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Are you finding the best stock photo for travel images? Then this blog is yours!
Traveling is one of the most rewarding and inspiring experiences in life. Whether you are a professional photographer, a blogger, a marketer, or a traveler who loves to capture the world’s beauty, you need high-quality and authentic images that reflect your vision and passion.
However, finding the right stock photo websites for travel can be challenging, especially if you want something unique and original. That’s why we have compiled a list of the 5 best stock photo sites for travel images in 2023. These sites offer stunning and diverse collections of travel photos from around the globe, covering different themes, styles, and destinations. So why wait? Join us and see what these stock photo websites offer!
Top 5 stock photo websites for travel images
Shutterstock
In the realm of stock photography, few names command as much recognition and trust as Shutterstock. Renowned as a global leader in the industry, Shutterstock has established itself as a go-to platform for accessing an extraordinary collection of high-quality, royalty-free images, videos, music, and editorial content. With an extensive library boasting over 444 million assets, the platform provides an unparalleled resource for creatives seeking captivating visuals for various projects.
Whether you’re curating a travel website, enhancing a blog post, elevating your social media presence, or developing compelling marketing materials, Shutterstock’s vast collection will undoubtedly meet your every need. Besides, the platform offers many innovative and inspiring tools to enhance your creative process.
From Shutterstock Editor, which enables you to customize and edit images effortlessly, to Shutterstock Custom, which connects you with talented photographers for tailored shoots. And lastly – Shutterstock Studios, which provides access to curated collections and premium content, you have everything you need to bring your vision to life.
Regarding pricing, Shutterstock offers various subscription plans tailored to different budgets and usage requirements. Whether you prefer a subscription model or pay-per-image options, Shutterstock ensures a suitable pricing plan.
For those seeking additional benefits and features, Shutterstock Pro and Shutterstock Enterprise provide access to premium collections and exclusive resources, further elevating your creative endeavors.
✔ Pros
- Boast the world’s largest collection of stock images, spanning diverse themes, styles, and categories.
- Provide high-quality, royalty-free images for websites, blogs, social media, marketing, or personal use.
- Offer a flexible and affordable pricing model to suit every budget
- Empower users with innovative and inspiring tools like Shutterstock Editor, Shutterstock Custom, and Shutterstock Studios for easy content creation and editing
✖ Cons
- Difficulties reported with canceling subscriptions
- Limited customization options for customers with specific requirements.
- Lower speed in generating results and downloading images compared to competitors.
- Average customer support
Pricing plans:
- Shutterstock subscription: Free trial available for 10 images per month
Credits per month: 10, 25, 50, 150, 350, or 750. ( image = 1 credit, 1 music track = 4 credits and 1 video = 10 or 25 credits (resolution dependent)
Prices per month: $29, $59, $99, $169, $199, or $249. - On-demand packs: Pay-as-you-go option with image packs
Single user: 2, 5, or 25 images.
Prices: $29, $49, or $229. - Teams: Subscription plan for up to 10 team members (access to images only)
750 images: $479/month
Unsplash
Unsplash, ranked 2nd in our best stock photo platforms for travel images, offers a remarkable collection of beautiful, high-quality, and royalty-free images for various projects. With thousands of categories, collections, and the ability to search using specific keywords, finding the perfect image is effortless. Unsplash’s travel category is particularly popular, showcasing breathtaking destinations, cultures, landscapes, and adventures worldwide. On top of that, All images are available for free download and use without attribution.
Additionally, Unsplash fosters a vibrant community of talented photographers who contribute their work and share their stories. Users can engage with photographers by following, liking, commenting on their photos, and participating in challenges and events. Unsplash transcends being a mere stock photo site, serving as a boundless source of inspiration and creativity for millions of users.
✔ Pros
- Provide royalty-free HD images without payment or attribution required.
- Offer a vast and high-quality collection of photos across diverse categories
- Grant exposure and recognition to photographers who share their work on the platform
✖ Cons
- Lack of illustrations, vector files, or stock videos, focusing solely on photos and wallpapers
- Limited availability of specific or unique images for the project
Pricing plans: $20/month or $240/year (65% cheaper)
Adobe Stock
If you are looking for amazing travel photos to spark your customer, Adobe Stock is the place to go. Adobe Stock has a huge collection of high-quality, royalty-free stock photos that you can use for any project. Immerse yourself in millions of captivating travel images from across the globe, showcasing diverse destinations, cultures, landscapes, and activities.
With Adobe Stock, you can easily access and edit your images from your favorite Adobe apps, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or InDesign. You can also license and download your travel images with a simple click and use them as many times as you want.
Besides, Adobe Stock has flexible plans and pricing options to fit your budget and needs. All you need to do is choose a monthly or annual subscription or pay-as-you-go with credit packs. You can also get 10 free images when you sign up for a free trial.
✔ Pros
- Offer a large and diverse collection of high-quality stock assets
- Seamlessly integrate with the Creative Cloud platform for easy access and utilization of assets in your projects.
- Provide flexible subscription and credit-based plans
- Offer intelligent search function for quick and effortless asset discover
✖ Cons
- Monthly download limits may restrict users requiring a higher volume of assets.
- The extended license for commercial use and printing on merchandise is pricier than the standard license.
- Website performance issues can occur when browsing large collections or downloading high-resolution files.
Pricing plans:
- Images:
Standard images: $0.26–$9.99/image, depending on the plan or credit pack
Premium images: 12–50 credits/image, depending on the image type
Extended license images: 80 credits/image - Videos:
HD videos: $7.99–$23.99/video, depending on the plan or credit pack
4K videos: 20–199.80/video depending on the video type and the plan or credit pack - Audio:
Standard audio: 5 credits/track
Premium audio: 15 credits/track
Pexels
Moving to Pexels – the ultimate destination for an expansive collection of awe-inspiring stock photos that are sure to ignite your creative spark. With an extensive library of 3.2 million high-quality images, Pexels offers a diverse range of visuals catering to many themes and subjects. From serene nature scenes to bustling urban environments, Pexels provides a wide array of images that can seamlessly elevate your creative projects.
With Pexels, you have the freedom to explore and discover captivating visuals that resonate with your unique vision. Whether you’re searching for travel images to enhance your blog posts, website design, social media content, or personal projects, Pexels offers a wealth of possibilities to choose from.
✔ Pros
- 100% free to use and offer a royalty-free collection of stock photos and videos
- Curate a vast library of high-resolution and visually appealing media files sourced from professional photographers and videographers worldwide.
- User-friendly interface, easy for users to search, browse, and download media files
✖ Cons
- Limited features like advanced search and video editing.
- May have duplicate or low-quality media files that are not screened or removed.
Pricing plans: Free. However, if you want to support the platform and the contributors, you can also buy them a coffee or donate to them via PayPal
Pixabay
Pixabay, our final contender for the best stock photo for travel images, is a vibrant community of creatives who generously share over 4 million high-quality stock images, videos, audio, and more. These media files can be used for any purpose without permission or attribution. You can freely browse, download, and utilize the content and show your support by buying the contributors a coffee or donating via PayPal.
Pixabay has a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to easily search and filter media files according to the subject, category, orientation, color, size, and more. Explore the editor’s choice and featured creators’ sections to discover new and noteworthy content.
With Pixabay, you can find the perfect travel images for your website, blog, social media, presentation, or any other project that needs a touch of visual appeal.
✔ Pros
- Offers a diverse collection of copyright-free stock images, videos, and audio files.
- Free to use without registration or subscription.
- User-friendly interface for easy searching, browsing, and filtering
✖ Cons
- Lacks advanced features like advanced image search, video editing, and media quality control.
- Contains duplicate or low-quality media files that the platform does not adequately screen or remove.
Pricing plans: Free. If you want to support the platform and the contributors, you can also buy them a coffee or donate to them via PayPal.
Tips for using stock photos effectively
Engage Your Audience with Relevant Stock Photos
Always put yourself in your audience’s shoes when selecting images. Consider how you want to portray your organization and what you want your audience to perceive. The photos you choose play a significant role in shaping your brand’s image, so opt for visuals that align with your desired perception and resonate with your visitors.
For instance, if your website targets Gen Z travelers, embrace a digital, active, and youthful vibe. Including images that capture your target audience’s experiences will subconsciously foster a connection between visitors and your brand.
If you take a moment to explore Tripadvisor, it becomes clear why it’s a popular travel website for Gen Z travelers.
Personalize Stock Photos with Your Unique Touch
After choosing your stock imagery, you can customize and make them truly fit your travel brand. Besides, you should add a touch of personality by incorporating typography, cropping out unnecessary elements, adjusting colors, or overlaying gradients in your brand’s color palette. Some user-friendly image editings tools like Photoshop, Pixlr, PicMonkey, and GIMP can assist you in effortlessly aligning your pictures with the rest of your branding.
And remember, you don’t have to limit yourself to only stock photos or custom photography. Combining both can bring a sense of completeness to your website and seamlessly integrate the stock photos with your overall visual aesthetic. Embrace the best of both worlds for a truly harmonious look and feel.
Optimize Your Stock Photos for SEO
When you download stock photos, they often come with filenames based on the photographer’s name. Therefore, to align them better with your brand, you should rename these files to something more relevant.
Renaming your photos not only helps in branding but also contributes to SEO optimization. Use keywords related to the pictures and your organization as the new filenames.
Here’s a pro tip: ensure that the alt text of the pictures matches their new filenames.
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Conclusion
The best stock photo for travel images in 2023 provides many exceptional options. No matter if you’re a travel blogger, website owner, or creative professional, these top 5 platforms offer access to stunning visuals that will enhance your travel projects. With a diverse collection of royalty-free images showcasing breathtaking landscapes and captivating cultural experiences, these platforms are sure to inspire and captivate your audience. Make the most of these top-rated platforms, enjoy their convenience and visual appeal, and elevate your travel projects with the best stock photos of 2023. Thank you for reading!