How do you take pictures with yourself in them?

Whenever I am out and about with my wife and we want to take a couples shot, I always get a little nervous handing over my camera to a complete stranger. For 2 reasons:

1. The camera and lens together are relatively expensive
2. It usually takes about a minute before I can talk the person through composing the shot and actually pressing the button

How do you deal with having others take your picture? Do you ever simply use a tripod because it's too much of a hassle?

I generally use a tripod.

JeffreyG wrote in post #13453964
I generally use a tripod.

+1 Tripod plus remote trigger.

Tell them to wear the neck strap

emelvee wrote in post #13453985
Tell them to wear the neck strap

Haha, always! I even tell my wife that

I use a tripod to hold the camera and an electronic remote to fire the camera. I normally set the focus and exposure manually with my wife standing in her place for the photo. Once I've set it up, I simply walk to my place and the discreetly trip the remote a couple of times.

On vacation I use a small table tripod and remote controll.

I use f.6-9 and fix the sharpnes on some object with the same distance I me.

I have a 60D so I flip out the screen to see where I stand. Then I shoot.

NoahKrueger wrote in post #13453771
Whenever I am out and about with my wife and we want to take a couples shot, I always get a little nervous handing over my camera to a complete stranger. For 2 reasons:

1. The camera and lens together are relatively expensive
2. It usually takes about a minute before I can talk the person through composing the shot and actually pressing the button

How do you deal with having others take your picture? Do you ever simply use a tripod because it's too much of a hassle?

You might want to revisit who you are having shoot the photo and have it setup ready for them just to hit the button. I have asked plenty of people to take a picture for me and it takes all of 10 seconds. As a rule I target someone with a camera figuring they have a clue though they often want to start playing with settings - just frame it and shoot!!.

I always have my Gorilla Pod in my camera pack, so I use that with the 10 second self timer. I take a couple of test shots, then set the timer and get into the picture.

Preeb wrote in post #13455121
I always have my Gorilla Pod in my camera pack, so I use that with the 10 second self timer. I take a couple of test shots, then set the timer and get into the picture.

+1 even the tripod is light-weight too

Timer and hold it out like most P&S. Nicer output than a P&S but same idea. I like the concept personally. Those are for general shots. If I do portraits of me and my family then obviously tripod.

Tripod or rest the camera on something, set the self-timer and get positioned in the frame before it goes off. I have my camera set to manually choose focus point and 99% of people who use P&S don't get it - they're used to the camera automatically selecting the focus point, so it's rare to get a shot in focus when handing the camera to somebody else.

emelvee wrote in post #13453985
Tell them to wear the neck strap

This^^^
On our honeymoon a few weeks ago I handed my 7D + 17-55mm to a woman to take a pic of us...out of nowhere she starts bobbling the camera and I had to LITERALLY make a diving catch to save it from the concrete. Guess I also should have known better when she said "Ok, let me put down this drink."...don't let drunk people hold your valuables.

Heh! I can think of times when I've been out and about with a lady friend and having a tripod with a wireless remote would be sweet!

My problem is I never think to "come prepared" in those types of situations -- it's natural to bring a camera bag but the remote/tripod doesn't enter my mind!

So, it's occasionally a bypasser that has done the favor. The problem is that another thing tends to not enter my mind, which is the fact that I have tended to leave my cameras on rear-button focus!