Picture imperfect

Travelling alone has some minor drawbacks that I hadn't initally appreciated. One of these is photos. Although I am not one for taking snaps of myself in front of every temple, tomb and town I see, the odd picture of me on my travels is something I would like to have.

This poses a problem. When you are alone this job falls always to a stranger. This person is an obliging soul going out of his/her way to humour your vanity. As such you cannot ask too much of them. They point, shoot, return camera and continue on their way. The resulting photo is rarely up to much. You may be amputated at the knee, or have a wonky horizon; you may be (and if you are me, nearly always are) mid-blink, someone's passing head may lurk in the corner, or the background may be pin-sharp while your face is a blur.

Now, while I don't claim to be a photographer of any skill, I flatter myself that I can compose quite a good shot or see a photo opportunity that others may overlook. How I would dearly love to ask my friendly stranger to just step back a bit to get more background in, or find an angle so I'm not squinting into the sun, or even plead that he leave my knees intact in the composition. However, the etiquette of the single traveller dictates that one must be grateful for that precious yet forlornly ill-composed shot, however terrible it is.

I have hit on a ploy of trying to ask someone with a professional-looking camera themselves to do the duty, so they will surely understand in an instant the image I am trying to create. But when I proffer my cheap little point-and-shoot, they smile sadly at the evidence of my obviously woeful standards and do not attempt to give me that perfect photo.

So, unless someone on my travels find me an interesting subject in myself, I must be content to see myself from the knees up with a forced grin of gratitude.