Photos)
Food and drinks are super simple yet impactful props in travel photos. Why? Because cultural foods are a huge part of traveling to a new place. Demonstrate this part of traveling by incorporating the foods you eat (and drinks you drink) into your photos.
And, chances are, you’ll already be eating out on your trip anyway.
Bonus tip: food and drinks act as props that give you something to do with your hands.
22. Stand tall and proud.
You don’t always need fancy camera equipment or stellar pose ideas to make a great photo.
This photo from the Bonneville Salt Flats was taken on an iPhone. All I did was stand tall and proud.
23. Hold or adjust your sunglasses. (Poses For Travel Photos)
Like hats and jackets, sunglasses make great props in travel photos as well. Adjust your sunnies to add a little attitude and pizzaz.
This pose also naturally adds a triangle shape with your arm(s), which, as you know by now, is one of the best ways to elevate any pose for travel pictures.
24. Get a bird’s eye view.
Disclaimer: yes, these are drone shots. But, you don’t always need a drone to catch a bird’s eye view.
Lay down on the ground and have a friend take a photo from above. A chair, ladder or ledge of some sort will get the job done and provide your viewers with a new visual perspective.
25. Grab your jacket collar or opening. (Poses For Travel Photos)
Lastly, acting like you’re going to button your jacket (or pop your collar) keeps your otherwise limp hands busy. Not to mention, it brings more life to the photo.
And that wraps up our 25 easy poses for travel photos. Which travel photo pose are you going to try? Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag me in your posed photo for a chance to be featured on my Story.
More Tips For Travel Photos
15 Easy Beginner Tips To Elevate Your Travel Photography
Beach Picture Ideas For Instagram You Need Now
Cheap Travel Camera Gear For Better Photos
115 Travel Instagram Captions You Need To Copy
Save These Poses For Travel Photos
Save these poses for travel photos for easy access later by sharing to your socials.
Love these tips! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you like them, Brianna!