Today the selfie stick seems to be the way to go when taking self-portraits using your phone.  It's quick and easy and you get close up shots of yourself and the background image you are trying to capture.  However, a selfie stick does not offer the same versatility as a tripod.  In fact, you can easily use your tripod as a selfie stick when required or use it as a true tripod to capture yourself and background images from a distance.

Your tripod and camera go hand-in-hand.  In fact, we often walk around holding the tripod with legs compressed and the camera attached.  This makes it quick and easy to take normal photos or setup somewhere to take a tripod photo.  A tripod will also allow you to take clear night and extended zoom photos without blurring.

With a tripod, you no longer have to hand your camera to a complete stranger asking them to take your photo.  With a tripod, there is no more wondering if the person taking your photo including everything in it the way you wanted it.

Below we describe using your tripod as well as some of the camera features you must be familiar with.  If you are taking a tripod on your trip, practice using it with your camera.  Practice your self-included photos with extended timer, extended zoom photos with short timer and night time photos with short timer and adjusted camera exposure setting.

Some camera basics
Timer:	To take self photos using your tripod, you must know how to work your camera's timer.  Most cameras have easy to access and use functions allowing you to set the shutter timers in two different modes.  The length of time may vary by camera, but in general they are something like 2 and 10 second delays. The short 2 second timer can be used when taking extended zoom photos and night photos where you will require the camera to be held completely still to avoid blurriness in your photos.  This allows you to take photos quickly without having to hit the shutter yourself and jar the camera. The longer 10 second timer allows you time to click the shutter and get into the photo before the shutter snaps.
Exposure Setting:	Many cameras have a dedicated button for the Exposure Settings.  The setting allows you to control how long the shutter stays open, usually having values of -2 to +2.  When taking night photos, you will want to set the exposure so that the shutter stays open longer to capture more light.  A negative number means the shutter will stay open a shorter amount of time letting in less light and a larger number means the shutter will stay open a longer amount of time letting in more light. Depending on your camera, you may need to select a special night setting before adjusting the exposure will take effect.
Photo Directory Reset:	Most digital cameras should have the ability reset the current photo directory.  This will allow you to group your photos by location or activity so that all related photos are in the same directory. After you reset the photo directory for photos at a new location, if possible, take at least one photo of a sign or some other information that will help you identify where the photo was taken.
Self Included Photos:	A typical use for your tripod will be to include yourself in the photo while taking the photo from a distance.  With your camera on the tripod, set it up to capture the photo you want making note of where you want to be included in the photo.  Set your camera timer and click the shutter.  Get over to your location before the timer expires and the shutter clicks...smile. Stonehenge - England Bratislava Castle - Slovakia
Night Photography:	When taking night photos you will more than likely be using a longer exposure time to capture more light.  When doing this, the camera must be held completely still to avoid blurring the photo.  You may want to take multiple photos and compare on the camera's view screen to find the best exposure setting for the conditions. Salzburg Castle - Austria San Gimignano - Tuscany Italy
Extended Zoom:	When using your camera's extended zoom, having a tripod will prove invaluable by keeping the camera steady.  The farther you zoom, the steadier the camera must be held to avoid blurry photos. Heidelberg Castle - Germany (Far) Heidelberg Castle - Germany (Zoom)   Heidelberg Bridge - Germany (Far) Heidelberg Bridge - Germany (Zoom)
Carrying the Tripod:	When your tripod legs are compressed, it should fit easily into your daypack.  As an alternative, simply insert one leg of it into your pants belt where it should stay secure.  (we do not recommend keeping the camera attached to it should you be using the belt carrying method)

When using your tripod, be conscious of your surroundings.  You don't want someone snatching your tripod and camera away while you are standing waiting for your photo to be taken.  Kids could run by or someone on a bicycle and easily grab it.  In a crowded area, you do not want someone accidently stumbling over your tripod, knocking it over and breaking your camera.  Use your tripod when it's safe to do so and people are at a distance.

There are many different styles and sizes of tripods to choose from, but from our experience and multiple trips, we have found this inexpensive, compact yet high telescoping tripod to work the best.

Polaroid 42 inch Extended Travel Tripod Fully Extended This is our tripod of choice and it is perfect for travel due to it's size and features.  It can be used with the legs compacted, partially or fully extended. One big advantage to this tripod, compared to a selfie stick/tripod that has fixed length legs is that you can easily use it on uneven ground or an extreme slope by simply adjusting the legs to different lengths. We recommend this style of tripod and have used it for years.  You will find the same tripod sold under many different names but it is essentially the same one.  It can be found on Amazon, but at the same time we found it at Wal-Mart.  Prices can vary so shop around for the best deal. Approximate Dimensions: 11 x 2 x 2 inches Approximate Weight: 1 pound (is slightly heavy as it's made of metal, but it is durable and will hold up for years of travel) Compacted length: 11 inches Extends to 42 inches Non-slip rubber feet Fully rotational camera platform 2-way pan/tilt head Rotating leg locking mechanism (each leg) when fully extended Tripod can hold approximately a 1 pound camera Standard screw in mount for camera bottom Extending the Legs To extend a leg, slightly pull on one of the rubber feet.  When you can, grab the metal leg section and continue to expand the leg by pulling on each section independently.  Do not continue to pull the rubber foot and do not use excessive force to extend the legs.  Turning the legs as you pull may help them to be extended. Locking the Legs Each leg has a locking mechanism.  When a leg is fully extended, simply turn the leg clockwise until it clicks, locking the leg in place and preventing it from compressing. Closing the Legs Before compressing a leg, if it is locked into position, simply turn it clockwise again until it clicks, unlocking the leg. Do not put your hand at the end of an extended leg and try to compress the entire leg at once or you may end up bending it and ruining the tripod.  Compress each leg from the largest section first, pushing it into the unit.  Work your way down to the smallest section until the entire leg has been compressed.  It may help to give each section a slight turn during the compression process.