Would like travel, worried about being targeted

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I've finally got the confidence to explore new places with my camera, or so I thought..

I love photography and have some places in the UK I'd like to visit, but when I bring up the subject my mum say's things like 'lone female' or be careful who you jabber to. My aunt doesn't help by saying I'm too friendly so this knocks me down again.

I have been to some places on my own like Waymouth, Bournemouth etc but now I'd like to do Winchester or maybe Cardiff (having never been to Wales before) I know travelling is more harder for women because some men can't help themselves but this is really getting me down.

By the way my Deezer music has just started to play Psycho so that's made me feel better. NOT

I've been to Bournemouth too. Lovely beach. Being a man I can't say with certainty you would be safe travelling alone. However the UK is a relatively safe country overall. I would say just follow some basic precautions:

o Stay out of potentially dangerous areas like council estates
o In the nighttime stay on main roads near traffic and avoid back streets or quiet areas
o Wear jeans or other sensible clothing so you can safely store your valuables and they're harder to pickpocket
o If possible don't use a handbag, you're more vulnerable to being mugged
o If you drink alcohol don't have more than a few glasses of wine. I was mugged while I was drunk on my own in a city. If people see you are intoxicated they can target you

I've travelled on my own a bit. I stayed in two different hostels in London sleeping with 6-8 strangers in the same room. There were quite a few women on their own staying there.

I'm an artist whose first love is fine art photography.
I've traveled alone plenty ... from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee to the Badlands of South Dakota and everywhere in between.

I specialize in roadside landscape and nature photos ...
which means, stop the car by the side of the road,
listen for dogs in the Deep South (where pit bulls seem to always guard the best scenery)
or rattle snakes out in the Wild West (they don't call it the Badlands for nothing)
keep the car unlocked and your car key right at hand
so you can take a few quick photos within sight of your car
and get right back into the car at the first sign of any trouble.

I also stay at bed and breakfast inns in scenic spots,
making sure the people running the place are decent,
so that I can walk around the grounds
and get plenty of good landscape and nature shots
right where I'm staying.

I also call myself the Queen of Narnia
and will go out into the woods during fierce snow storms ...
better dress warm for that!

Here's a photo I've taken of Narnia:



Nowadays, the world is getting more dangerous.
I say, if your heart is telling you you're an artist,
then go forth and take photos, and follow your dreams,
but do so carefully and safely.

I wish you the best of success!

Edit:Perhaps find a travel buddy,that is interested in photography and on the same page as yourself.

Just buy a knife and you will be fine. If you get in a nifty situation, pull it out, if they move towards you, stab em. Despite what the society tells you a very few amount of men are violent rapists. It is nowhere near as common as you would think. The chance of you being targeted is so incredibly low that you shouldn't worry about it. Especially in a safe place like the UK.
Good luck on your trip!

Thanks for your replies.

the_phoenix your photo is brillient, I like the lamp

I usually keep myself to myself and never go out at night. Onc a month our church puts shows on and I stay overnight in Bournemouth at variouse hotels found through hotel combined website, but I'm very careful about what I choose and where.