How to Take the Best Photos When It's Just the Two of You
Most trips, it's just the two of us. No photographer, no friend tagging along, just a phone and a lot of "one more, I blinked." Over time we've worked out a routine that gets us photos we actually love, without spending half the holiday behind the camera.
1. Set up once: a tripod and a remote
A lightweight phone tripod with a Bluetooth remote is the single best thing you can pack. Set the phone up, walk into the frame, and press the shutter from your hand. Nobody has to run back and forth.
- Extend it to chest or eye height. Low angles are flattering for full-length shots, but eye height looks the most natural for two people.
- Hide the remote in a palm, behind your partner's back or in a pocket. Press it while you're moving, not while you're standing still and staring at the lens.
- On a MagSafe phone, a magnetic tripod means no clamp to fiddle with. It's snap on and shoot.
- No flat ground? A small flexible tripod wraps around railings, branches and fence posts.
2. Let the phone do the work: timer, burst, interval and video
- Timer plus burst. Most phones take a short burst when the self-timer fires. You get several frames instead of one, and one of them will have both of you with eyes open.
- Hold the remote button. On many phones, holding the shutter or volume trigger takes a burst. Check your camera settings, as some phones map it to video instead.
- Interval or time-lapse. Set a time-lapse running while you walk, talk and laugh, then pull the best frame out later. It's great for sunsets.
- Live Photos or video, then pull a still. Shoot a short clip of you walking or turning toward each other, then choose the key frame or screenshot the best moment. For the sharpest result, shoot video at your phone's highest quality and in good light.
3. Poses that don't look posed
The trick is to give yourselves something to do, not something to hold.
- The walk. Hold hands and walk toward or away from the camera, slowly, talking to each other. Repeat it three times and you'll get the shot.
- The candid laugh. Whisper something ridiculous in your partner's ear right as you press the remote. Real laughs beat fake smiles every time.
- The forehead kiss. It's soft, romantic and easy. Tilt your chins down slightly and close your eyes.
- Looking at the view. Stand side by side with your backs to the camera, looking out at the sea, the city or the sunset. It's the easiest photo to get right, and it's private, too.
- The hand-holding POV. One of you leads and the other films or photographs from behind, arm outstretched, holding hands toward the scene. No tripod needed.
- Detail shots. Two coffees on a terrace, linked fingers, matching sandals on old stone. These fill a carousel beautifully.
4. Find a frame: doorways, arches and stairs
Architecture does half the composition for you. Stand in a doorway, sit in an arched window, or put one of you a few steps above the other on a staircase. In Naoussa on Paros, the stone arches of the little Venetian castle at the end of the old port gave us some of our favourite photos of the whole trip. In Santorini, the whitewashed stairs and blue domes do the framing for you. Look for symmetry, step into the middle and let the frame hold you both.
Read more about our Paros itinerary and our Santorini itinerary.
5. Chase the light (and beat the crowds)
- Golden hour, the hour or so after sunrise and before sunset, gives warm, soft light that flatters everyone.
- Early morning is the real secret. Popular spots are often near-empty first thing, so you can set up a tripod without an audience or a crowd in the background.
- Harsh midday sun? Find open shade under an arch, in a doorway or on the shady side of the street, and face toward the brighter side.
- After dark, a tiny rechargeable LED light gives a soft glow for dinner-table photos without a harsh flash.
6. Asking a stranger (nicely)
Sometimes a kind stranger is the best tripod. Make it easy for them:
- Pick well. Look for another couple who are taking photos of each other, and offer to take theirs first.
- Set up the shot before you hand over the phone. Frame it, lock focus and exposure (long-press on the screen on most phones), and show them exactly where to stand.
- Ask for a few. "Could you hold the button for a burst?" or "Could you take a few vertical and a few horizontal?"
- Say thank you, and return the favour.
7. Coordinate your outfits (not match)
Pick a shared palette rather than matching outfits. We love beige, cream, stone, white, soft olive and a touch of tan leather. Neutral, linen-y tones look timeless against limewash walls, old stone and blue sea, and they edit beautifully. Avoid big logos and busy prints, and let one of you wear the "statement" piece.
8. Edit on your phone, lightly
- Straighten first, especially horizons and doorframes. Then crop to 4:5 for Instagram.
- Brighten gently and lift the shadows a touch. Warm it slightly if the light was cool.
- Keep skin and sea natural. Pull saturation back rather than pushing it.
- Use one consistent edit across a whole trip so your grid and carousels feel like a set. We use a bright, soft look with a hint of film grain.
9. Privacy and safety with your gear
- Stay close to your phone. Keep the tripod within a few steps, and never leave it unattended in a busy square.
- Watch the wind and the edges. Spread the tripod legs fully, weigh it down if your tripod allows, and don't set up on cliff edges, walls or busy paths.
- Respect other people and places. Check rules on tripods at museums and sites, keep strangers out of your close-ups, and don't block paths for "just one more".
- Post later. Sharing your exact location in real time is optional. We often post after we've left a spot.
- Use a crossbody phone strap on crowded streets and boats, so your phone can't slip into the sea or a pickpocket's hand.
Save this for your next trip
Pin it or screenshot it before you go. We share our setups and behind-the-scenes on Instagram at @suitedfortwo.travel. Come say hi and show us your favourite photo of the two of you.