Travel Tuesday: In tourism areas, a fixed camera mount for group photos

Digital photography may have advanced considerably in recent years, but the fact remains that most group photos still lack the person holding the camera. Enter the fotopol, a camera mount for tourist spots that lets visitors get everyone in the picture.

Australian fotopol sells two models of its camera mounts. The fotopol stand (USD 2,350) is a permanently fixed, freestanding camera mount that’s made from anodized aluminum with a galvanized steel base and stainless steel hardware; six colour options are available, as are etched and screen-printed designs. Local information and advertising can be displayed on the front panel as well. The fotopol balcony series, on the other hand, targets cruise ships and hotels with a permanent camera mount that gets attached either inside or outside the door frame of the balcony. Using the mount, passengers and guests can secure their camera, compose the shot, set the time delay and capture a memorable group photo. The balcony series comes in white; custom branding is available. Fotopol is also working on an interface that can make the balcony camera mount a rental option for passengers and visitors.