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With each trip – on our beautiful continent or elsewhere – do you come back with dozens, even hundreds of photos, which will end up in a sub-folder on your computer? What if those photos could make you some money? What if they even ended up in a prestigious publication? The internet makes this possible. It’s true you won’t become a millionaire with this, but you might make enough to consider another vacation in the future, where you can take pictures to sell and pay for another vacation… You get the concept. Here are the best websites to sell travel photos, tested and approved by us!
Shutterstock, the heavyweight of stocks
A true benchmark in the world of microstocks sites (boasting 300 million photos and 16 million videos), Shutterstock recently hit the headlines, for revising its commission grid downwards. However, it remains an essential site for selling travel photos, especially since the site offers a so-called “editorial” section, which allows the sale of photos to the media without the authorization of the people or brands photographed.
Pros: one of the biggest players in the sector | huge number of customers | sponsorship offers | editorial space for the media | allows videos
Cons: a declining pay scale | degraded seniority policy
Adobe Stock, for creatives of all kinds
This famous software publisher built up its own content base, which is very useful to all their creative clients, with the takeover of Fotolia in 2015. The remuneration is more attractive than that offered by Shutterstock; it is not uncommon to earn ten dollars on a single download of a travel photo. Unlike Shutterstock, Adobe Stock does not have an application that alerts you each time someone downloads one of your snapshots. Whenever you have “daily income”, you will be notified by email.
Pros: lots of customers | integration of photos into the Adobe Suite | allows videos | ease of uploads | few rejections | good salary scale
Cons: no editorial space
► Discover Adobe Stock Contributor
Pond5, for amateur or professional videographers
We will tell you again: do not neglect video! This format is not often thought of on vacation, but a short 15-second clip, even a still shot, can earn you money. Pond5 has thus become the specialist in video resale. A word of advice: choose a very high quality, 4K or Ultra HD camera. Going through the process of validating your masterpieces on Pond5 is rather easy, you just need to make sales afterwards…
Pros: large customer base for videos | few rejections | easy to use | freedom in pricing
Cons: little developed on the photo
iStock, Getty Images’ antechamber to sell travel photos
iStock is a long-standing player in the sector. Its catalogues, like those of Shutterstock, are extremely well supplied. Commissions are not huge – starting at only 15% – but they can go up to 45%. iStock is also a branch of Getty Images, another player in the sector, but is much more select. Founded in 1995, Getty Images is undoubtedly the most prestigious agency on this list, providing many prestigious media companies with photos. Getting in is very difficult, but once inside, you’ve hit the jackpot!
Pros: large customer base for photos | allows video and audio
Cons: poor interface | very low pay scale
► Discover iStock / Getty Images
Dreamstime, for flexibility
Here is another historical player in the sector. Dreamstime is a stock that is highly regarded by photographers. However, given the client base, it is not generally the most profitable in terms of sales volumes. Nonetheless, the commission is attractive: it starts at 25% and can reach 50%. Another advantage: the flexibility in the management of its photo galleries, offering a fantastic user experience for contributors. Not to be neglected.
Pros: attractive commission | good user experience | editorial area | allows videos and audios
Cons: slightly low customer base compared to other stocks
Alamy, if you like exclusivity
Alamy is a British stock founded in 1999. It has a pretty impressive catalogue and this is no coincidence: the commissions for contributors are attractive, especially if you want to sell your travel photos exclusively with them, although it is not a requirement). Alamy is a solid player and appreciated by photographers.
Pros: attractive commissions | possibility of exclusivity | good customer base
Cons: tedious process to get your photos online
Depositphoto, for simplicity
You will undoubtedly have experiences it: uploading your travel photos to stock sites can be tedious. You have to fill in several fields, specify the category in which your snapshot could appear, or add a geolocation … all this takes time. On Depositphoto, a new player in the sector, it’s much simpler: a title, a few hashtags and it’s sent. Simple and fast! It is not necessarily the stock through which you will make the most money, being less prestigious than others, but it is not to be neglected all the same.
Pros: very simple interface | allows videos and audios
Cons: customer base still a little narrow
Our list of the best websites to sell travel photos is complete, but if you know of any others, please let us know in the comments.
